Questioning Market Orthodoxy: Perceptions of Chinese State-Capitalism in Ghana

The discourse surrounding China’s state-capitalist economic model has garnered attention among scholars and practitioners, who have noted its growing appeal in developing nations. This model, which blends elements of state control with market-driven forces, was prominently showcased during the 19th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Daniel Abankwa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2548019
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The discourse surrounding China’s state-capitalist economic model has garnered attention among scholars and practitioners, who have noted its growing appeal in developing nations. This model, which blends elements of state control with market-driven forces, was prominently showcased during the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2017, where Xi Jinping lauded it as a pioneering approach to modernization. Despite skepticism regarding its universal applicability, this study investigates how Ghanaian elites perceive state capitalism and its potential applicability in Ghana. The findings reveal a prevalent pattern among respondents expressing disillusionment with traditional capitalist structures and demonstrating openness to exploring China’s state-capitalist model as an alternative pathway to development. While some respondents emphasized the importance of developing a distinct, nationally tailored economic system that incorporates elements of the Chinese approach, most saw value in adopting key aspects of state capitalism. Intriguingly, the study reveals circumstances where, despite some Ghanaian elites expressing concerns about the shortcomings of free market capitalism, they tend to support neoliberal principles overall.
ISSN:2331-1886