Humane authoritarianism, anyone?

Byline: Sohaib R. Malik

FOR many visiting functionaries, today's China is a source of awe. Notwithstanding the irresistible charm of the country's authoritarian rule (specifically for political elite) and growth, it's worth discussing what policy lessons it holds for countries that aim to mirror its economic growth in the coming decades. Beware, when it comes to lessons, some can be learned whereas some must be unlearned.

Many Western analysts denigrate China's economic achievements under the premise of the extractive nature of its institutions and suggest that the Communist Party rule and sustained economic growth will ultimately prove mutually exclusive. And those who celebrate its sizzling GDP growth want the developing world to emulate this model of state-led growth. Naturally, the latter comprises mainly of politicians representing dysfunctional, developing states. For that, they believe, is a recipe for success and, when given the 'right environment', they can pull off a great growth miracle.

However, when the heads of representative democracies bemoan the nonexistence of the 'Chinese model' in their country, it represents their craving to wield power on the lines of the Communist Party of China (CPC). They may think that their poor governance is rooted in an inability to turn things round on a whim while, in fact, the opposite is often true. The impunity of our former rulers - most attributable to the nonelected lot - encouraged them to take steps that impaired the nation-building exercise badly.

The foundational principles of the state of Madina delegitimise authoritarian rule.

For our country, with its fragile institutions, the desire for the Chinese model is far from ideal. It draws on a rudimentary understating of China's success in poverty alleviation - not necessarily synonymous with human development - and the number of officials jailed on corruption charges. It's chilling for its disregard of our sociopolitical realities, which must be the foremost priority of a democratic setup. Most worryingly, it underlines the ruling elite's failure to comprehend a basic lesson from our history: Every time a ruler forced an intervention from outside the constitutional framework, it caused insurmountable harm.

China may have some lessons for economies around the world, more so the Global South. It is, however, important for those nations to be cognisant of their own needs and limitations. They ought to understand contemporary China in the...