However, why did these small peninsulas or islands in East Asia rise as rapidly as in Greek mythology during this period?
The "East Asian Miracle" does not have the same model.
As we all know, the four little dragons in Asia are small in geographical area, densely populated, weak in economic foundation, not rich in natural resources and not very developed in science and technology. Their economic take-off has many similar or identical practices and experiences in process and means. Participating in the international division of labor in an all-round way and taking the road of developing export-oriented economy are the same characteristics of them.
However, this does not mean that their economic development models are the same. In terms of government intervention in the economy, Hong Kong began to adopt a "free economy" policy, while Singapore has long attached great importance to government intervention in social and economic development. Although Taiwan Province Province and South Korea are strikingly similar in political system and state apparatus, they are quite different in the starting point, stages and key points of economic development.
In addition, even if they all implement the export-oriented development strategy, the four countries and regions also have their own emphasis. Singapore's export orientation mainly depends on technological innovation brought by foreign investors, while Hong Kong mainly benefits from financial development and free trade. In Taiwan Province Province and South Korea, technological innovation plays a key role in economic growth. Taiwan Province Province obtains technology by introducing foreign capital and cooperating with local enterprises, while South Korea mainly buys complete sets of technical equipment, and imitates, transforms and innovates on this basis.
Therefore, when studying the Four Little Dragons in Asia, people usually adopt the Hong Kong model, the Taiwan Province model, the Korean model and the Singapore model, but there is no such general formulation as the Four Little Dragons model.
Singapore model
Singapore is an island city with scarce resources, with an area of only 700 square kilometers and a population of more than 5 million. 1965 when People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, the industrial base was backward, the unemployment rate was extremely high, and the overall level of the national economy was very low. But in just a few decades, after many economic transformations, it has rapidly developed into one of the four little dragons in Asia.
Looking back at the history of Singapore's economic development, it is not difficult to see that Singapore will experience economic transformation almost every ten years. From labor-intensive industries in the 1960s, economic-intensive industries in the 1970s, capital-intensive industries in the 1980s and technology-intensive industries in the 1990s, it developed into knowledge-intensive industries in the early 20th century.
There are two key factors for the success of Singapore's transformation, namely, the government leading and the introduction and utilization of foreign capital.
Government intervention in the economy is a very delicate matter. If the intervention is just right, it will promote economic development. If the intervention is not in place or excessive, it is likely to become the source of economic turmoil. The success of the Singapore government's intervention in the economy can be summed up in three points: First, the intervention and regulation measures it adopted were indirect, not direct. For example, when the industrial structure is adjusted, a series of tax and subsidy policies are generally introduced, and there is no direct intervention by mandatory regulations. Second, a legal system that is relatively fair to the people is one of the cores of Singapore's economic model and an important focus of the government. The government attaches great importance to creating a good environment so that every citizen has the opportunity to get fair treatment. In Singapore, all citizens aged 18 will be provided with a comfortable public housing as long as they step into the society. Third, the integrity and efficiency of the Singapore government are universally recognized. According to the survey results of Transparency International in 2009, the Singapore government ranks third in the world in terms of integrity.
Foreign capital plays a key role in Singapore's economic development. It is understood that at present, more than 7,000 multinational enterprises and technical partners from Europe, America and Japan have set up branches in Singapore, and 60% of them have set up regional headquarters in Singapore. According to the latest government statistics, 42% of Singapore's GDP is created by multinational companies.
Singapore has its own way of introducing foreign capital. It has an Economic Development Bureau, which is responsible for promoting Singapore to the world and attracting investment. We have also sent "elites" to permanent investment institutions in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world, searching and thinking about all kinds of information for years like spies, visiting senior executives of famous enterprises and persuading investors to invest in Singapore. At the same time, it also attaches great importance to the cultivation of internal strength. Introducing foreign capital and improving infrastructure construction are the basic conditions. It has formulated different policies to attract foreign investment according to different industries, and adjusted them flexibly in different periods, thus helping the country achieve industrial upgrading and structural adjustment. Singapore has also achieved good results.
Korean model
South Korea began its economic transformation and upgrading in the 1970s, and it took more than 20 years to go through the industrialization process of western developed countries 100 years, and jumped from a backward agricultural country to a newly industrialized country, creating a "miracle of the Hanjiang River" that attracted worldwide attention.
The main experience of South Korea's economic transformation and upgrading can be summarized as three points. First of all, vigorously promote enterprise collectivization and brand value strategy. In order to achieve the goal of economic growth, since the 1970s, the Korean government has taken various preferential measures such as finance, credit and trade to support a number of large enterprise groups, reducing the dispersion and non-economization of capital and improving the concentration of capital. The technological advantages of new product development and successful design have made many Korean products become world-famous brands. South Korea has also changed from a typical manufacturer of cheap products to a creator of high-end products.
Second, give priority to the development of "strategic industries". 1972- 1979, South Korea's industrial policy tends to heavy industry. Ten strategic industries, such as steel, fiber and automobile, were identified, which ensured the smooth transition of industrial structure from light textile industry to heavy industry. After 1980s, the international situation changed, and South Korea proposed to develop technology and knowledge-intensive industries. In 2 1 century, South Korea has taken the information technology industry as a key development industry, and issued a series of measures such as Basic Plan for Promoting Informatization and Network Korea 2 1 century. At present, semiconductors, liquid crystal displays and mobile communication terminals have become the main export commodities of South Korea. South Korea also plans to invest in the development of core technologies such as the fourth generation mobile communication and information protection system in the next five years, so that the information technology industry will continue to be the main driving force for stimulating the Korean economy and creating employment opportunities.
Throughout the history of Korean industrial development, we can see that the Korean government has adopted selective and focused industrial policies at some stages.
Thirdly, scientific and technological innovation provides an inexhaustible motive force for South Korea's economic development, and the innovation-driven development model focusing on technological progress has enhanced South Korea's core competitiveness and industrial structure. South Korea's technological innovation has gone through the process from introduction, digestion and absorption to independent innovation. After years of development, South Korea has formed a relatively perfect technological innovation system with enterprises as the main body and Industry-University-Research as the combination, and enterprises have become the main body of technological innovation. The Korean government encourages innovation by adopting fiscal and financial policies and regulations, actively creates an innovation environment, and supports the innovation activities of enterprises, universities, research institutions and other innovative elements. The government comes forward to fund, coordinate and solve the problems that the innovation subject cannot do.
Taiwan Province province model
In the decades of economic development, Taiwan Province Province has experienced three major economic transformations. The first transformation was from 1952 to 1960, from the colonial economic form to the development stage of import substitution industry, and the agricultural society was initially transformed into an industrial society. The second transformation was from 196 1 to 1985, with the emphasis on developing export-oriented economy and forming an export-oriented economic system. The third transformation began with 1986, focusing on transforming labor-intensive industries into capital-technology-intensive industries and establishing a more open free economic system. In the mid-1980s, Taiwan Province Province put forward the concept of liberalization, internationalization and institutionalization, and issued a series of policies and measures to promote economic transformation.
The success of Taiwan Province's economic transformation depends on technology. Industrial Technology Research Institute, Science Park, Silicon Valley talent introduction, venture capital and its preferential policies are called "Troika" of economic transformation in Taiwan Province Province. This "Troika" is twisted into a rope with only one purpose, that is, the economic transformation of Taiwan Province Province.
ITRI, founded in 1973, plays an important role in the process of technology introduction, personnel training, information provision, company splitting, breeding center, technical service and technology transfer, and plays an important role in the industrial development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan Province Province. Zhang Zhongmou, Chairman of TSMC, Cai Mingjie, Chairman of MediaTek, and other important figures are from ITRI, known as "Taiwan Province General Manager Manufacturing Machine".
1976 Taiwan Province hsinchu science and technology park was formally established on 1980. It is one of the most famous science and technology parks in Taiwan Province Province and the base for the development of high-tech industries in Taiwan Province Province. It has successfully transformed Taiwan Province Province from a low-cost manufacturing center to a high value-added manufacturing center in the global innovation economy.
Besides attaching importance to the use and cultivation of local talents, attracting overseas talents to start businesses is an important source of scientific and technological talents in Taiwan Province Province. The regulations of Hsinchu Science and Technology Park allow scientific and technical personnel to invest in their patents or proprietary technologies as shares. This policy is of great significance to stimulate the enthusiasm of scientific and technological personnel, especially those studying abroad in Taiwan Province Province, to start businesses in the park.
In the economic transformation of Taiwan Province Province, venture capital funds have played a very important role. In early Taiwan Province Province, many industries could not develop without guiding funds. The relevant departments of Taiwan Province Province allocated NT$ 9.2 billion to leverage NT$ 24 billion in social capital and invest in industrial development.
In addition, the venture capital industry in Taiwan Province Province started rapidly in 1980s and flourished in 1990s, thanks to the preferential tax policies introduced by the authorities. According to the detailed rules for the management of venture capital issued by 1983 and related tax policies, approved venture capital companies are exempted from capital gains tax, and shareholders who have invested in venture capital companies for two years are given a personal or legal person income tax credit of 20% of their investment. Therefore, this preferential policy is also regarded as one of the "Troika" to promote the economic transformation of Taiwan Province Province.
Hong kong model
As one of the four little dragons in Asia, Hong Kong has made a fortune in the processing trade of toys, garments and textiles since 1970, which has promoted the prosperity of the whole economy. Hong Kong has a small population, but in its heyday, the foreign trade economy flourished, and the wealth accumulated by the export-oriented economy was amazing, which contributed to the rise of a number of capital predators such as Li Ka-shing and Henry Fok. From 65438 to 0983, the British Hong Kong government started the linked exchange rate system to provide relatively clean government services for a highly free market system, which led to a large influx of international capital into Hong Kong, thus achieving the status of an international financial center. At the same time, Hong Kong's processing and manufacturing industry began to migrate to the mainland in response to the east wind of reform and opening up in the mainland. Since the late 1980s, it has created a miracle of economic growth in South China.
Many places have been imitating the Hong Kong model, but most of them have failed, because there is no way to clone Hong Kong's highly open free market, perfect financial mechanism, minimal government role, and outstanding performance in legal system, clean government and public services. It took a hundred years for Hong Kong's market economy system to develop and improve, and then it formed the current free and open model.
Hong Kong pursues a free economic policy and does not impose tariffs on import and export goods. Do not interfere with the price formation of commodity market, factor market and labor market; Treat all enterprises equally, neither introduce support policies nor interfere with the production decisions of enterprises, and enterprises have complete autonomy.
Hong Kong's free trade has attracted and accumulated a large number of funds and talents from eastern and western businessmen. Highly dependent on the international market, it has formed an export-oriented economic structure with the integration of industry and trade as its pillar.
There are many organizations and media in Hong Kong that collect, organize and transmit information. In addition to the information published by the government and provided by various news media, it can also be obtained through semi-official institutions, institutions stationed in Hong Kong all over the world, industrial and commercial institutions, banks, commercial service institutions and public networks. These comprehensive and objective information institutions ensure that individuals and enterprises in Hong Kong can obtain market information in a timely, accurate, rapid and cheap manner.
The biggest difference between Hong Kong and other members of the Four Little Dragons is that it pursues the government's positive non-intervention economic policy. Hong Kong's public economy is negligible, and the Hong Kong authorities have always avoided too much intervention in the free economy. However, in view of the needs of diversified economic development, their guiding function in the overall economic operation is gradually strengthened. On the one hand, by adding official departments and setting up several semi-official institutions, the contact between unofficial industrial and commercial groups and private enterprises will be continuously expanded to coordinate economic development. On the other hand, we should strengthen the intervention and adjustment of fiscal and financial policies on economic operation, provide various services through large-scale infrastructure construction, and put forward some planned suggestions to indirectly help and influence industrial development.
The rise has nothing to do with Confucian culture.
In the 1970s, the European and American economies were depressed, but the four little dragons in Asia achieved economic take-off and created the "East Asian miracle". So some people who admire Confucian culture began to trace the origin of the rise of the four little dragons in Asia, and came to the conclusion that Confucian culture made the rise of the four little dragons.
But is this really the case? People can't help asking: Why didn't Chinese mainland, Vietnam and South Korea, both of which belong to the Confucian cultural circle, rise at the same time? South Korea, Singapore, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province all have a certain degree of colonial history in modern times. Is their Confucian culture still what we understand? How much has European and American culture infiltrated their culture?
Let's start with the culture of Hong Kong. Hong Kong's prosperity benefits from its status as a free trade port under colonial rule and its comprehensive Anglo-Americanization from system to culture. Hong Kong culture is also a colorful complex, with local South China culture, Philippine culture, British and American culture, Japanese culture, Taiwan Province province and Korean culture. Therefore, Hong Kong culture is not so much a Confucian culture as a fusion of various Chinese and Western cultures.
Let's talk about the culture of Taiwan Province Province. The culture of Taiwan Province Province is not a single Confucian culture, and the foundation of its aboriginal culture, Minnan culture, Hakka culture and Nanyang culture cannot be ignored. Historically, Taiwan Province Province was influenced by Dutch colonial culture, Japanese colonial culture and American occupation culture, so the western management system played a decisive role in its economic rise.
Korean culture and Confucian culture are deeply rooted, but after long-term Japanese colonial rule and American occupation, Korean culture has become diversified. Li, an associate professor in the Department of China Culture at Xijiang University in South Korea, believes that bibimbap is a symbol of Korean culture. Korean culture is the culture of bibimbap, that is, the culture formed by mixing many things together.
As for Singapore, which speaks English and fully accepts British laws, it is even more difficult to say that Confucian culture dominates the world.
The culture behind the economic development of the Asian Four Little Dragons is the patchwork and integration of various cultures. It can't be said that it has nothing to do with Confucian culture, but it has not been scientifically demonstrated. The theory that Confucian culture has achieved the Four Little Dragons cannot escape the suspicion of being far-fetched.