China’s worldview of curbing individual freedoms in the name of economic development and well-being is fast emerging as the dominant global ideology today.

Evolution of Global Economic and Political Models: Washington vs Beijing Consensus

• Cold War (1991): The Cold War was a battle between two ideologies: Liberalism (USA) and Communism/Socialism (USSR). 
  • Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Liberalism was deemed the winner. 
  • US political scientist Francis Fukuyama declared the “End of History,” arguing that Western Liberal Democracy would become the model for the world.
• Washington Consensus: This model promoted the ideas of Liberalism: Fiscal Discipline (reduced government expenditure), Privatization (transferring state companies to private hands), and Free Trade (open markets).
• 2008 Financial Crisis: The global financial crisis of 2008–09 destabilized the global economy. 
  • The countries that championed the Washington Consensus ignored its principles: The US provided billions of dollars to rescue private banks and disregarded fiscal discipline.
  • This eroded the credibility of the Western model.
• Rise of China: During this period, China’s economy continued to grow rapidly and led to the emergence of the term Beijing Consensus.

About Beijing Consensus

The Beijing Consensus is characterized by two main pillars:

• State-Controlled Capitalism: A market system exists, but the government maintains the “remote control”. 
  • The state decides which industries to promote and support, often national interests
  • This differs significantly from the US model, which delegates control entirely to the free market.
• Political Authoritarianism: Characterized by one-party rule and a lack of democracy.
  • Individual freedom is subordinate to the collective good. 
  • The government prioritizes state stability, and protest movements are typically suppressed. 
  • Individual rights are often compromised in the name of development and progress, and citizens are discouraged from questioning the government.

Adoption of Beijing Consensus Elements by Democracies

• Surveillance State: While China conducts surveillance openly, democracies like the US and India increasingly adopt similar practices covertly. The Edward Snowden revelations (2013) exposed mass monitoring by the NSA, highlighting erosion of privacy.
• Weakening of Institutions: Democratic institutions are perceived to be losing independence. In India, questions have been raised regarding the Election Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), reflecting weakening institutional credibility.
• State–Billionaire Nexus (Crony Capitalism): Governments increasingly align with large industrialists under the banner of “National Development.” Policies often favour a select few, promoting crony capitalism, while projecting progress to the wider public.
• Freedom vs. National Security: Governments justify restrictions on media freedom and individual liberties by invoking national security threats. The rising use of stringent laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) illustrates this trend.

Conclusion

• While the Beijing Consensus offers rapid development, democracies like India must uphold constitutional values of liberty, equality, and freedom of expression. True progress lies in balancing growth with rights, consistent with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), ensuring development does not come at the cost of democracy.

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