China as a “Quasi-Center” in the World Economic System: Developing a New “Center–Quasi-center–Semi-periphery–Periphery” Theory

Cheng, Enfu; Zhai, Chan

doi:10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.12.1.0004

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World Review of Political Economy

Volume 12, Issue 1

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Article: found

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China as a “Quasi-Center” in the World Economic System: Developing a New “Center–Quasi-center–Semi-periphery–Periphery” Theory

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research-article

Author(s): Enfu Cheng , Chan Zhai

Publication date (Print): 1 April 2021

Journal: World Review of Political Economy

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: world economic system, center–periphery theory, quasi-center theory concerning China's economy

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Abstract

Based on the “center–periphery” and “center–semi-periphery–periphery” theories, as well as on the analysis of data related to China's GDP, foreign trade, finance, foreign investment and aid, comprehensive competitiveness, the Belt and Road Initiative, and so forth, this article explains that while a gap still exists between China and the major countries at the center of the world economic system, China's tremendous growth obviously distinguishes it from the countries of the periphery or “semi-periphery.” If we are to present an objective description and definition of China's status and role in the world economic system since 2012, we must therefore adopt the concept of a “quasi-center.” This innovation supplements the dichotomy involved in the “center–periphery” theory, and requires the formulation of a new theory with a three-tier structure of “center–quasi-center–periphery,” or even a four-tier structure of “center–quasi-center– semi-periphery–periphery.”

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Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.2307/j50005553

Journal ID (jcode): worlrevipoliecon

Title: World Review of Political Economy

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN: 2042-891X

ISSN: 2042-8928

Publication date (Print): 1 April 2021

Volume: 12

Issue: 1 ( doiID: 10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.12.issue-1 )

Pages: 4-26

Article

Publisher ID: worlrevipoliecon.12.1.0004

DOI: 10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.12.1.0004

SO-VID: b1861032-7ead-4c9a-8b38-13b0ef1d5d74

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Political economics

Keywords: quasi-center theory concerning China's economy,center–periphery theory,world economic system

Notes

In a personal communication with Cheng Enfu, the Russian scholar Aleksandr Buzgalin recently maintained that Russia at present is a “semi-peripheral” or “semi-dependent” country.
See “World Economic Outlook, April 2016,” p. 150. [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/Publications/WEO.
See “World Economic Outlook, April 2017,” p. 12. [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/Publications/WEO.
See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-economy-global-kemp-column/china-has-replaced-u-s-as-locomotive-of-global-economy-kemp-idUSKBN1XF211.
See China Daily, December 29, 2020. Accessed January 6, 2021. http://language.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/29/WS5feacb4ca31024ad0ba9f4fd.html.
See “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2018.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-09/13/content_5429649.htm.
See “Report on the Development of China's Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation 2017.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://fec.mofcom.gov.cn/article/tzhzcj/tzhz/upload/zgd-wtzhzfzbg2017.pdf; “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2016.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_33_9229_0_7.html; “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2013.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_33_4266_0_7.html.
See “International Debt Statistics 2018 Shows BRICs Doubled Bilateral Lending Commitments to Low-Income Countries in 2016 to $84 Billion.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://blogs.world-bank.org/opendata/2018-edition-international-debt-statistics-out.
See “Financial Observation: China's Investment in Latin America Is Being Improved and Upgraded.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0222/c1002-29100574.html.
See “Chinese Investment Tripled in US in 2016, Doubled in Europe.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/02/chinafdi.
See “Five Major Investments by China in the US in 2016.” [In Chinese.] Accessed December 12, 2019. http://admin.forbeschina.com/review/201701/0064462.shtml.
See “Chinese Investment Tripled in US in 2016, Doubled in Europe.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/02/chinafdi.
See “White Paper on China's Foreign Aid in 2014.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/ndhf/2014/Document/1375013/1375013.htm.
See “Looking at China's Economic Outlook through Six Charts.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/News/Articles/2018/07/25/na072618-chinas-economic-outlook-in-six-charts.
See “How China's Digital Economy Leads New Global Trends.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 6, 2017. http://www.mckinsey.com.cn/中国数字经济如何引领全球新趋势/.
See “Members and Prospective Members of the Bank.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/governance/members-of-bank/index.html.
See “What Has the AIIB Achieved Three Years after Being Established?” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 12, 2019. Huanqiu.com: https://world.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnKgVXc.
See “Awesome! These New Scientific Achievements in the First Half of This Year May Change Your Life.” [In Chinese.] Accessed July 3, 2018. http://m.xinhuanet.com/he/2018-07/03/c_1123071868.htm.
See “Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: China Has Become the Only Country with All Industrial Categories.” [In Chinese.] People's Daily, September 20, 2019.
See “China's Subway Exported to Six Continents.” [In Chinese.] Accessed May 31, 2017. http://hk.zijing.org/2017/0531/735732.shtml.
See “The Chinese Wave Is Coming.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 28, 2017. http://politics.gmw.cn/2017-09/28/content_26374305.htm.
See “From Australian Media: China Is Moving forward to Becoming an IP Power and Will Lead the World in Several Fields.” [In Chinese.] Accessed March 27, 2018. http://column.cankaoxi-aoxi.com/g/2018/0327/2259849.shtml.
See “Top-Down National Strategy to Promote China's Innovation and Development: Interview with WIPO's Director General Francis Gurry.” [In Chinese.] Accessed July 10, 2018. http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-07/11/c_1123110273.htm.
See “UN Report: China's Patent Applications Lead the World.” [In Chinese.] Accessed December 6, 2017. http://www.xinhuanet.com/2017-12/06/c_1122069802.htm.
See “Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: China Has Become the Only Country with All Industrial Categories.” [In Chinese.] People's Daily, September 20, 2019.
See “The Rise of China's Competitiveness Reflected in Its Ranking in Two Authoritative International Lists.” [In Chinese.] Accessed October 18, 2017. http://www.gov.cn/xin-wen/2017-10/18/content_5232802.htm.
See “China's Investment in and Cooperation with Countries along the Belt and Road Route in January 2018.” [In Chinese.] Accessed February 22, 2018. https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/xwzx/gnxw/48443.htm.
See “Big Data Report on Trade Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (2018).” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 9, 2019. https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/mydsjbg.htm.
See “AIIB Raising Loans for Six ASEAN Infrastructure Projects.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 22, 2019. http://www.chinanews.com/cj/shipin/cns/2019/09-22/news832286.shtml.
See http://rwft.chinareports.org.cn/gjyw/2020/1123/9124.html, accessed January 6, 2021.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] In a personal communication with Cheng Enfu, the Russian scholar Aleksandr Buzgalin recently maintained that Russia at present is a “semi-peripheral” or “semi-dependent” country.

[2] See “World Economic Outlook, April 2016,” p. 150. [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/Publications/WEO.

[3] See “World Economic Outlook, April 2017,” p. 12. [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/Publications/WEO.

[4] See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-economy-global-kemp-column/china-has-replaced-u-s-as-locomotive-of-global-economy-kemp-idUSKBN1XF211.

[5] See China Daily, December 29, 2020. Accessed January 6, 2021. http://language.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/29/WS5feacb4ca31024ad0ba9f4fd.html.

[6] See “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2018.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-09/13/content_5429649.htm.

[7] See “Report on the Development of China's Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation 2017.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://fec.mofcom.gov.cn/article/tzhzcj/tzhz/upload/zgd-wtzhzfzbg2017.pdf; “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2016.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_33_9229_0_7.html; “Statistical Bulletin of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment in 2013.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_33_4266_0_7.html.

[8] See “International Debt Statistics 2018 Shows BRICs Doubled Bilateral Lending Commitments to Low-Income Countries in 2016 to $84 Billion.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://blogs.world-bank.org/opendata/2018-edition-international-debt-statistics-out.

[9] See “Financial Observation: China's Investment in Latin America Is Being Improved and Upgraded.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0222/c1002-29100574.html.

[10] See “Chinese Investment Tripled in US in 2016, Doubled in Europe.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/02/chinafdi.

[11] See “Five Major Investments by China in the US in 2016.” [In Chinese.] Accessed December 12, 2019. http://admin.forbeschina.com/review/201701/0064462.shtml.

[12] See “Chinese Investment Tripled in US in 2016, Doubled in Europe.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2017/02/chinafdi.

[13] See “White Paper on China's Foreign Aid in 2014.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/ndhf/2014/Document/1375013/1375013.htm.

[14] See “Looking at China's Economic Outlook through Six Charts.” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 8, 2020. http://www.imf.org/zh/News/Articles/2018/07/25/na072618-chinas-economic-outlook-in-six-charts.

[15] See “How China's Digital Economy Leads New Global Trends.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 6, 2017. http://www.mckinsey.com.cn/中国数字经济如何引领全球新趋势/.

[16] See “Members and Prospective Members of the Bank.” Accessed January 8, 2020. https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/governance/members-of-bank/index.html.

[17] See “What Has the AIIB Achieved Three Years after Being Established?” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 12, 2019. Huanqiu.com: https://world.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnKgVXc.

[18] See “Awesome! These New Scientific Achievements in the First Half of This Year May Change Your Life.” [In Chinese.] Accessed July 3, 2018. http://m.xinhuanet.com/he/2018-07/03/c_1123071868.htm.

[19] See “Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: China Has Become the Only Country with All Industrial Categories.” [In Chinese.] People's Daily, September 20, 2019.

[20] See “China's Subway Exported to Six Continents.” [In Chinese.] Accessed May 31, 2017. http://hk.zijing.org/2017/0531/735732.shtml.

[21] See “The Chinese Wave Is Coming.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 28, 2017. http://politics.gmw.cn/2017-09/28/content_26374305.htm.

[22] See “From Australian Media: China Is Moving forward to Becoming an IP Power and Will Lead the World in Several Fields.” [In Chinese.] Accessed March 27, 2018. http://column.cankaoxi-aoxi.com/g/2018/0327/2259849.shtml.

[23] See “Top-Down National Strategy to Promote China's Innovation and Development: Interview with WIPO's Director General Francis Gurry.” [In Chinese.] Accessed July 10, 2018. http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-07/11/c_1123110273.htm.

[24] See “UN Report: China's Patent Applications Lead the World.” [In Chinese.] Accessed December 6, 2017. http://www.xinhuanet.com/2017-12/06/c_1122069802.htm.

[25] See “Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: China Has Become the Only Country with All Industrial Categories.” [In Chinese.] People's Daily, September 20, 2019.

[26] See “The Rise of China's Competitiveness Reflected in Its Ranking in Two Authoritative International Lists.” [In Chinese.] Accessed October 18, 2017. http://www.gov.cn/xin-wen/2017-10/18/content_5232802.htm.

[27] See “China's Investment in and Cooperation with Countries along the Belt and Road Route in January 2018.” [In Chinese.] Accessed February 22, 2018. https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/xwzx/gnxw/48443.htm.

[28] See “Big Data Report on Trade Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (2018).” [In Chinese.] Accessed January 9, 2019. https://www.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/mydsjbg.htm.

[29] See “AIIB Raising Loans for Six ASEAN Infrastructure Projects.” [In Chinese.] Accessed September 22, 2019. http://www.chinanews.com/cj/shipin/cns/2019/09-22/news832286.shtml.

[30] See http://rwft.chinareports.org.cn/gjyw/2020/1123/9124.html, accessed January 6, 2021.