Cases in Comparative Politics - China §

Resulting Materials:

• Google Docs
• MEGA
• MEGA

Parts Division §

Book: Cases in Comparative Politics

total: 58 pages /2 —> each 29 pages

• Chan Nalarya : 386 - 414
  • Why study this case?
  • Major geographic and demographic features
  • Historical development of the state
  • Political Regime
• Chea Resan : 415-444 (29 pages)
  • Political Conflict and Competition
  • Society
  • Political Economy
  • Foreign Relation and the world
  • Current Issue in China

Political Conflict and Competition §

The Party System §

China is a one-party authoritarian regime as the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) controls all other small independent parties.

The Chinese Communist Party (CPP) §

• Position in the CPP offers
  • Political influence & status
    • Required for many career paths and positions
  • Financially beneficial
• Number of Members:
  • 2016: < 88 million
  • 2 million every year
• Needs & priority of party change -> target specific sectors of society (people)

  • Mao Zedong who recruited peasants for communist revolution

  • 1950s: Chinese Communist Party recruited industrial workers for Marxist Community Party

  • Deng Xiaoping believed in expertise or practical abilities over ideological disguises

    • He recruited professionals, scholars, intellectuals to CPP

  • 2001: broadened CPP more

    → Three Represents: workers, peasants, private entrepreneurs

    → critics think China is destroying its fundamental ideology in equal social classes

• but the CPP still thrives as it employs a mixture of
  • authoritarian controls
  • patriotic nationalist appeals
  • economic benefits to maintain CPP monopoly of political power

The Communist Communist Party offers political influence, status, and financial benefits that are required for many careers in China. In 2016, there are about 88 million CPP members with 2 million added every year. Recruit targets changes according to the party needs and priority. Mao recruited industrial workers for his Marxist Communist Party. Deng Xiaoping recruited expert and practical people. 2001 the target broadened more to the three represents workers, peasants, and private entrepreneurs to gain economic benefits and maintain its power monopoly.

Issue of Political Succession §

• China has no office to handle peaceful transition of power when leader dies
  • Mao Zedong passed 1976 led to struggle between elite factions> Succeeded by Deng Xiaoping but he didn’t take any political position before hand or during his office
    • To not have uncertainty and instability anymore Deng Xiaoping chose his successor but also the one after that
• Why was this transition of government so smooth this time?
  • each successive leader have less personal authority
    • Mao Zedong’s cult following
    • Deng Xiaoping’s pragmatic reforms
    • Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang to balance faction interests
• To maintain monopoly of power the party puts term limits and age requirements to ensure circulation of elites.

Unlike other authoritarian regimes, China has no office for handling peaceful transition of power when a leader dies. In the case of Mao Zedong, who passed in 1976, it led to power struggle between elite factions. Deng Xiaoping made sure to not be party of any political position before and during his office though to cause less tension. Furthermore, to have less instability Deng chose 2 of his successors before leaving power. The reason why transition of leaders is so smooth lately is to have each successive leader have less personal authority to balance faction interest and please the core group of leaders. Moreover, to maintain monopoly of power, the CPP put term limits and age requirements to ensure circulation of elites in leadership.

Civil Society §

• Civil society are illegitimate
• As replacement: Government-Operated Non-Governmental Organization
  • Mobilize social groups for national goals
  • Too vocal ones are arrested
• Three Representative policy accepts
  • Capitalists
  • Middle Class

Civil society didn’t exist because any organized interests outside the party-state were considered illegitimate and are eliminated. To Deal with the social and political impact of economic reform, they created the weirdly named “government-operated nongovernmental organizations” or GONGOs to control society and mobilize social groups to fulfill its own national goals.The government has allowed half a million non-political legal NGOs, but there are many unregistered ones. Some have moved to advocating for groups they serve but too vocal ones are arrested. China, with the “three represents” policy as mentioned before, accepted China’s so called red capitalists and growing middle class into the CPP for their economic influence. Referring to CPP officials who are business owners.

Revolutionary Movements

Most revolutionary movements such as the Tiananmen Square are quickly repressed. For example, in 1999, those who practiced the Chinese martial art named Falun Gong were imposed restrictions

• which lead to public demonstrations and crackdowns with torture and executions by the government.
• students pressure groups (red book)

Chinese society’s complexity and openness in the 21 century will continue the cycle of revolution to repression again and again.

250 million refugee workers from rural to urban cities without job security or housing

• 700 million internet users
  • increasingly difficult to censor users and social influencers

Nowadays, there are 700 million internet users which makes it increasingly difficult to censor user and social influences rising in China.

Some say these expanding of autonomous civil society could lead to more demand for democracy. But others note the Chinese response to Tibetan and Uighur protests were widely exposed internationally, but China managed to almost entirely censor it to its people.

Microblogs: a social revolution?

These increase in internet access has been used to expose the Chinese government, rally support, and organize protests.

• The Golden Shield or The Great Firewall of China is the party-state’s social media control project that has been largly successful
  • Human monitors
  • Filtering software

Many social media apps were cracked down upon. For example, The app Weibo meaning ‘microblog’ allowed Chinese anonymously express their opinions and share uncensored news and rumors. In 2012, the China stopped the anonymous feature while posting propaganda in the app.

Chinese activists are creative as they always find another app or way to do these things.

Society §

Ethnic and National Identity §

• 8 different Hans Lnagugae Groups
• official language Mandarin
  • Widely used due to globalization
• 90% Han Chinese
• 55 minority nationalities Held 60% of China’s territory
  • Has history of violent resistance against Chinese state
    • Demand for increased sovereingty for Xinjiang and Tibetans in the “Free Tibet” and “East Turkestan” movements (mostly from outside the country) after 1959 Chinese operation
      • to eliminate opposition to Chinese sovereingty
      • force Tibetan leader into exile
• Why China wants these regions?
  • found extensive fossile fuel reserves
  • sees the regions as strategic positions for china’s western expand
• Recently China has been putting lots of money to develop infrastructures, buildings, and businesses in Tibet and Xinjiang.
  • Bringing jobs and opportunities, but also Han Chinese to take them
  • Fear of overwhelming their indigenous language, cultures, and faith
  • 2008 Tibentan and 2009 Xinjiang’s protests were harshly repressed. But they still protest

China’s society is comprised of 90% Han Chinese, who has 8 different language groups. China adopted Mandarin as their official language which is widely used due to globalization. However, the 10% of 55 minority nationalities holds about 60% of the country’s territory in rural western areas. Chinese minorities has a history of violence with the Chinese state. Interntional demands for increased autonomy of Xinjiang and Tibetans in the “Free Tibet” and “East Turkestan” movements were made after the 1959 Chinese operation against ethnic minorities. The operation seek to eliminate opposition to Chinese soverignty and forced the Tibetan leader into exile in India. Tibet and East Turkestan were sought after by China because they found extensive fossil fuel reserves in it and sees the region as strategic positions for its westward expansion. Recently China has been investing money into developing infrastructures, buildings, nd suinesses in Tibet and Xinjiang. It did bring many jobs and opportunities, but along the way it also brough man Han Chinese to the regions. Fears over losing their indigenous language, cultures, and faith led to protests that were harshly repressed.

Ideology and Political Culture §

The importance of Mao Zedong’s pure communism has somewhat faded as a capitalist econmic system took place. Diversity of information and ideas are prevelent in cities. There are many ideological perspectives that Chinese elites and citizens hold nowadays.

Traditional Centralized Authoritarianism

China had a history of centralized authoritarian politics before its communist switch in 1949. Mao Zedong directly copied elements of the traditional hierarchical system. For example, university admission is intensly competed for and the respect of elders showed in the average age of party leaders.

Confucianism

• Mao tried to destory its legacies. But recent Chinese leadership has embraced key elements of Confucianism.
  • Role of government to enforce peace, order, stability in both family and nation
    • impose strict morla codes
    • foster “correct” behavior:
      • inferiors know their place.
      • leaders must act proper
• Chinese leaders support this to increase central authority, social harmony, and a “small prosperity”

Mao intended to destroy legacies of the teachings of Confucious. But modern Chinese leaders embraced key elements of Confucianism. Accordingly, the government’s role is to enforce pace, order, and stability in both family and nation by imposing strict moral codes and fostering “correct” heirarchical behaviors from citizens. Inferiors know their place and leaders to act proper.

Maoism

Moaism promoted constant class struggles instead of Confucious notion of harmony. Mao believed in the idea of creating a “new socialist man” for people to extend their loyalty from just family to the whole community and nation. It did so through constant propaganda & slogans, mass campaigns, “thought reform” nd “self-criticism” sessions in education. Now, leaderships prefer a depoliticized public with increasing acceptance of capitalism.

Nationalism

China’s powerful imperial past has created strong national pride in its people. Extreme nationalism, however, often turns to xenophobia of hating and turning hostile. This was the case for China as Mao justified the struggle for communism with expeling the Japanese occupation other countries. And China still uses its nationalism for claims such as the South China Sea and territorial disputs with Japan till this day.

Challenges to China’s Communist Political Culture

In Tianamen Square, the CPP showed that it had monopoly of force, but it also showed they no longer had monopoly on political thoughts. The rural poor, industrial workers, ethnic minorities started thinking for themselves. Falun Gong, Illegal Christian “house chruches” are able to gather supporters without government control. Western ideas and values flood China from students studying abroad. All of these show China’s reliant on a compliant public will create more problems in the future.

Political Economy §

• 1949 China adopted soviet-style communist political economic model
  • Equality > freedom: iron rice bowl: lifetime employment, healthcare, retirement security
  • Central planning: state own all property, full control of economy
• Soviet model
  • industrial price $\downarrow$  but consumer price $\uparrow$
  • State economic policy-making bureacracy: not in capitalist state

Seeing the success of Soviet’s privatization, land redistribution, and agricultural cooperatives, China launched its own Great Leap Forward (1958-60).

• Rapid industrialization: Reds versus experts policy ideologically trained people > experts
  • creation of small-scale labor-intensive industries
• Collectivized agriculture providing public goods
• Failure of switch from agriculture to inefficient industry caused 3 year famine

Mao’s Failures §

China had adopted the Soviet-style communist political economic model in 1949 that emphacized equality over freedom. It adopted central planning for states to own all properties and have full control of the economy. Seeing the success of Soviet’s privatization, land redistribution, and agricultural cooperatives, China launched its own Great Leap Forward seeking rapid industrialization. It’s Red versus experts policy prefered ideological trained people over experts in creating small-scal labor-intensive industries. It also created large agricultural communes and provided public goods. However, as it diverted energy from agriculture to inefficient industries, the revolution was a failure and led to a 3 year famine. By the 1960s, Mao’s policies were abandoned. But in 1966 Mao launched the Great proletarian Cultural Revolution targeting experts causing schools to close and industries to shutdown. It was once again abandoned.

Deng Xiaoping §

After Mao’s death in 1976, Deng Xiaoping adopted economic reforms for rapid economic growth through the household responsibility system. Where private farming is obligated to sell an amount to the state but any surplus can be sold on the open market. Food production grew, decentralized collective enterprises were allowed economic freedom. China’s state owned industries dropped from 80% to 20% in 15 years. By the 80s, regulated private industries were allowed and special economic zones were created to offer tax breaks to lure FDI. In the 90s, China gave economic decision-making authority to privincial, local officals, and private entrepreneurs and was considered a Socialist Market Economy. China grew faster than any economy in history. It expanded 10% annually and its GDP grows 10 times over, but China still remains a poor country due to its inequality and large population.

State Capitalism and Foreign Investment §

Althought most State Owned Enterprises (SOE)s were privatized, the party-state still holds important large industries such as oil, coal, transport, and telecommunication that receives preferential benefits private industries don’t get. China’s success to state-led capitalism has led to the development of the lable “Beijing consensus” as an alterntive to the “Washington Consensus”. However, China’s preferential treatment of demestic firms over foreing companies limited the potentially largest consumer market to grow and China’s economy is still considerably closed.

China’s Growth Model Brings Challenges §

1. Capitalism leads to unemployment
2. Inequality between urban and rural Chinese
   • Gini index 16 → 39 (1980s)
   • Development mostly in East coast
   • Poor are neglected
3. Resource shortage & environmental damage
4. Stolen intellectual property rights, safety, and quality

• Populist: dislike capitalism’s inequality, favor equality
• Elitist: favor economic freedom over equality

First, China’s profit oriented enterprises can lay off unproductive workers leading to mass unemployment. 25 million jobs a year would have to be made just to keep up with this unemployment. Second, inequality rose between urban and rural Chinese leading China to have Gini Index, or inequality score to rise from 16 in 39 in the 1980s. Developments and industrialization happen mostly in the East coast. The poor are neglected, city immigrants are left homeless,agricultural prices are low while tax are high, and public goods are poor. Third, China’s rapid development caused Resource shortage and environmental damage such as air pollution, water pollution, deforrestation, and droughts. Lastly, China’s trade surplus with its partners are so big, it cause problems of intellectual property rights, safety, and quality of its products. Two factions of future reformist disagree on how to reform China. The Populist is led by leaders with humble beginnings who favor equality and dislike economic inequality. While the Elitist favor ecoomic freedom over equality for contintued economic growth and integration in the global economy.

Foreign Relations and the World §

• China thought it was superior
• Japan occupied the country and humiliated, self-doubt, crisis
• China returned to isolution (peaked during Cultural Revolution)
  • Away from foreigners, neighbors, and mentor USSR (their policies diverged)
• Since mao’s death, China began opening to the world again
  • Most countries normalized relations with China
  • But stop recognizing Taiwan’s anticommunist regime
• Arguments that due to economic interdependence and willingness to participate in the international community China will rise peacefully is disputed
  • Frequent outbursts of nationalist rhetorics?
  • doubt it will be a more peaceful memebr of international community
    • China’s huge and growing demand for natural recources
      • Questionable alliances those resource needs have created
    • Territorial disputes

In their history, China thought itself as superior. That stopped when Japan occupied the country to caste self-doubt and crisis on the country. From then China returned to isolation at its lowest during the Cultural Revolution. Since Mao’s death however, China began opening normal relations to the world again. Some argues that due to economic interdependence and willingness to participate in the international community, China will continue its rise peacefully. But there are doubters pointing to its frequent bursts of nationalism, territorial disputes,with its huge growing demand for natural resources it has created questionable alliances.

Taiwan §

After the communist rise in 1949, Nationalist troops and its leader Chiang Kai-shek retreated to establish Taiwan as China’s capital. In 1971, UN members were pressured by China to stop recognizing Taiwan and removed its seat. China has repeatedly threatend violent actions against Taiwan if it go against integrating fully into the PRC. Taiwan and China’s trade relations increased with its free-trade pact in 2010, creating fears of Taiwan being too dependent on China.

Hongkong §

Hongkong was forcefully taken by britain in the 19th century, turning it into a capitalist economic powerhouse. The one country, two system agreement between Britain and China allowing a 50 year transitional period for Hong Kong had worked and is said to be what Taiwan should follow.

Japan §

China-Japan relations still have tension due to Japan’s occupation of China in World War 2 causing territorial disputes over fishing resources and seabed petroleum reserves.

South China Sea Dispute §

waned Relations with ASEAN

Its friendly relations §

• China and India being the most populous countries have resolved their border disputes and has become close trade partners.
• Russia and China signed their friendship treaty ending their communist rivalry
• Friendly with North Korea, act as middle man for discussion with the international community
• China had distrust with the US up until the events of September 11, when China supported the US’s war on terrorism.
  • Their bilateral relations is more than $600 billion of two way trade and investments that bind the countries together

However, China have also fixed many relations such as with India. Being the two most populous countries, China and India resolved thier border disputes and became close trading partners. With Russia, it signed their friendship treaty to end their communist rivalry. China has good relations with North Korea and acts as a sort of middle man for discussions with the international community. And even though the US and China had tenious relations. Ever since the events of September 11th, China has supported the US’s war on terrorism and has become close trade partners. Their bilateral relations was over $600 billion of two way trade and investment as measured in 2015.

Current Problems in China §

Pollution §

• Environment Problem
  • China is the largest polluter of air
  • Other western countries moved their polluting industries to China
  • The government focus on boosting employment at all cost without concern for environment to maintain stability
  • Cosummerism is getting more possible for Chinese and the automaking industry in China is the biggest now. meaning over a billion cars polluting the air in the future
• What can be done
  • Some Chinese has adopted postmaterialist values such as caring for environment, health, and quality of life
  • those affected by pollution is getting vocal
  • Party-state encourages environmental NGOs to address its problems
  • China also invest heavily in clean energy for its future

The environment is a big issue in China. First, China has become the largest air polluter in the world. Western countries have been moving their polluting industries to China. The government focuses on boosting employment at all cost to maintain stability without a concern to the environment. And Chinese consumerism is getting more possible as the automaking industry in China is the biggest now. Its expected that china alone will have over a billion cars polluting the air in the future. But still there are actions being taken. Chinese citizens are starting to adopt postmaterialist values from the west such as caring for health, environmental damnage, and their quality of life. Those who are affected by pollution is getting more vocal while the CPP itself has been encouraging environmental NGOs to address the problem in China. Morover, China has also heavily invested in green energy for its future.

China’s Development Model and Corruption §

Authoritarian regimes are most likely to have corruption, abuse of power, lack of transparency and rule of law. Increasing inequality between the elites and citizens created by capitalism encourages bribery, nepotism, and rent-seeking even more. Xi Jinping’s 2013 anti-corruption campaign promised to arrest over 182,000 corrupt officials. But its said the campaign will cause the loss of over 100$ billion in economic activities such as parties, gift-giving, and under the table deals.