FILE PHOTO: A water-powered spinning wheel painted in Yuan-Dynasty agronomist and inventor Wang Zhen's Nongshu (Book of Agriculture)

---

As a unique case study, the trajectory of China’s economic development has long captivated international scholars. In a recent interview with CSST, Carles Brasó Broggi, a professor from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Open University of Catalonia in Spain, shared his insights into the historical prominence and contemporary rise of China’s economy, as well as its global implications.

Far-reaching impacts in history

Tracing China’s extensive history, Broggi noted that several dynasties excelled in economic and technological development. From the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE), renowned for its bronze work, to the Han (206 BCE–220 CE) and Tang (618–907) periods, Chinese products were highly sophisticated and traded globally. The Song (960–1276) and Yuan (1271–1368) eras are widely recognized as milestones in the global history of scientific inventions and economic progress, while the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties also experienced periods of notable economic prosperity.

“In all these examples, the Chinese economy had positive impacts on global economic development,” he summarized. 

“Normally, China’s contributions in the field of science and technology are defined by the so-called Four Great Inventions (compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing), but we should go beyond this frame, to reach a broader perspective of the history of global technology and science,” Broggi suggested. “These four inventions are not isolated or anecdotic, and China’s contributions to science and technology are far-reaching, going from the earliest cultivation of rice in the Neolithic Age to the applications of traditional medicine in the treatment of malaria, or the latest discoveries in the field of electric vehicles and clean technologies.”

Broggi also called for a re-evaluation of key turning points in world economic history. For example, it is commonly accepted that the Industrial Revolution began in mid-18th century Britain, with the spinning jenny hailed as a pivotal invention. However, a similar type of machine was recorded nearly 500 years earlier in Wang Zhen’s Nongshu (Book of Agriculture) from the Yuan Dynasty.

“I think that the relevance of this example is not so much of who was first in inventing it, but of the consequences of putting to work a machine that substituted the hands of spinners,” he explained. “Indeed, industrialization had positive (and negative) impacts in the world economy and climate, and Wang Zhen cautioned against the disruptive impact of machines in the social organization as well as in nature.”

“Thus, China not only contributed to the world’s economic development, but also helped (and is helping) to think on how development should be,” Broggi asserted.

Recipe for contemporary success

“The success of the Chinese economy since the 1980s is one of the most fascinating topics in economic history,” Broggi noted. “I think that there is not a simple explanation of this success. A comprehensive theory of its development has not come out yet, but several complex factors intervened, in my opinion:”

First, he highlighted the open-minded approach of the reform and opening-up period, during which China welcomed input from economists and theorists worldwide, including experts on capitalism, socialism, and the Global South, to address critical reform issues.

Second, Broggi continued, China’s economic reform policies were pragmatic and implemented gradually, contrasting sharply with the abrupt shock therapies of the Soviet Union. “During the 1980s, experiments took place in small environments or in concrete sectors, where the government and private companies could evaluate the positive and negative aspects of the experiments. This took place in the special economic zones, for instance, before some of the reformist measures spread through the rest of the Chinese territory.”

Third, China’s demographic structure enabled economic growth, he observed. A young, educated generation from the 1970s and 1980s was eager to work in factories or pursue higher education. It was a resilient and disciplined generation that was willing to work hard.

By skillfully balancing endogenous and exogenous forces, China has maintained decades of sustained economic growth—an unprecedented achievement in global economic history—while ensuring continuous improvements in the wellbeing of its people, Broggi concluded.

Edited by CHEN MIRONG