Learning from the Chinese Miracle : Development Lessons for Sub-Saharan Africa

Zafar, Ali

关键词: ACCOUNTING;    ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS;    ADVERSE IMPACT;    AGRICULTURAL INCOMES;    AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-5216
RP-ID  :  WPS5216

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

A notable contrast in modern economichistory has been the rapid economic growth of China and theslower and volatile economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.As the engagement between the two continues to grows, therewill be a greater cross-fertilization of experiences. Totalfactor productivity comparisons suggest that capitalaccumulation in China coupled with more efficient factorusage explains the differential with Africa. Although thetwo have similar populations and patterns of inequality,their growth trajectories have been divergent. What canAfrica learn from China? Although the lessons vary dependingon country location and resource endowment, seven basiclessons are visible. First, the political economy of Chinesereforms and the shared gains between political elites andthe private sector can be partially transplanted to theAfrican context. Second, the Chinese used diaspora capitaland knowledge in the early reform years. Third, ruralreforms in China helped accelerate economic takeoff througha restructuring of property rights and a boost to bothsavings rates and output. Fourth, Chinese growth has takenplace in the context of a competitive exchange rate. Five,port governance in China has been exemplary, and Africanlandlocked economies can benefit significantly from portreform in the coastal countries. Six, China has experimentedwith a degree of decentralization that could yield benefitsfor many Sub-Saharan African countries. Seventh, Africa canlearn from China s policies toward autonomous areas andethnic minorities to stave off conflict. Africa can learnfrom China s experiences and conduct developmentalexperiments for poverty alleviation goals.