The government has few aces up its sleeve when it comes to managing popular anger, argues ANDREW MURRAY
ACCORDING to Walt Rostow’s infamous 1960s work, A Non-Communist Manifesto, society passes through five stages of development with technology, entrepreneurialism, individualism and competition as the key drivers.
China would appear now to be transitioning through Stage 4: the drive to maturity — a long period of sustained growth and structural change with modern technology extending across the economy, poverty falling, and an increasingly urbanised workforce. “Infrastructure and communications, education and the media, professionalism, progress to high levels with more effective leadership of a population realising new opportunities as they strive to make the most of their lives.”
Stage 5: the age of mass consumption then reaches the wealth levels of the West — citizens, hardly remembering the subsistence struggles of previous stages, live in comfort, and spend their days enjoying the arts and music.
In Part 4 of her look at the Chinese revolution JENNY CLEGG addresses the relationship between the Peasant Movement and the National Movement
One of the major criticisms of China’s breakneck development in recent decades has been the impact on nature — returning after 15 years away, BEN CHACKO assessed whether the government’s recent turn to environmentalism has yielded results
ROGER McKENZIE argues that the BRI represents a choice between treating humans as commodities or as equals — an essential project when, aside from China’s efforts, hundreds of millions worldwide are trapped in poverty
JENNY CLEGG reports from a Chinese peace conference bringing together defence ministers, US think tanks and global South leaders, where speakers warned that the erosion of multilateralism risks regional hotspots exploding into wider war



