Understanding Chinese Politics: An Introduction to Government in the People's Republic of China PDF
Preview Understanding Chinese Politics: An Introduction to Government in the People's Republic of China
COLLN000_Layout 1 02/10/2012 15:47 Page 1 U The Chinese political system is the subject of much media and popular N comment inpartbecause China supportsaneconomy withanapparently D inexorable dynamic and impressive record of achievement. This book E R provides a comprehensive introduction to China’s political system, S outlining the major features of the Chinese model and highlighting its T A claims and challenges. It explores the central role of the Chinese N Communist Party inthe country’s politicsand the way inwhich the Party D controlsmostelementsofthe political systembut alsointeracts withother I N actors. It offers an analysis of the machinery of government examining G both central government institutions but also the centre’s relations with C the provinces and other elements of local government. A number of H themesrun through the analysis. One isthataneffective political system I N needs to generate an overall level of compliance or, at the very least, U E NDERSTANDING acquiescencetoits authority.The bookthushighlightsthe waysinwhich S the Communist Party seeks to secure public support and its own E C HINESE POLITICS P legitimacy. A secondtheme isthata comparative approachisproductive O and muchistobegainedbyconsidering the Chinese systemthrough the L lens of other systems with which it shares characteristics. The book also I T A N INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNMENT IN draws parallels withprevioushistoricalperiods inChina’s history.Finally, I C P ’ R C THE EOPLE S EPUBLIC OF HINA it addresses the question of what kind of role the PRC will play in global S politics as a whole, the implications for the West and the rebalancing of NEIL COLLINS AND ANDREW COTTEY relations between China and its neighbours. C O NeilCollins isProfessor and Headofthe DepartmentofGovernment, University L L College,Cork, Ireland I N S A Andrew Cottey is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government, University N College,Cork, Ireland D C O Cover image:Chinese President HuJintaodelivershis speechatthe opening ofthe 17th T Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, 15 October 2007. T E (Frederic J.Brown/AFP/Getty Images) Y ISBN: 978-0-7190-8428-7 9 780719 084287 www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 16/7/12 09:46 Page i Understanding Chinese politics 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 16/7/12 09:46 Page ii 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 16/7/12 09:46 Page iii Understanding Chinese politics An introduction to government in the People’s Republic of China Neil Collins and Andrew Cottey Manchester University Press Manchester 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 16/7/12 09:46 Page iv Copyright © Neil Collins and Andrew Cottey 2012 The right of Neil Collins and Andrew Cottey to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Published by Manchester University Press Altrincham Street, Manchester M1 7JA, UK www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for ISBN 978 0 7190 8427 0 hardback ISBN 978 0 7190 8428 7 paperback First published 2012 The publisher has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for any external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Typeset by Action Publishing Technology Ltd, Gloucester 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 17/7/12 08:52 Page v Contents List of tables and boxes page vi Acknowledgements vii List of abbreviations viii Maps x Introduction 1 1 Chinese politics: the legacy of history 5 2 The Party-state 39 3 The state apparatus and centre-local relations 66 4 Political change and its limits: democratisation with Chinese characteristics 101 5 The national question in Chinese politics 124 Appendix A: Official ethnic groups 141 6 Foreign policy 144 Conclusion 171 Bibliography 177 Index 199 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 12/7/12 11:04 Page vi List of tables and boxes Tables 1 Major CCP leaders 7 2 Main features of centrally planned and free market economies 32 3 Characteristics of China’s transition to a new economic order 32 4 Administrative hierarchical delegation 80 5 Distribution of budgetary expenditures, by level of government 81 6 Growing disparities in per capita budgetary expenditures, by province 84 7 Fiscal trends for government, by level 89 8 Largest official ethnic groups 128 Boxes 1 Major dynasties of China 8 2 Prefecture-level government 88 3 Special Administrative Regions 131 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 12/7/12 11:04 Page vii Acknowledgements We are pleased to acknowledge the generous help of academic colleagues, obliging diplomats and journalists as well as slightly dragooned students from Italy in the preparation of this book. Though the authors’ research interest in China goes back many years, the establishment of the Institute for Chinese studies at University College Cork facilitated the book by providing engaged scholars, such as Jörn Gottwald, David O’Brien, Niall Duggan and Chris Connolly who read and commented on the manuscript. UCC also gave us the opportunity to visit China several times to meet with scholars there. We express special thanks to Sebastian Green, the professor of management at UCC, whose detailed annotations on an early draft were particularly helpful. Though the diplomats may wish to maintain their anonymity, Clifford Coonan, the Beijing correspondent of the Irish Times, harbours no such inhibitions and gave us feedback on several occasions. Yu-Wen Chen, National Taiwan University, and Jane Duckett, University of Glasgow also provided very useful feedback. Francecsa Cantalupo, Marianna Bruzzese, Marcello Banfi and Caterina Paladini, all post- graduate students from Italy, were perhaps surprised at being drawn into the project but all engaged enthusiastically in honing the manu- script. We also thank Tony Mason of Manchester University Press for his patience and encouragement. Above all, we acknowledge the familial opportunity costs that the writing of this book involved. As well as the usual time lost for more collective family activities, we also called on family members to engage in both English and Chinese! Neil Collins Andrew Cottey August 2011 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 12/7/12 11:04 Page viii List of abbreviations1 APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ARF ASEAN Regional Forum ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations CCP Communist Party of China CMC Central Military Commission CPPCC Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference CRS Cadre Responsibility System CSO civil society organisations EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone ETIM East Turkestan Islamic Movement FDI Direct Foreign Investment G20 Group of 20 GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GHGs greenhouse gases IMF International Monetary Fund KMT Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) MOHRSS Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security MOHURD Ministry of Housing and Urban and Rural Development NDRC National Development and Reform Commission NEB National Energy Bureau NGO non-governmental organisation NPC National People’s Representatives Congress NPM New Public Management NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty NRA National Revolutionary Army OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development PLA People’s Liberation Army PPC Provincial People’s Congress PRC People’s Republic of China Rmb Renminbi (the Chinese national currency) 3835 Understanding Chinese:Layout 1 12/7/12 11:04 Page ix List of abbreviations ix SAR Special Administrative Regions SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SEZ Special Economic Zone TVE township and village enterprise UN United Nations UNCLOS UN Convention on the Law of the Sea US United States WTO World Trade Organisation XPCC Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Note 1 Two systems for transcribing Chinese language characters into the Roman alphabet are currently in general use. Sometimes this creates confusion as different English language versions of the names of major cities, provinces and political leaders can be found in the literature on China. This book uses the system of transcription, known as pinyin, introduced by the Chinese government in 1958. It notes other versions of names as appro- priate.
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