The Chinese government is one of the most important actors in international affairs today. China’s global economic and diplomatic presence is challenging the earlier dominance by the Western powers. To thoroughly understand how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has grown in power requires a careful analysis of its political system. What contribution has the political system and government activity made in respect to China’s economic transformation? What consequences will the economic modernisation and world-economic integration have on the political system? Is the political system able to adapt to changing economic, technological, and international conditions? Which potentials and risks will shape the mid-term development of the political system?
The book offers a differentiated understanding of the conditions, potentials and risks of the political development in China. It is based on a comprehensive of analysis of Chinese resources and gives readers the most current overview of international China research.
"China's political system" published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers is available on Amazon.
The German version of the book is available in bookshops or online at:
Updates on China's Political System
We constantly update all chapters. You can browse all updates on China's Political System by key word or chapter of the book.
5.6 The media and public opinion
As part of the overall State Council reshuffle announced at the National People’s Congress (NPC) in March 2018, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) was disbanded. SAPPRFT, a government organ, was previously responsible for the administrative side of media control such as issuing and revoking licenses. The Central Propaganda Department was put directly in charge of supervision of press, publication and film. For radio and television, a new administrative body is to be formed directly under the State Council.
2.3.2 Party congresses and ballots
With the newly established National Supervisory Commission (NSC), which is institutionally and personally integrated into the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the CCDI is indeed getting a new nameplate. There are no renewals in terms of missions for CCDI. However, the NSC is a constitutional body, while the CCDI has no comparable legal status. The NSC can therefore lawfully investigate into cases of corruption, without facing the criticism due to extra-judicial investigating methods, as the CCDI had previously done.
4.4 The political initiation and implementation of economic reform
During the National Peoples’ Congress plans to build a great modern socialist country were announced. For 2018 the policy focus would be on the “three critical battles”: reducing financial risk, poverty and pollution. The plan commits China to rebalancing its economy, boost industrial upgrading and build an innovative and competitive economy. Promises for new efforts in structural reform and opening further areas of the economy to foreign investment were also made. However, the government continued to announce a GDP growth target, of “around 6.5 percent”.
2.12 The military and politics
4.6 The role of government in the banking and financial systems
The CIRC, the insurance watchdog will now grade insurers from A to D based on their performance. Low graded providers will be subject to more oversight.
The NDRC issued new rules which relaxes the restrictions on who can participate in DES transactions. Third-party companies can now inject capital into banks’ private equity funds.
4.5 Government involvement in the Chinese economy
Having identified Anbang as a financial risk the government took effective control over the company. The company was heavily involved in selling risky wealth management products as well as engaged in a global investment spree. Its activities alerted financial regulators and led to the disappearance of its Chairman Wu Xiaohui in June. He was formally charged with economic crimes following the governments take over. Officially the government will limit the takeover to one year, maximum two years before divesting again.
5.3 Rural society
According to the figures of the National Bureau of Statistics, 12.8 million rural Chinese have been lifted out of poverty in 2017. Still 30 million lived under the national poverty line at year´s end. In poverty-stricken areas, the income of people has increased by an average of 10.5 percent.
2.6 Special Administrative Regions: Hong Kong and Macau
In a statement issued on February 14, the Hong Kong Bar Association has condemned the process by which election officials can vet candidates and determine their eligibility to run in Hong Kong elections. The statement followed a February 14 ruling against pro-independence activist Andy Chan Ho-tin, who was banned from running in the 2016 LegCo elections and had appealed the decision in court. The ruling affirmed the power of election officers to check the candidate’s intent to uphold Hong Kong’s Basic Law. The Hong Kong Bar Association called the vetting criteria “vague and imprecise” and the vetting process the “equivalent to the introduction of a political screening process.”