Zhang Weiwei Talks About His New Think Tank, U.S.-China Relations And Why He Loves Bhutan
Growing up in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese scholar Zhang Weiwei wanted to be a painter. This led to a vocational school and an apprenticeship as a jade carver. But he was also interested in languages and studied English, French and Japanese on his own: “We had lots of books at home,” says Zhang. He eventually got a degree in English from Fudan University and went on to work as an interpreter for Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders in the 1980s. Now a professor of international relations at Fudan and director of the Center for China Development Model Research, Zhang, age 57, is perhaps best known for his work explaining China’s political, economic and social narrative in a trilogy that includes the bestseller The China Wave: Rise of a Civilizational State. He is currently translating the last book in the trilogy, The China Horizon: Glory and Dream of a Civilizational State, into English. “It’s my attempt to retell the China story first to China’s domestic audience and at the same time to tell the international audience,’ he says.
“We have to have our own narrative. There is a Western narrative – mainstream views in the Western media about China which are not accurate and are sometimes very misleading. We have a track record now,” says Zhang who in November will launch a new think tank at Fudan, the China Institute, focusing on the political and economic aspects of the Chinese approach to modernization.
Zhang was recently in San Francisco at the invitation of the Committee of 100, a non-profit organization aimed at increasing understanding between the U.S. and China, and took time to speak about U.S.-China relations, the future of China’s development model and why he loves Bhutan. Edited excerpts follow:
How would you compare Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visits to the U.S. and the U.K.
Zhang: I’d consider his visit to the U.S. a success. Xi’s visit highlighted many areas of cooperation that the countries already have from environmental protection to climate control to Iran’s nuclear issues. But the visit to the U.K. was really interesting. Apparently the United Kingdom has made a very bold, strategic decision - perhaps the boldest since the Second World War. It’s a kind of vision that China and the U.K. can forge a real strategic partnership. This vision is new among the Western countries. It’s different from the United States. Many in the U.S. still perceive China as its adversary. But in the U.K., for this current Cameron cabinet, it’s a real partner. It’s the country of opportunities. I’m impressed with this phrase “golden era” for Sino-British relations. If that’s a gold medal then China and the U.S. can try for a silver medal or a bronze medal.
How would you describe the relationship between the U.S. and China now?
I think it’s reasonably good because the leadership of the two countries have the overall interests of the two countries under consideration. It’s mature leadership. They can manage the differences. If this trend can continue I’m not worried about problems between the two countries, they can be managed.
What are the West’s biggest misconceptions about China?
This misperception that Western political and economic models are the best and that China has to move towards this model. I argue it’s not the case. China has its own model, its own case. The two models can learn from each other.
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How concerned are you about China’s slowing growth?
I’m concerned in the sense that this is a new phenomenon. I think China actually can do better than the case now. But so far the Chinese government has focused on two important indicators: employment and inflation. On these two fronts China is still doing well. Inflation is low. Unemployment is low. A lot of new jobs are being created in the service sector. I agree with the government that it’s high time that China should restructure the economy to increase the service sector and to upgrade the quality of the economy.
Where do you see China in 10 years?
I’m optimistic. In terms of the living standards it will be another new leap. It depends on how you define middle class. I have created informal criteria which are very befitting the Chinese situation and perhaps the situation in the West: property plus a decent job, a relatively stable job. I bet that 10 years from now this middle class will be as large as twice the U.S. population. Now it’s about 300 million. It will be over 600 million.
As an interpreter for Deng Xiaoping from 1985 to 1988 you had a unique view of what was just the beginning of China’s economic reforms. Did you ever imagine then where China would be today?
Deng Xiaoping in retrospect was one of the few leaders worldwide who delivered more than he promised to his people. When we had political study sessions in the1980s we discussed Deng Xiaoping’s speeches and many people were not entirely convince that his objectives could be reached but he was optimistic. It’s amazing.
What are your thoughts about the current election season in the U.S.?
I haven’t followed it closely but what’s most amusing is Mr. Trump. I watch him with a lot of interest. I don’t want to predict who will win but indeed this Western model of so much depending on a populist approach to the elections and especially in the U.S. the case of so much money involved in the elections is sad. I divide society into three powers: the power of capital – business power, political power – government, and social power – the media and civil society in general. I think in the case of the U.S., the capital power is too strong. There is so much influence over social power and political power this is a major reason why the American dream seems to be less shiny now than before.
Of the more than one hundred countries that you’ve visited,what’s been your favorite?
Bhutan is so unique, so different. I was there 25 years ago. It’s the first I saw of this kind of architecture and the layout of the cities and scenery. We met his majesty and had an audience with him. The political system is obviously unique. It wants to keep its identity. Economically the country is very poor. But it keeps its identity so strongly it’s amazing.
