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1 results

  • 2 - The Political Foundation of China’s Competitiveness and Its Failure to Democratize

  • from Part I - The Advantage of Low Human Rights
  • Shaomin Li, Old Dominion University, Virginia
  • Book:
    The Rise of China, Inc.
    Published online:
    06 January 2022
    Print publication:
    27 January 2022, pp 15-48

  • Summary

    This chapter first explains how the Chinese Communist Party is organized and controls the political system. Unlike the political parties in mature democracies, the Chinese Communist Party is a Leninist party that resembles a secret society, characterized by monopolistic communist ideology, strict hierarchy, exclusive membership, and two unique party organs: the Propaganda Department, and the United Front Work Department. In such a political system, the party eclipses the entire society, including the government, creating a unique party-state that imposes absolute rule over China. The chapter further shows that, leveraging its total control, the party-state creates a low human rights environment in China that enables the party-state to achieve its objectives with few costs and little resistance. In the past four decades, China’s economy grew rapidly, creating a large middle class. However, due to its total dependence on the party, the newly emerged middle class is in no position to push for democracy and the rule of law.