ABSTRACT
China’s dramatic engagement in the international development landscape in this century has led to a debate on a possible alternative set of development ideology, theory, and practice, raising both hope and concern for the industrialization and revitalization of the Global South. Ideologically, the emerging power has begun as a ‘norms maker’ to challenge the current North-South donor-recipient relations and the financial and trade dominance behind the scenes.1 It praises the inherent legitimacy and rationality of South-South Cooperation (SSC),2 aims at reforms in the established global financial and trade systems, and is creating ‘parallel structures’ to counterweigh the West’s reluctance to change international institutions.3 Regarding development theory, both the Chinese government and academia have shown their confidence in exporting China’s successful development story to the developing world, purportedly known as the ‘China Model’.4 Infrastructure-led growth, industry parks with a focus on the labour-intensive manufacture, and knowledge transfer (particularly in agriculture) are among the indispensable experiences that have been theorized and that China wishes to promote worldwide.5
