Editors’ Notes: The Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation for the Economic Improvement Research (“the Foundation”) decides to set up the “Ma Hong Think Tank Online Forum”, with a goal to further promote the “Ma Hong Spirit”, give full play to the role of the think tank of the Foundation, dig into the crystallization of ideas and fruit of wisdom of the Foundation’s directors and honorary directors as China’s top experts in breadth and depth, feel the pulse of the economic development and social progress in the new era, and make a contribution to society with a good “prescription”.
The theme of the first “Ma Hong Think Tank Online Forum” (“the Forum”) this year is “The Impact of the COVID-19 on China and the World and the Solutions”. By looking into the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, a severe public health event, on China’s and global economy, politics and society, the Forum not only provided governments at all levels with top experts’ insights and solutions for decision-making, but also responded to social concerns and addressed public doubts, thereby to reach consensus on and gain success in fighting the virus.
In addition, the Foundation will launch “Ma Hong Think Tank Online Forum” on an irregular basis from now on starting from this session. Each session will revolve around a hot topic, difficult point or focused topic in fields of economy’s or society’s development in China and abroad, and bring together the finest insights of the Foundation’s directors and honorary directors, in a bid to give suggestions for the decision-making of governments at various levels and clear doubts of the public.
Tao Yitao
Former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, SZU
Director of CCSEZR, SZU
Honorary Director of Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation
Abstract: What the China’s exclusive and typical “state-led system” shows in times of large-scale emergencies and nationwide public crisis, the almost unparalleled command-and-control leadership of our powerful social system and mechanism, is worthy of our in-depth exploration and research as the wisdom and wealth that can be shared and learned by the society.
The COVID-19, which has not been completely conquered and defeated by mankind, is a world-shattering event and a huge disaster that has almost affected the fate of humanity and the global countries at the same time since the World War II. No flames of war, nor can we see the silhouette of the enemy, but we are at risk of death and suffering from the pain of loss - it is a real “war” without smoke. However, pondering upon this unexpected disaster is not only an exploration of the scientific problems that mankind has yet not fully understood, but also a reflection on human behavior and an interrogation of conscience, a philosophical reflection on human community with a shared destiny, and a reconsideration of the performance and morality of the social management systems and mechanisms. So I believe, what the China’s exclusive and typical “state-led system” shows in times of large-scale emergencies and nationwide public crisis, the almost unparalleled command-and-control leadership of our powerful social system and mechanism, is worthy of our in-depth exploration and research as the wisdom and wealth that can be shared and learned by the society.
The so-called “state-led system” refers to the system and mechanism of government operation and social management, where the country is under the unified leadership of the state, and decrees are distributed directly from central to regional governments with top-down implementations. This kind of social management system and mechanism provide the following: the super strong power of coordination that can pull the scarce resources for something important; the top-down institutional channel with low transaction costs, through which government orders can be implemented smoothly, accurately, and quickly; the strong mobilization and convening power when defending against emergencies in a uniform and unified manner; and systematic values and public appeal that can quickly arouse national sentiment and the lofty moral sense, and may give great spiritual strength instantaneously. The “state-led system” formed and possessed by China, as it were, is not only the institutional guarantee for the remarkable achievements made in the 40-year reform and opening-up, but also the institutional support for the “Chinese miracle”, and even a vivid and world-shocking demonstration of the system’s edge to contain the COVID-19 virus quickly and effectively.
China’s practice of effective pandemic prevention and control has proved that the “state-led system” has seven institutional strengths and charms derived from the characteristics of its operating mechanism:
1. The super strong power of orderly coordination and command that can quickly pool scarce resources for major affairs in a very short period of time, especially at the very moment when the country or nation faces an emergency
According to the authoritative report by the National Health Commission of PRC, a cumulative total of 345 medical teams and about 42,600 healthcare personnel have been dispatched from China’s 29 provinces (including autonomous regions and centrally-administered municipalities) and military systems to rescue Wuhan since the arrival of the first troop of medical team in Wuhan on New Year’s Eve. According to incomplete statistics, supplies worthy of over ten billion yuan were sent from all over China in support of Wuhan. What’s more, the amazing, enviable and incredible makeshift hospitals “Huoshenshan”, “Leishenshan” and “Fang Cang” were set up and put into immediate use at a miracle speed... The quick rescue from 29 provinces reflected that nearly 90% of China’s administrative territories took uniform reactions and took actions in unison as soon as possible under the maneuver of the central government. The immediate support from 42,600 healthcare personnel meant that within a few days, healthcare workers from dozens of hospitals with the size of Central Hospital of Wuhan gathered in Wuhan, or in other words, fell from the “sky” and into the fight against the pandemic. For the authority, mobilization power and coercive forces that the central government possesses to pool nationwide resources in the face of sudden public crisis, few countries can compare with China. Theoretically speaking, the morality in public decision-making reflects the justice of government’s power to a certain extent.
2. The top-down institutional channel with low transaction costs, through which government orders can be implemented smoothly, accurately, and quickly
The mobilization force of the “state-led system” and the derived unlimited control and pulling force are the result of the automatic functioning of the institutionalized social mechanism, the integral “organ” and segment of the society’s “body”, and the power of social organization that can be unleashed automatically without external pressure. The 90 million Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members across China are steadfast and reliable institutionalized organizational forces that will automatically and unconditionally bring the unlimited social cohesion and tension into play. The embodiment of an almost impeccable social management system where government decrees are implemented seamlessly, from the central to local governments, from provinces to cities, counties and villages, from government agencies to NGOs, from the anti-pandemic departments of government to the micro-entities such as property management, is the robust soil for organizational and institutionalized forces to generate, grow and unleash their potential. Such a high-level combination of individuals and social mechanisms is not only where the power of the endogenous “state-led system” lies in the face of sudden public events, but also the reason why it can have moral high ground, for what’s behind every coercive decree is the equal respect for every life.
3. The unbeatable joint force of ideological appeal, moral loftiness, strong mobilization and convening power when defending against emergencies in a uniform and unified manner
In the course of nearly 100 days - from the episode of the first case of COVID-19 in Wuhan on December 8, 2019 to zero increase of confirmed cases in Hubei Province on March 18, 2020, and from the city closure on January 23, 2020 to the lifting of the lockdown on April 8 in Wuhan - the virtuous, responsible and introspective Chinese citizens have undergone the following: from panic and helplessness to solemn “bloody fighting” for the survival of the nation; from self-introspection of almost blaming the pandemic on the “original sin” to rational thinking of seeking scientific interpretation; a moral leap from “sacrificing the individual” to “saving the country”; and more importantly, a transition from the hope of “landscape unchanged and the world in peace” to global rescue in the difficult moments that win high level of trust and recognition from the international communities. It can happen in any country and nation in harsh times to turn the tragedy into a nation’s solemn grief, and the distress into a heroic epic, and then transform it into spiritual support that touches the nation and even the mankind. But in China, under the “state-led system”, the complementary effect of social mechanisms and values could make it shine with the powerful public opinion effect in a very short time, which manifests the conquering power of a country and a nation that originates from its civilization and culture.
4. The inherent and spontaneous institutional mechanism and ability to effectively turn the crisis into an opportunity in the shortest time in extraordinary times and moments of public emergencies
The spirit of Chinese traditional culture that “brothers in a strife would fight against an outside insult together” is spontaneously sublimated into the national spirit of more unity and valor in the face of “external enemies”, and the patriotism and sense of identification with the motherland is also rapidly elevated. At the time of crisis, the moral entrenchment of the military values that “being afraid of death is more terrible than dying” evolves into respect for the lives of one’s own and others and reverence for the living, thus achieving the ethical sublimation of the whole nation during the choice of life and death. The code of “do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire”, in the face of the uncertain future of “to be or not to be”, has helped the whole citizen build the self-discipline and the system of discipline with the philosophy of “for the good of self and to be good to others”, thus forming and elevating the public crisis consciousness and the code of conduct during the crisis and disaster, and taking the country’s governance to a new height from power manifestation to institutional performance focus.
5. The strong ability to coordinate the order of social life and quickly adjust, repair, and appease the entire society in times of crisis
The vertical management mode that characterizes the China’s system and mechanism ensures the orderly operation of the whole society and the provision for people with a sense of security under the condition that governments from central to local are all responsible. In particular, it allows the daily life of the people to turn to a new balance point at the fastest speed in the crisis, thus gradually moving towards order and stability. For example, from the planned “Stay-at-Home order” to the organized step-by-step guide to return to work; from the planned “city closure” to the lifting of closure by region and time slot according to the pandemic control situation; from the planned nationwide medical rescue to the scientific evacuation at a “slow and steady” pace, and then to the gradual kickoff of international assistance; from the planned strict guard for interior cities and inter-provincial borders to the timely, powerful and effective control of the imported confirmed cases, and then to the provision of consular protection which reflects the “national dignity”; from the administrative guidance to “shut-down and school closure” to the industry-oriented work resumption and the tax relief; from the planned delay of school to the roll-out of the planned online education at all levels of the national education systems with the slogan of “disrupted classes with undisrupted learning”, all of which, without the support of the established mechanism “state-led system”, just cannot be accomplished in such a country with the population of 1.4 billion, because fear can exacerbate the social chaos and disorder brought by the struggling for survival, which in turn intensify people’s fear. Finally, under the system environment in the absence of a powerful government to coordinate and arrange everything in a well-organized manner, what the society faces may not be the real enemy “the COVID-19” that leads to catastrophe, but the derivative danger - how to stabilize the social order, pacify the helpless people, and restore the public confidence, trust and cohesion, etc., which will in turn lead to the accelerated spread of COVID-19 as a result of anarchy. In this sense, the “state-led system” is a kind of systems that can reduce transaction and cognitive costs, especially when a country and nation are facing public disaster and crisis.
6. The incontrovertible internal mechanism, which is earned by the government with its top-down responsibilities and actions, and allows the people to quickly return to calm and rational thinking
And this mechanism, while giving people a sense of dependence and trust, created a quiet change in social culture, values, and lifestyle that is both unexpected and seemingly reasonable, and caused the positive “spillover effect” and “neighborhood effect”. For example, the “Stay-at-Home order” shut down the dinner parties, gatherings and interpersonal relationships that people were already accustomed to, and even disrupted the planned “Spring Festival” schedule of many people. At first people felt a little helpless and complained that they did not understand, but with the effective control of the COVID-19, people gradually started to enjoy the simple lifestyle with more personal space while affirming the “Stay-at-Home order”. It has also changed the ways, habits, and even ideas of people’s socializing to a certain extent, which was indeed the self-reflection and change of the “inertial” social interaction and consumption habits in the affluent Chinese society after 40 years of reform and opening-up. Without the coercion of government orders and the “cage” of discipline, this reflection and change just happened quietly in people’s choices between life and death. As another example, even for some constrained family reunion, the companionship of children and grandchildren turned from “New Year’s greetings” on WeChat into reality. The COVID-19 made family relationships exceptionally warm and harmonious, and the concerns of loved ones became real without any distance. Family returned to its inherent social attributes, and the concept of family also moved from words to the unique realistic functions it should have. This positive “spillover effect” also objectively touched the people who only cared about struggle and entrepreneurship, and let them rethink and seek the purpose, value and true meaning of struggle in the face of the COVID-19 between life and death. As another example, when faced with the test of life and death, medical staff across the country showed the noble character of the courage to sacrifice them themselves to save others and the nation, the fearless professional character and dedication. In the solemn support of life, they made the doctor-patient relationship that had long plagued the society return to the framework of rational judgment of human nature, occupation, morality, and the rule of law. The hero’s welcome given to medical staff was the expression of the gratitude and respect from the society, and it revealed the rationality of the society. This rational return of the doctor-patient relationship in exchange for life led to the positive “neighborhood effect” that made the long-lost love that had been practiced by the entire society, truly shine in the overly materialistic society.
7. The tenacious strength of calling on and mobilizing the whole society and the strong supporting capabilities of institutional mechanisms.
This tenacious national culture and character led to many new ways of consumption and working being invented and created in the mood of “sorrow and joy”. All of this reflected not only the tenacity mixed with tragic humor of the Chinese nation in the face of disasters and pains, but also the wisdom of the great power government and the composure of the social system in the face of emergencies. For example, the way of study, work and meeting through the Internet that seemed to be obliged in the extraordinary period developed and became widely used rapidly. For people who had struggled to get up early and stay late almost every day (whether officials, white-collar workers, blue-collar workers or students), it was a kind of physical and mental relaxation that they had never experienced, and a free enjoyment with sufficient private space, a brand-new way of life, study and work. So “stay at home” and “study at home” almost made people forget the fear of the pandemic and start to enjoy this creative way of work, study and life. As a result, people calmed down from anxiety and fear, and the society has gradually moved to a special state of extraordinary times in rational thinking. As another example, under the law of demand driving supply, new consumption patterns and forms were invented and created as a commodity in wisdom and humor. “Consumption at home” became a mainstream consumption product because it could not only meet the bottom line of non-contact pandemic containment, but also fully meet and reflect the personal choices of consumers with different needs. “Consumption at home” supported online consumption, and online consumption made online shop operators successful. Once upon a time, it was mainly a consumption pattern favored by young people, but now pandemic containment made it almost a consumption pattern shared by all people. According to data from Jingdong, in just 10 days from February 2 to February 11, the turnover of tablet computers increased by 77% year-on-year, and the turnover of tablet computers for student increased by 95% year-on-year. And most parents would also buy a keyboard and headphones at the same time, making up the “three-piece set.” The Stay-at-Home order brought children a family time like luxury goods. According to data from Jingdong Supermarket, during the pandemic containment period, sales of keyboard instruments increased 24 times year-on-year, sales of Western wind instruments increased 15 times year-on-year, sales of Western percussion instruments increased 9 times year-on-year, and more than 100,000 pieces of paintings, building blocks, and educational toys were sold. Perhaps because the pandemic seriously aroused people’s cherish of life and health, or perhaps because people were gradually changing their lifestyle in the helpless time, National Fitness has never changed from a “national slogan” to a truly active national action like today. According to data from Jingdong Supermarket, during the pandemic containment period, the demand for a large number of products related to indoor fitness showed a rapid growth. And there were also banters such as “cloud meet” and “cloud miss” that expressed both reality and frustration, all sorts of masks worn by babies, cats and dogs, micro videos and TikToks about hairdressers wearing self-made masks with barreled water bottles and others that spread among the people. All of these vividly showed the tenacity of a great nation in the face of life and death, the courage when it bore pain, the calmness when it faced fear, and its responsibilities and humor when it had no choice. The powerful supporting capabilities of social system and mechanism makes it possible for every individual’s creativity or feat to become a shining force supporting the national sky.
With the widespread concern of the world mixed with some irrational blame and amity, China successfully contained the pandemic, which led the countries to “imitate China’s measures”, “copy Chinese model”, and “use Chinese rule” in the handling of this public crisis. As countries successively issued the Stay-at-Home order, Times Square in New York became strangely quiet, the bustling streets in London became empty and stifling, and Mecca became deserted, which had never appeared before···But this was obtained by the Chinese people with a population of 1.4 billion by risking their lives. It was the most fundamental and crucial measure to effectively contain the pandemic, and the world accepted it as a treasure. Then various types of mobile cabin hospitals were built, body temperature detection measures were universally implemented, personal whereabouts records required institutional filing, different isolation times, methods, and measures were adopted globally from China··· This was not only an affirmation of the Chinese government’s anti-pandemic measures and methods, but also an affirmation and acceptance of the powerful advantages and unlimited power displayed by the “state-led system” in response to large-scale public emergencies without ideological prejudice. From the misinterpretation of “Chinese characteristics” by the international community to the universal acceptance of the “Chinese solution” for pandemic containment with national characteristics, this was a self-transcendence of the Chinese nation and a historic transcendence of human civilization.
The pursuit of love and freedom, anger against injustice, and compassion for the weak are indispensable to human nature. Actually, this is the cultural and cognitive basis of a community of shared future for mankind. To build a community of shared future for mankind, we must discard gratuitous prejudices and the self-worth judgment and likes and dislikes imposed on the public by politicians, and work together and help each other for life and love, so that every life can be respected and treated equally.
The great Kazakhstan philosopher Al-Farabi once said: “Whoever conquered him himself in a triumph wins two victories.” The pandemic has not really come to an end, and the danger has not really gone away. If we can win the final victory of the fight against COVID-19, and at the same time we gain the national dignity and the respect of the world, we would win two victories!
Recommended words from Ma Hong Think Tank
Prof. Tao Yitao, with a solid theoretical foundation, a broad global vision, a strong sense of social responsibility, a keen insight, and a strict logic, shows us a benign operating model of the “state-led system”. This is worth learning and admiring! An excerpt of her views are as follows:
China’s effective practice of pandemic containment has proved that the “state-led system” has seven institutional advantages and charms that stem from the characteristics of its own operating mechanism:
1. Super strong power of orderly coordination and command that can quickly pool scarce resources for major affairs in a very short period of time, especially at the very moment when the country or nation faces an emergency
2. Top-down institutional channel with low transaction costs, through which government orders can be implemented smoothly, accurately, and quickly
3. Unbeatable joint force of ideological appeal, moral loftiness, strong mobilization and convening power when defending against emergencies in a uniform and unified manner
4. Inherent and spontaneous institutional mechanism and ability to effectively turn the crisis into an opportunity in the shortest time in extraordinary times and moments of public emergencies
5. Strong ability to coordinate the order of social life and quickly adjust, repair, and appease the entire society in times of crisis
6. Incontrovertible internal mechanism, which is earned by the government with its top-down responsibilities and actions, and allows the people to quickly return to calm and rational thinking
7. Tenacious strength of calling on and mobilizing the whole society and the powerful supporting capabilities of institutional mechanisms
The pursuit of love and freedom, anger against injustice, and compassion for the weak are indispensable to human nature.
(This article is reproduced from the WeChat official account of Shenzhen Ma Hong Foundation)
