GeofCox on Nostr: Also, China's recent growth has been to a large extent built on exports, even when it ...
Also, China's recent growth has been to a large extent built on exports, even when it is not directly attributable to them now.
This is the problem with drawing conclusions from a 2021 data snapshot - when China's exports were artificially suppressed by the pandemic. In the early 2000s China was exporting a third - sometimes more - of it's entire production.
Also note the cumulative emissions figures used by Our World in Data do not include traded goods - so they will be distorted in favour of the 'western' world.
To me, one of the most interesting things about the development of China is not the recent period when it has followed a more western-style 'development' path, but that it succeeded in virtually ending extreme poverty while it's exports were still less than 5% of its GDP.
This relates to the subsequent discussion in the thread - bouriquet (npub1u9y…pqt8) - about the 'western' versus other models of development. I think we make a mistake if we assume aspects of highly developed economies that make life good - enough food, communications, arts, universal education, healthcare, water, sewerage, power, etc - have to be accompanied by destructive over-consumption - the latest gadget or fancy car or fast food or fashion.
I read somewhere (but now can't find it) that a sustainable level of resources consumption would imply living standards across the world like those in western Europe in the 1960s. Well I just about remember the 1960s in the UK, although I was only a small boy, in a relatively poor working-class household - but life was good, actually in most ways better than the stressful lives of the young now.
This is the problem with drawing conclusions from a 2021 data snapshot - when China's exports were artificially suppressed by the pandemic. In the early 2000s China was exporting a third - sometimes more - of it's entire production.
Also note the cumulative emissions figures used by Our World in Data do not include traded goods - so they will be distorted in favour of the 'western' world.
To me, one of the most interesting things about the development of China is not the recent period when it has followed a more western-style 'development' path, but that it succeeded in virtually ending extreme poverty while it's exports were still less than 5% of its GDP.
This relates to the subsequent discussion in the thread - bouriquet (npub1u9y…pqt8) - about the 'western' versus other models of development. I think we make a mistake if we assume aspects of highly developed economies that make life good - enough food, communications, arts, universal education, healthcare, water, sewerage, power, etc - have to be accompanied by destructive over-consumption - the latest gadget or fancy car or fast food or fashion.
I read somewhere (but now can't find it) that a sustainable level of resources consumption would imply living standards across the world like those in western Europe in the 1960s. Well I just about remember the 1960s in the UK, although I was only a small boy, in a relatively poor working-class household - but life was good, actually in most ways better than the stressful lives of the young now.