Political Liberalization in China

FOR A BRIEF TIME toward the end of 1978 and the beginning of 1979, China's rulers encouraged democratic agitation by ordinary people against the abuses of dictatorship. During 1980 (the year keng-shen in the sexegenary cycle), there were proposals from levels higher up within the elite for modifications of the Leninist polity, increased democracy, and a system of institutionalized checks on political power. The democratic movement of the Peking had been suppressed before the real spring had begun to warm up, and by the end of 1979 democracy wall on Hsi-tan Road had been closed. During 1981, the keng-shen reforms were not repudiated but rather little was heard of them, as the regime became more interested in the elimination of bourgeois liberalization. By 1982, however, the Chinese seemed to be beginning actually to put into practice some of the reforms, although it was difficult to tell whether the spirit of the reforms was the same as that in the year kengshen. Pressures for liberalization will probably be a permanent part of the Chinese political environment, and contenders for power may on occasion gain advantage by moving with those pressures. The regime will obviously remain stronger than the opposition, however, and contenders for power may continue to draw back from liberalization once they have achieved their immediate ends. The fact that the opposition can be used in the power struggle tends to weaken it and keep it divided;' although, had the opposition no access at all to those in power, its efforts would be even more futile. The Chinese used to speak of the struggle between two lines, and this remains a useful way to conceptualize the Chinese political process. The lines developed from a tension produced from the way the rulers defined their task. All of the party leaders no doubt desired the total transformation of human relations-ultimately, the liberation of mankind. Some perceived this as requiring control through routine and predictability, with concentration of attention on what was crucial and society allowed temporarily to go its own way on what was peripheral

China · Development economics · Economics · Liberalization · Political economy · Political science · Politics · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Chinese history and philosophy · Law

• A Tragedy of Good Intentions

  Open Access•William A Joseph, William Α Joseph•Modern China•1986

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