GLOBALISATION, WESTERN HEGEMONY AND CHINESE PARTICULARISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL POLICY1

Abstract

China’s macroeconomic policy, which has recently been described by Chinese policy makers
as “a socialist market economy” (Jie, 2004; Zhixin, 2004) but which effectively emerges as a
struggle to balance socialism with free market capitalism, contains inherent contradictions.
Socialism and free market capitalism are ideologically inconsistent with each other and share
diverse historical roots, with many socialist revolutions being a reaction to the marked
economic disparities and class differences engendered by capitalist practices. China’s
phenomenal economic growth, its obvious neoliberal capitalist practices and its attempt to
balance these with those of socialist ideology and practices raises a critical question: would
China implode under the weight of its own contradictions or do these contradictions hold the
potential to chart a new development paradigm for the rest of the world? China is the country
perhaps with the singular ability to contest the unipolar imperialism of the United States;
however, the form(s) that this might take remains unclear. In its international relations, China is
driven by pragmatism in respect of foreign trade opportunities, the need for support of the
international community to maintain peace and domestic stability, and its need for energy
resources.