For Teachers: Teachers' Guide

Conclusion: Issues for the 21st Century

Summary

The authors argue that there is a common pattern of economic development across East Asia in the twentieth century. This pattern of development is evident in China in the early part of the twentieth century China, in Taiwan, and then in contemporary China.

Some of the main features of this East Asian plan include an interventionist government that shapes the direction and development of the economy and the promotion of rural industry. In some cases, the East Asian model has also included the use of military power to achieve economic goals.

The governments of East Asia have also been open to borrowing from and adapting the policies of other states that the East Asian governments regard as promising (similar to the way in which European states borrowed and adapted the model of a civil service from China in earlier centuries.) In the 21st century, governments are particularly aware of economic policies of others and interested in assessing their outcomes.