China Part 2 - Institutions (1)

Overview of Chinese Political Institutions

  • Authoritarian and Single Party Rule under the Communist Party of China (CPC)

  • Official description: "A socialist state under the people’s democratic dictatorship"

  • Unitary structure with a controlled electoral system, largely dominated by the CPC

  • Constitution established in 1982

  • Legislature: Unicameral National People’s Congress, often referred to as a "rubber stamp"

  • Current leadership:

    • Head of Party and State: President Xi Jinping

    • Head of Government: Premier Li Keqiang

  • Judiciary: Supreme People’s Court, which is not independent and lacks judicial review

Parallel Hierarchies

  • The political structure is represented by three parallel hierarchies:

    1. The Communist Party (dominant)

    2. The state or government

    3. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

  • These hierarchies operate separately but interact with one another

Structure of Political Organization

Provincial People’s Congresses

  • Three political structures across different levels:

    • Military, State/Government

      • President/VP, Premier

      • Central Military Commission

      • Ministry of State Security

      • Ministry of Public Security

      • Provincial Party Congresses/Committees

    • National Party Congress

      • General Secretary, Standing Committee, Politburo, and Central Committee

      • Local Level Party Organizations

      • Local People’s Congresses and Village Councils

The Communist Party of China (CCP)

  • Operates on the principles of Democratic Centralism

  • Viewed as an elite vanguard party with the best understanding of societal needs

  • Hierarchical structure includes:

    • Village/township

    • County

    • Province

    • Nation

  • General Secretary as head of the party

National Party Congress

  • Composed of over 2,000 delegates

  • Essential function: endorses decisions made by top leadership and showcases party policies

  • Holds meetings every 5 years and primarily acts as a rubber stamp

  • Elects members of the Central Committee

Central Committee

  • Approximately 340 members elected for a 5-year term by the National Party Congress

  • Conducts its business through annual plenums

  • Acts as a grooming mechanism for future leaders

Politburo

  • Composed of top leaders residing in a heavily guarded compound in Beijing

  • Formally elected by the Central Committee but under controlled conditions

  • Dictates government policies and oversees the State Council

  • Operates in secret with around 25 members

Standing Committee of the Politburo

  • The most powerful political organization in China, consisting of 7 elite members

  • Reflects factional influence within the party

  • The General Secretary is selected from this committee

Guanxi

  • Term meaning "connections" or "relationships"

  • Describes personal connections that facilitate getting things done, akin to "good old boys networks"

  • Critical but also a potential source of corruption

Factions within the CCP

  • Conservatives: hard-liners wanting to maintain party power

  • Reformers: support capitalist policies and open trade

  • Liberals: advocate for more political freedoms and democracy, out of power since 1989

  • Princelings: leaders from aristocratic families with revolutionary credentials, e.g., Xi Jinping

The Governance System: Problems & Corruption

  • Discussion Question: Why is corruption prevalent?

    • Lack of transparency (secret ballots/meetings)

    • Lack of accountability (no checks on power)

    • Presence of guanxi

Structure of Government

  • Composed of 3 branches; all controlled by the party

  • No independence or checks and balances

  • Key positions include:

    • President/VP

    • Premier (Li Qiang), appointed from Standing Committee

    • State Council and various ministries

National People's Congress (NPC)

  • Meets annually in March, comprising approximately 2,900 members (deputies)

  • Powers:

    • Enacts amendments, approves state budgets, and declares war

    • Limited actual power due to party control

    • Delegates include a mix of ethnic minorities, workers, and women

The Bureaucracy

  • Composed of around 30 million cadres, includes vast oversight and control

  • Recruitment through a system of a cadre list (nomenklatura)

  • Positions often have mandatory retirement ages between 60-70

Local Government

  • Centralized government resists federalism

  • Over 34 provincial-level units and 700,000 villages

  • Local governments lack tax authority and often exploit land for revenue

Judiciary System

  • People's Courts system is not independent

  • Emphasizes "rule by law" rather than "rule of law"

  • Known for swift and harsh criminal justice, employing the death penalty more than 1,000 times a year

People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

  • The world's largest military force with 2.3 million personnel

  • Significant in legitimizing the CCP’s power and capability

  • Played a crucial role in crisis management, e.g., Tiananmen Square protests

Conclusion

  • Quotes from Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping emphasize the principle of military subordination to the party leadership, marking the importance of political control over military power.