Europe could learn from China in terms of effectiveness, stability and pragmatism: scholars

Europe, roiled by political and economic crises, could draw lessons from China in aspects such as stability, effectiveness and pragmatism, two scholars said at a forum that debuted in Brussels Wednesday.

Speaking at the inaugural "China Talk" forum organized by the Chinese Cultural Center, Martin Jacques, a British academic who authored the book "When China Rules the World," addressed the belief in the West that the political system in China is unsustainable.

The scholar said that this was due to the wrong perception that the Western style of democracy is required for success, and that a successful system of governance must be the Western model.

However, he said, the consensus in the Western world is breaking down, and a revolt against the governing elites has occurred.

"Populism reflects the refusal of people to accept what they previously accepted, and that old solutions are no longer acceptable," he said.

He said that the crisis of governance and legitimacy in the West may well be only at the beginning and that there were no obvious solutions.

"There is an erosion of competence, authority and expertise at a high level. This, along with 'short-termism', is creating problems for the political system," he said.

Jacques praised the Chinese governance system, saying that it has been "enormously effective and successful" and that its great strength is " long-term thinking, pragmatism, competence and meritocratic system."

He said the Europeans could learn from China on how to establish stability, order and cohesion.

Zhang Weiwei, dean of China Institute of Fudan University, said that the Chinese model has been performing quite well, citing achievements in economic development and poverty eradication.

Zhang said the Chinese political model is based on a meritocratic system that hardly "allow weak and incompetent leadership to flourish."

"Good governance can take the form of a Western or non-Western political system, and bad governance can take this form as well. There must be a shift in political science to recognize this," he said.

The middle class in China will continue to grow, Zhang said, citing home ownership, the flourishing tourist industry, investment in alternative energy and the growing importance of medical insurance and pensions.

The China Talk forum attracted more than 130 officials and diplomats, including Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and representatives from the European Commission and the European Parliament. Endi