China's Economic Development; the Role of Expansionist Elites and Adaptation to the World Economy

The purpose of the present study is to review China's economic development, with an emphasis on the role of expansionist elites and adaptation to the world economy. The method of study is descriptive-analytic and the results indicate that changing the attitude and perception of the elites, transition from centralized planning economy to market economy, the authoritarian state and adopting policies compatible with the world economy are among important causes of reform and development in China's economy and its interaction with the international system. The government of this country has successfully made use of the market for its own purposes. Since the time of reform and open-door policy, China has been able to improve the procedure of economic development with an incredible speed and create a huge amount of wealth by using strategies of market economy and encouragement and expansion of the private sector. Since the time of reform and open-door policy, the communist party in China could resolve the crisis of legitimacy by transitioning the center of its legitimacy from ideology and populism to economic development.