The-Chinese-Political-System

1TheChinesePoliticalSystem/RegimeMastercourseNordicCenter30.10.2007TorsteinHjellumDepartmentofComparativePolitics,UniversityofBergen2Aregime(vs.state,government)isdefinedasthefundamentalrulesandnormsofpolitics-maybeembodiedinaconstitution(formal)-maybeinstitutionalized-mayberootedinhistoricaltraditions-areintransition,maybeevenrevolutionizedHowtodescribetheChineseregimeoftoday?3Outlineoflecture:-Theformalstructures*TheParty*TheState*Pepole’sLiberationArmy-TheDictatorialOne-Party-State-InformalPolitics-TheRegimeasoutlinedbyHuJintaosspeechatthe17thpartycongress-AMixtureofTraditions?4STATE(PRC)CommunistParty(CPC)People’sLiberationArmy(PLA)ThreePillarsofPowerChina’sPoliticalSystem:FormalStructure:5China’sCommunistParty(CCP)KinasKommunistiskeParti(KKP)FoundedinShanghai192173millmembers2006(growing)3,5millpartybranches(7percentofthetotaladultpopulation)6TheConstitutionoftheCommunistPartyofChina(2002):Membership“AnyChineseworker,farmer,memberofthearmedforces,intellectualoranyadvancedelementofothersocialstratawhohasreachedtheageofeighteenandwhoacceptstheParty'sProgramandConstitutionandiswillingtojoinandworkactivelyinoneofthePartyorganizations,carryouttheParty'sdecisionsandpaymembershipduesregularlymayapplyformembershipintheCommunistPartyofChina.”(2002)(1982:“TheCommunistPartyofChinaisthevanguardoftheChineseworkingclass,…takesMarxism-LeninismandMaoZedongThoughtasitsguidetoaction.…Members…areatalltimesordinarymembersoftheworkingclass.”)7StandingCommitteeofPolitburo(9members)OtherPolitburomembers(15members,1alt.)(2007??)CentralCommittee:204ordinarymembers167candidatememberselectedby17thPartyCongress2007;2235delegatesTheOrganizationalstructureofCPC:8TheConstitutionofCPC(2002):“AleadingPartymember’sgroupshallbeformedintheleadingbodyofacentralorlocalstateorgan,people’sorganization,economicorculturalinstitutionorothernon-Partyunit.”910Whoarethe“advancedelementofothersocialstrata”whichwereallowedtobemembersfrom2002?:-entrepreneurswho“representedthemostadvancedproductiveforces”*“nearlythreemillioncomefrometheprivatesector”*“In2006alone,morethan1500privateentrepreneursjoinedCPC”-middle-classpeoplewithhighereducation11Whyareeducatedyoungpeople–andthegrowingeducatedmiddleclassrecruitedasmembersofCPC?-TheysupporttheCommunistethos-AdheringtoaConfuciantraditionofmoralgovernment,notCommunistideology-Theyarepragmatic:itbringspersonalbenefits:“YouknowPartymembershipisonlyatoolformanypeople,itisnotanaim”-FocusingontheParty’sactualdoingsandnotitsteaching:*promoteeconomicdevelopment*securestability*representstheunificationoftheChinesepeople:nationalism-TraditionallyitisanhonourtobeamemberofCPC-ThePartyneedtheircompetenceinadministeringthesociety:persuasion12CompositionofCPCCentralCommitteeAselectedatthe16thPartyCongress(2154delegates)2002196fullmembers(1/3electedforthefirsttime)158alternatemembers(3/4electedforthefirsttime)(N:356=100%)-Averageage55years-7,6%women-99%highereducation(universitylevel)(83%in1992)-27%CPCcadresonCentral(national)level-54%cadresinstateadministration-19%militarycadres-4,8%fromthenewcapitalistclass-9,8%frometnicalminorities(ChinaAktuellJuni2003)13PoliticalBureauStandingCommitteeelectedafterthe17thPartyCongress200714HuJjintaoStatePresidentPartySecretaryChairmanofCentralMilitaryCommissionWenJaibaoPremierStateCounsilWuBangguoChairmanNationalPeople’sCongressJiaQinglinChairmanPeople’sConsultativeCongressLiChangchunPropagandaDepartmentXiJinpingFormerPartySecretaryShanghaiLiKaqiangFormerPartySecretaryLiaoningProvinceZhouYongkangMinisterofPublicSecurityHeGuoqiangOrganizationDepartmentStandingCommittee15ThePartyinUniformPLA-officersinCCPCentralCommittee:196943%197731%198222%(of210)198716%1989:TheTienAnmenIncident199220%199722%(of193)200222%(of198)16Enteringthe16thPartyCngress2002:17Apartyintransition:Tendenciesofchange:1.Fromvanguardofpeasantsandworkerstowardsapartyofnewmiddle-classandupper-classpeople2.Fromideologicalpurismtowardspragmatism3.Growingintra-partydemocracy?4.Softeningitsgriponstateandsociety?18RestructuringofSocialClassesintheNewlyIndustrializingChinaRulingclassesaccordingtoPRCconstitution1920SixthPlenumofthe15thCentralCommittee2001:”…theextremeimportanceandurgencyofimproving…thePartystyle…thelifeanddeathofthePartyandtheState””…anumberofproblemsthatcallforimmediateresolution:-dogmatismandbookworship-formalismandbureaucratismrunrampant-deception(bedrag)andfalseness-despotismandlaxdiciplinegrowoutstanding-abuseofpowerforpersonalgainsandhedonismiswidespread..”21Outlineoflecture:-Theformalstructures*TheParty*TheState*Pepole’sLiberationArmy-TheDictatorialOne-Party-State-InformalPolitics-TheRegimeasoutlinedbyHuJintaosspeechatthe17thpartycongress-AMixtureofTraditions?22TheConstitutionofPRC:Article1.ThePeople'sRepublicofChinaisasocialiststateunderthepeople'sdemocraticdictatorshipledbytheworkingclassandbasedontheallianceofworkersandpeasants.ThesocialistsystemisthebasicsystemofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.Sabotageofthesocialistsystembyanyorganizationorindividualisprohibited.Article2.AllpowerinthePeople'sRepublicofChin