Why Do We Assume That China Want's Global Capitalism To Return To It's Former Glory?

[HoreTore]

How many protesters?

No seriosly, what is the number?

I don't know, but the soviet union apparently hit that magic number...

[A Very Super Market]

Buying American means buying Overpopulationstan. Always.

[aimlesswanderer]

The Chinese leadership is always most concerned about internal unrest, as that is what has brought down Chinese governments in the past. So any threats to their grip on power are first priority. And keeping the people happy by keeping economic growth high so their standard of living improves is their main aim at the moment. While they might not like the US all that much, they need them as they are currently highly dependant on them for their own economic growth. So they buy US govt bonds so the US can buy stuff from them, and thus keep their people employed. A strange state of affairs indeed.

A big economic slowdown in its main export markets (US & Europe) slowed the economy to a mere 8% growth or so, but there were still huge job losses - and therefore unhappy people. So they spent an enormous amount of money to prop the economy up and try to increase domestic spending. I don't think they particularly want to change the world economic system all that much, but they want to try and change the Chinese economy to be more consumer driven and less construction and export oriented.

Even before the current slowdown there were an increasing number of protests mass incidents (a million or so per year from memory) over everything from unemployment, government corruption, illegal land grabs, pollution, abducted children, unpaid wages, the list goes on and on. So the government has no choice but to keep the economy growing. I bet the politburo were extremely worried when things started to really tank last year, but they will be happy now. China is now viewed as being much more influential (good for ego and propaganda), and since its economy has remained strong its relative economic strength has improved.

If it all goes wrong (as will eventually happen at some stage - nothing lasts forever) they might try and use their newly minted military to do something stupid in order to whip up nationalistic feeling in order to stay in power...

[HopAlongBunny]

Do they want it to return to its former state?
I don't think so

This is the ultimate economic experiment. If China can spur internal (effective) demand sufficiently, they accomplish all they need. Given the size of the market created, the outside world becomes superfluous.

Along the way there will be boom and busts; its the nature of the beast. The political elite entrench and become the economic elite; like anywhere else...they have the means to enrich themselves and will do so, legitimized by the very freedoms they extend.

In the end, it won't be the return of global capitalism as it was...nor will it be the return of China to what it was.

We live in interesting times

[Beskar]

Where is Cao Cao when you need him, huh?