“Poverty's Fall”/China's Rise: Global Convergence or New Forms of Uneven Development?

Abstract

This article critically assesses the relationship between the claimed fall in global poverty and the rise of China in recent years. It questions the mainstream “pro-globalisation” argument, which suggests that there is a causal link between neo-liberal, “pro-globalisation” policies, and falling poverty and rising China. It is argued instead that the evidence concerning poverty reduction is ambiguous, and it is not the case that the most successful developers have adopted pro-globalisation policies. This latter contention is examined through consideration of the relationship between Chinese development and globalisation, with particular emphasis on the “transnationalisation” of capital and the rise of global commodity chains, and how this has produced new forms of uneven development in the global economy.

Key Words:

• Globalisation
• poverty
• China
• commodity chains
• uneven development

Notes

¹ All dollar figures quoted are PPP adjusted dollars.

² The precise figure is $1.08 a day, based on PPP, but the $1 a day figure is still drawn on as a headline figure.

³ See http://www.worldbank.org/research/povmonitor (downloaded 12 July 2007).

⁴ In services the figure is higher (see Dicken, 2003: 44).

⁵ The top ten countries in 2000 were Hong Kong (still counted separately from China), China, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Chile and South Korea. See UNCTAD (2001: annex table B3; 2002b).