Understanding Chinese economy accurately-john Wong and his China research

Abstract

Understanding China as it is, or chosen theories that fit it well? John Wong represents an example of the former, a case of economic realism in the discipline of economic analysis. This chapter first describes John Wong’s conceptual model of Chinese economic development analysis, which consists of three major components: Singapore as the reference point; economic scale as the first adjusted variable; and the economic development phase as the second variable. John Wong seeks beyond simple academic tradition, but finds in his acute intuition accumulated from work and life a different approach to understand China. The chapter thus further explores the causes to John Wong’s choice of methodology by anatomizing the researcher’s research positionality. He cannot be neatly categorized into any existing school of economic analysis in the Western academic tradition, but pursues his accurate understanding of China. Pragmatism, identification and his institutionalized research position constitute the methodological foundations for his research strategy and conceptual framework.