Changing the way of thinking: was German ordoliberalism travelling to China in 1978–1985?

China after the economic reform process is probably less different from the Western countries than often imagined. Through a profound document analysis, this article’s aim is to assess German ordoliberal influence on the Chinese economic reform agenda via policy learning from 1978 to 1985. Firstly, the methodology of the research and the ideology of ordoliberalism are briefly presented. Ordoliberalism is a version of liberalism that differs considerably from neoliberalism. Secondly, the author verifies the hypothesis that German ordoliberal experts acted as teachers for Chinese leaders during the first phase of the Chinese economic reform process (i.e. around 1978). Thirdly, based on the analysis of the ordoliberal principles, the author determines the similarities between ordoliberalism and the Chinese economic reform process. The results are mixed. China has not become the West because of the economic reform process, but ordoliberalism – not neoliberalism – significantly influenced the market-oriented China.