Interpreting Chinese Politics

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Interpreting Chinese Politics
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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Generational perspective
• Time to join revolution determine common
  political experiences
• Join the CCP in 1931-1936 (cadres of the Long
  March generation)
• Join the CCP in 1937 1945 (Cadres of the
  Resistance War era)
• Join the CCP in 1946 -1949 (Cadres of the
  Liberation War era)
• Shared personal political experiences determine
  viewpoints
• Experienced CCP-KMT cooperation and breakup 20s
• Never ever compromise with KMT
• Never ever give up military independence

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Generational perspective
• Shared personal political experiences determine
  viewpoints
• Experienced CCP-KMT cooperation and breakup 20s
• Experienced War of Resistance against Japan
• Hardened hostility to foreign imperialism
• Hardened nationalistic feelings

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Generational perspective
• Time to join revolution determine common
  political experiences
• Shared personal political experiences determine
  viewpoints
• Personal experiences in crisis situations
  predispose them to certain reactions
• E.g., outbreak of Japanese invasion of northeast
  China
• Call for national solidarity
• Call for cessation of civil wars

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Strategic Interaction School
• An approach to analyze Chinas foreign relations
  emphasizing
• Historical lessons China learnt from its unhappy
  encounter with the West
• The Opium War 1839-1841
• The Burning of the Yuan Min Yuan, 1860
• The Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895
• The 8-nation allied forces, 1900

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Strategic Interaction School
• An approach to analyze Chinas foreign relations
  emphasizing
• China being a rational actor
• Chinas nuclear project, 1964
• China facing significant geographical constraints
• Korea considered a springboard for attacking
  mainland China
• Chinas overly defensive posture
• Overly suspicious of foreign intentions
• E.g Khrushchevs suggestion
• China determined to gain respect

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• China is China is China school
• Culture and tradition explains Chinese politics
• Contemporary politics is a replica of imperial
  Chinese politics
• CCP leader is like emperor
• Having unlimited power
• Constrained by fellow comrades
• Communism is like Confucianism

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Factional Model
• Horizontal fragmentation (division within
  organizations
• Factions based on clientelist ties
• CCP not monolithic
• Factions vying for power expansion
• Constant rivalry among factions
• Constant realignment coalition building

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Central-local explanation
• Central interests v local interests
• Prominent role of regional differences
• Prominent role of administrative regions
• Prominent role of field army
• Political-cultural (Red-expert) school
• Need for Western technology/experts
• Need for maintaining Chinese essence/ideological
  correctness

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Palace politics school
• Succession unpredictable, violent
• Competition for succession
• Personality struggle over policy differences
• Individual are main players
• Cellular economy model
• Decentralized economy for livelihood aims
• Centralized economy for state objectives

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Pluralist model
• Political competition can exist
• Social groups are emerging for their interests
• Civil society appearing
• Communist neo-traditionalism
• Conflict and competition exist in all levels
• Distinctive communist institutions exist to make
  organized control
• These institutions shape behaviors distinctively

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Analyzing Chinese Politics

• Fragmented authoritarianism
• Protracted bargaining btwn center localities
• Center maintain political control over localities
• Localities growing autonomous due to growing
  economic decentralization