History did not end in the 1990s

China’s reform and opening up in the past 30 years has shaken the foundation of many theories once popular in the West. Predictions for the planet’s future cannot be made without referring to China, says an article in the People’s Daily. Excerpts:

US scholar Francis Fukuyama’s new book The Origins of Political Order draws the conclusion that a good society has three components: powerful government, rule of law and democratic accountability, in order of priority.

His conclusion is testimony to the fact that the democratic system of the West is not the ultimate model. History did not end in the early 1990s when the Cold War finished. Fukuyama has a broader vision now and China’s experience has given him enlightenment.

Three things, at least, in the modern world are changing people’s view of the world. The 2008 financial crisis clearly shows the weakness of capitalism. The failure of the “color revolution” in North Africa, Middle East and East Europe proves Western democratic models cannot easily be transplanted elsewhere apart from the developed countries. Some emerging markets and economies are rising fast and their emergence is changing global patterns.

The changing world provides more references to scholars like Fukuyama. In his latest book he tries to find the reasons for stable political order through analyzing Chinese history. Many other Western scholars use China’s development experience to consolidate their own theories on the West.

Although holding different views on China’s future and problems, their researches prove modern China has become an indispensible part of studies on global development. Chinese civilization will make more contributions to the whole of humanity.