Communist and Post-Communist Countries-China

Answers
Current leader is Xi Jinping, who replaced Hu Jintao in 2012; in 2017, Xi was elected to a
second 5 year term. In March 2018, the CCP had the NPC amend the constitution to end term
limits (previously 2 terms of 5 years each max.); Xi can now serve, theoretically, for life
xWhat are the 5 remaining communist states in the world today?
• China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba

Explain how mandate of heaven dynastic cycles were characteristic of China’s history.
• Emperors believed their hereditary right to rule was a mandate of heaven (god/ancestral
given)
• When times got tough, the family would lose its mandate in terms of legitimacy from rival
families
• Chaos would follow and eventually a new family would take over, claiming its own mandate

How was power organized during dynastic periods and what group helped to maintain/carry out that
organizational power in terms of the emperor and bureaucracy?
• Emperors held all the power which was highly centralized
• Bureaucracy helped to carry out the emperors will

How is power theoretically distributed in the constitution of China and what is the reality?
• In theory, power is granted to the state (legislative branch called the National People’s
Congress; in reality, NPC is a rubber stamp for Standing Committee who write/pass laws)
• The reality is an authoritarian elite in CCP run the country with rulers above the law (little
rule of law for leaders but plenty for citizens, though leaders being held more accountable
now)
• CCP has its own constitution but power theoretically granted to state

How were citizens viewed during the dynastic period?

• People were considered subjects and not participants in the political process

When was the Chinese Republic created and who was its first leader?
• Created in the 1911 revolution by Sun Yat-sen who tried to implement a popularly elected
democratic regime/government

What force made it unable for China to have a democratic regime/government after the revolution and
what was the result in 1949?
• Regional warlords challenged Sun’s plan, a frequent occurrence/tradition in China
• After a long struggle, Mao came out on top in 1949 and formed the People’s Republic of
China, a communist state

How was Maoism similar and different from Marxism/Leninism?

• Similar in that both are idealistic and egalitarian (Marxism) with centralized rule and the
Politburo and Standing Committee at the top making all the decisions (Leninism-democratic
centralism)
• Different in that Maoism added Mass Line which required leaders to listen to and
communicate with people

Since the Tiananmen incident (1989) how has the government reacted to rebellions?
• There have been many problems since the Tiananmen democracy movement and the
government has cracked down on some, like Falon Gong, but been moderate with others
• Tiananmen incident started with mourners who gathered to pay their respects to Hu Yaobang,
leader of the liberal faction, who passed away; it later turned into a call for democracy
How are decisions made during times of crisis and by whom, such as the Tiananmen incident?
• Decisions are made behind closed doors in secret by CCP leaders, and past leaders are often
asked to offer their wisdom/thoughts on what should be done

Identify how the military (PLA) has played an important role in China.
• Helped bring CCP to power
• Represented in government with Central Military Commission (CMC) and is active in
policymaking
• National leaders often head the CMC, such as Deng Xiaoping (but Deng was never General
Secretary)

5 important historical traditions are authoritarianism, Confucianism, bureaucracy, Middle Kingdom

and communist ideologies; provide a short overview of each.
• Authoritarian (centralized rule and people viewed as subjects)
• Confucianism (similar to democratic centralism but goes against egalitarian ideals of Maoism
and communism because it creates unequal relationships)
• Bureaucratic hierarchy (based on Confucian scholarship/studies which carried out emperors
orders/policies)
• The Middle Kingdom (zhonggu, ethnocentric view of superiority to other nations)
• Communist ideologies (Maoism and Deng Xiaoping Theory)

What are 5 geographical features which have played a role in China?

• Access to oceans and ice free ports
• Many large and navigable rivers
• Climate and geographical split between north (semi-arid) and south (lush and green)
• Western part of country (desert) geographically isolated and most people live in the east
• Mountains, deserts and oceans separate China from other nations

What are the 3 main historical eras of China that have shaped its political culture?
• Dynastic rule (based on Confucian political culture and ethnocentrism)
• Resistance to imperialism by removing 19th century foreign devils who exploited China
(political culture untrusting of capitalist countries since that time)
• Maoism (not so strong in political culture today)

Maoism focused on the strength of the peasant and had what 5 central values?
• Collectivism (community over individual)
• Struggle and activism (in pursuit of socialism)
• Mass Line (teaching and listening by rulers and people to one another)
• Egalitarianism (went completely against Confucian hierarchy)
• Self-reliance (don’t rely on elite to take care of you)

Explain what Deng Xiaoping Theory is and what is his famous quote?
• Capitalism in a system of socialism/communism to solve China’s economic problems
• No need for individual freedoms or democracy
• Quote is “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black so long as it catches mice”
Official positions in China do not count as much as what informal arrangement and when did this
system get its start?
• Patron client connections/factions of who knows whom, a strong system but not easily
recognized by outsiders (an old boy network known as guanxi)
• Started with Mao’s Long March and those loyal to him and today is shown in factions/circles
that arose since that time

Why is it hard to understand how policymaking will be affected when a new leader comes to power
and what is the best way to try and figure out policymaking goals of new leaders?
• Informal patron client connections go a long way
• Best way to guess policymaking goals is to see who mentored current leaders in the past

The Qing (pronounced Ching) Dynasty fell victim to what imperialistic powers (foreign devils) in the
19th century?
• England, France, Germany and Japanese foreign devils who carved China into spheres of
influence for their own economic gain

Between 1911 and 1949 there were 3 main chaotic themes. What were they?
• Nationalism (Revolution led by Sun Yat-sen to oust foreign devils) Sun was part of the
KMT/Kuomintang but actually worked closely with communists in trying to create a new
China and fighting warlords. After his death, Chiang took over KMT, broke relations with the
communist party and ended the support that Russia had been providing; Mao also worked
with the Soviets)
• Establishing a new political system/community (Chiang Kai-shek of the KMT/Kuomintang
and Mao of the CCP)
• Socioeconomic policy (initially followed Soviet model in trying to reshape the country after
imperialistic control)

What was the Long March (1934-1936) about, what role did WWII play and what was the result by
1949?
• Mao and Chiang fighting for control of China
• Mao flees a battle and heads west for his Long March and builds support
• A truce between the two is made to fight the Japanese but after WWII they fight again
• Mao wins and Chiang flees to Taiwan and forms another China (ROC)

The Peoples Republic of China was born out of a fight between what two groups and what was the
result?
• Nationalist party (KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek and Communists under Mao
• Mao wins after many years of fighting (civil war) and Chiang flees to Taiwan
• Result is 2 China’s, the PRC and Republic of China/Taiwan

What were the 3 main features of the Soviet model period (1949-1957)?
• Soviets provided lots of money and expertise to help Mao since the 1920’s
• Land reform (land taken from the rich and increased agricultural productivity)
• Civil reform (end opium addiction, more legal rights for women)
• 5 year plans (nationalize industry and collectivize agriculture)

Why did Mao initiate the Great Leap Forward (1958-1966) and what was the ultimate goal?
• Wanted to free China from Soviet influence plus inequality remained great
• Great Leap Forward was a goal to transform China into an egalitarian society through all
economic development in agriculture and heavy industry (like Stalin did in Russia)
STOP AT THE ABOVE QUESTION
What were the 4 goals of the Great Leap Forward (1958-1966)?
• All around development (industry and agriculture) through 5 year plans
• Mass mobilization (hard working, motivated workers, full employment)
• Political unanimity and zeal (cadres/party workers and party run government, not professional
bureaucrats with expertise in an area)
• Decentralization (more government control at the local level)

What are some reasons the Great Leap Forward what actually a leap backward?
• People lacked skills and tools to do the work
• Cadre party workers were only loyal communist ideologists and this went against traditional
political culture of bureaucratic centralism with experts who knew how to manage things
• Bad harvests because of things like drought but also Mao’s plan to kill sparrows (birds) which
only led to more insects, cadres who didn’t consider expertise of farmers (ignored expert
farmer knowledge) and who knew nothing of farming (spacing seeds, rotating crops, soil, etc)
• Backyard mud/hair steel mills made poor quality steel and all trees chopped down for those
mills

Why did Mao initiate the Cultural Revolution and what was the goal (1966-1976)?
• Mao still unhappy that true egalitarianism wasn’t achieved, especially after letting Deng play
with some market reform (1960-1966) and wanted a return to Maoism
• Cultural Revolution goal was to purify the country through radical transformation, not only
economically but socially and politically and to eliminate any opposition to Maoist ideas
• Wanted to get rid of all vestiges of old China, especially hierarchy and inequality
• Note that 5 year plans for economic development continued during cultural revolution

What was the effect on education with the Cultural Revolution?

• Scholars sent to the fields to work and universities and libraries closed
• Only elementary school education was important which focused on Mao’s principles/ideology

What were 5 important principles of the Cultural Revolution, most of which were similar to Maoism?
• The ethic of struggle
• Mass line
• Collectivism
• Egalitarianism
• Unstinting/unending service to society

When Mao died in 1976 his followers divided into what 3 main factions?
• Radicals (Gang of 4 led by his wife Jiang Qing who supported Cultural Revolution)
• Military (led by Lin Biao who mysteriously died in a plane crash)
• Moderates (led by Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping who wanted contact with other countries
and economic modernization)

What happened to the Gang of Four?

• They were arrested by CCP which allowed moderates to take control, like Zhou Enlai and
Deng Xiaoping

Who came up with the idea of the 4 modernizations, who implemented it and what were the 4
modernizations?
• Zhou Enlai and implemented by Deng Xiaoping through economic liberalization
• Industry, agriculture, science and the military
The 4 modernizations put China on a new path in what 3 major areas?
• Open door trade policy (trade with anyone and everyone, even the US)
• Reform in education (improve standards, lessen Maoist/ideological teaching and expand
higher education)
• Institutionalization of the Revolution (restore the legal system and bureaucracy with experts
and not cadres, decentralizing the government and allowing for capitalism)

List the 5 leaders of the PRC since its founding.

• Mao Zedong
• Deng Xiaoping
• Jiang Zemin
• Hu Jintao
• Xi Jinping
• Note that there are many leadership positions (President, VP, Premier, General Secretary,
CMC leader, and that the ultimate leader may hold multiple positions) which allow for two
five-year terms

Today the CCP realizes that people no longer view ideology as important so what is the current focus
on the CCP?
• Patriotism in being Chinese-Olympics, getting Hong Kong back, economic power

What is the major ethnic group in China?

• 92% Han Chinese

What percent of the population do minority ethnic groups represent, how many ethnic groups are
there and where do most minorities live?
• Minorities make up 8% of the population
• There are 55 official minority groups due to conquest/expansion of borders
• Most minorities live in “autonomous” regions that border other nations but autonomy is very
limited and covers things like culture but not regional autonomy/power

Why are the autonomous areas important to China and identify two problematic ones?
• They are important because they make up about 60% of the land area of China
• Tibet and Xinjiang are problematic because they want their independence

What is the Chinese government’s policy with minority ethnic groups?

• Encourage their economic development but suppress independence desires and dissent
• Most have no problem with being part of China but some don’t like it

How autonomous are the autonomous regions in China?

• The constitution grants them some autonomy on things like language and number of children
allowed but the government actually provides little real autonomy

What is the worry with the Uyghurs and why is their location a problem for China?
• They use violence and might try to establish a separatist Islamic state
• They are far from centralized control of China geographically and this makes it harder to
govern them
What has China done to promote Mandarin and why is one common language important?
• Require Mandarin be used in the public sector and Cantonese/Shanghaiese has been
suppressed
• Multiple dialects make it harder to control a large population and land

How are urban/rural relations a social cleavage and how has the government reacted?
• Urban areas have become quite wealthy with economic growth in cities
• Rural people have been left out of economic development and there have been many protests
in the countryside
• China is trying to address rural issues through programs such as “a new socialist countryside”
to help in development, plus the Household Responsibility System and Town and Village
Enterprises (TVE’s)

What are the 3 major cleavages in China?

• Ethnic issues with some minority groups
• Spoken language/dialects
• Urban/rural issues (urban population about 53% and rural 47%)

Chinese tradition views people as not participants in the political system but what and how are things
slowly changing with respect to social movements?
• Subjects, which communist party tried to change to participants with CCP ideals
• Social movements are increasing for things like democracy, religion and local community
welfare

Identify 2 important features of CCP membership and what is the youth party feeder group?
• Largest political party in the world (58 million and growing)
• Only 6% of the population are CCP members
• Youth League is a feeder to CCP with 73 million members

What change did Deng Xiaoping implement with respect to party members and what has been the
effect on party membership?
• Allowed technocrats who are more educated and better suited to addressing party bureaucracy
to join and not simply peasant party cadre members
• All members of the Standing Committee have academic/professional backgrounds
• In 2001, capitalists were allowed to join the party

What is the trend with civil society in China today and where is its growth particularly strong?
• In many ways, people can go about their private lives relatively freely (though many
restrictions exist for people who want to migrate from countryside to cities) and technology is
making is harder to maintain a grip on everything people do
• Civil society strong on issues that don’t challenge the government, like social and
environmental groups, AIDS, and legal reform, NGO’s
• Informal social movements are increasing to protest better environmental protections

How has the role of NGO’s changed since the 1990’s?

• They were non-existent until the 1990’s but today there are thousands, even religious ones
• But government monitors them closely and cracks down on others like Falon Gong
STOP AT THE ABOVE QUESTION
What are 2 examples which show that the CCP has limits to a strong civil society?
• Falon Gong crackdown (CCP says they are more political than religious)
• Tiananmen Square crackdown
• Protests could become a major problem in the future to the party (strikes by factory workers
and protests in villages are a current problem along with riots in Tibet and Xinjiang)

What is the hukou and how has it played a role in migration from the countryside to cities?
• Hukou was household registration system that made it difficult to move but restrictions were
loosened under Deng
• Overcrowded cities are erecting barriers to reduce the number of countryside migrants

Why can we define the political regime as authoritarian and how do elections and traditions reinforce
this?
• Decisions made by elites in secret without much input from citizens
• Leaders come from CCP and are not voted for by the people
• Informal guanxi ties remain strong

Why has centralization of economic matters become a problem in China today and how is China
responding?
• It is too hard to govern and manage every economic issue in a nation that is so large with so
many people
• As a result, economic decentralization is taking place, or devolution to subnational
governments

What is a major difference between the role of the military in the Soviet Union and China?
• CCP integrates the military (PLA) into political structure but military stayed out of politics in
the Soviet Union
• Political elites often come from Central Military Commission (CMC)

What is democratic centralism?

• That the few, a vanguard with a superior understanding, will lead the many

How many constitutions are there in China and what are they for?
• There are two constitutions in China, one for the government with power vested in the state
(National Peoples’ Congress (NPC) and one for the CCP
• Government constitution is slowly gaining respect as CCP sometimes respects NPC
decisions and even court/judicial decisions

Outline the top-down organizational structure of the CCP based on the constitution of the party?
• Top leader was known previously as the Supreme Leader or Chairman, and now General
Secretary
• Politburo (24 members)/Standing Committee (7 members) - lead the nation and are chosen
by the Central Committee and their meetings are highly secretive
• Central Committee (340 members) - meets annually and do NPC work between 5 year
gatherings-important Politburo and Standing Committee members come from here
• National Party Congress (2000 members) - job is to elect members to Central Committee,
meets every 5 years and is a rubber stamp for CCP (province, county and local/village party
congresses exist as well)
Per the above question, how many of these people are directly elected by the people?
• None. They are chosen from one level below on the organizational chart and the only
elections where citizens vote are at the local level
• Local elections allowed by CCP in order to reduce local corruption and to replace
incompetent leaders

Note that the above is the organizational structure for the CCP and that the government has its own
People’s Congresses and President

What is an important change taking place within the National People’s Congress?
• It is slowly beginning to act more independently from CCP control
• For example, it recently banned the secret detentions of alleged criminal suspects

Explain the relationship to parties other than the CCP in China.

• Does allow for other parties but they are strictly controlled and cannot challenge the CCP;
truly independent democratic parties are not allowed
• These parties do not challenge the government and instead play an advisory role

Who controls the groups that run elections as well as candidates allowed to run and what is special
about elections at the local level?
• The CCP and direct/popular elections are done only at the local/village level

Who elects the people’s congresses and how does this differ from local/village elections?
• Selected from lower people’s congresses except at the local/village level, where citizens
directly elect
• It’s a 4 tier system and people vote for local leaders (people’s congress) but then each
congress above will elect officials for each of the other 3 tiers

What is the Chinese equivalent of patron client relations in China with respect to the “Old Guard?”
• Guanxi-personal connections which remain very important today throughout all levels of
society, especially for politicians as they rise up through the party and gain friends who share
similar beliefs

What is the Nomenklatura?

• A system for choosing cadres from lower levels for advancement based on loyalty
• List of important names and positions to be filled with those names by CCP/party

What are 4 major political factions in China today and how do they view economics and politics?
• Conservatives (support economic reform but not political reform, cracks down on groups
which seek democracy)
• Reformers/open door (support capitalism and open door policy, not really democratic but is
pragmatic)
• Liberals (out of power since the 1989 Tiananmen incident, they support political liberties and
economic reform)
• Princelings (a group with varied interests but most of whom come from political
connections/families that date back to Mao) like Xi Jinping and sons of Hu Jintao and PM Li
Keqiang
Explain what fang-shou means.
• Means a tightening up and loosening up cycle, where some openness will be allowed for a
period of time then taken back
• One example was the Hundred Flowers Movement by Mao which allowed people to express
their opinions. They expressed lots of criticism about communism; Mao got angry and
punished everyone who spoke out by killing them or sending them to be reeducated or to the
collective farms

What is the most common form of corruption in China today and are there any measures to address
this issue and does corruption affect elections?
• Bribery/corruption at all levels of society (including CCP members), brought on by economic
development is rampant and the government is trying to crack down on it, with limited
success
• Elections are very clean because candidates are chosen by party (all but local) and since the
CCP runs China as a one-party state, there is no need for ballot stuffing or any type of election
fraud

Interest groups are allowed to exist under the authority of whom and what about NGO’s?
• The state-forms its own mass organizations, a form of corporatism (transmission belts), such
as unions and danwei, to represent workers so independent groups are very rare
• There are many NGO groups but they are not allowed to challenge the government

What is the danwei?

• Transmission belt social units based on a persons place of work, created by government and
people depend on them for jobs, income, medical care, housing, daycare

Is there a major labor union in China? If so, what is it known as and can workers organize
independent unions and how does this contrast with farmers?
• Yes, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions-controlled by CCP (transmission belt)
• Workers cannot create independent unions but have to go through state run groups; CCP is
allowing workers to strike and make wage and working condition demands from foreign
companies but cracks down on any protest against Chinese companies
• Farmers have no state outlets so they often resort to protest

What are some important points to note about media conditions in China and the internet?
• Until the 1980’s, most media were state controlled and Xinhua, CCTV and the People’s Daily
are still state controlled
• Independent media outlets exist and compete with each other but face severe censorship if
they criticize the government and are constantly monitored by Great Firewall
• Internet is severely restricted and censored on issues that criticize the government
• Investigative reporting to root out corruption is acceptable and common

What are the three parallel hierarchies in China’s political structure and which entity dominates?
• Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-dominates the 3 groups but all interact with each other
through dual role, meaning that the party oversees the PLA and state government as they
oversee the body directly under their specific PLA or state government group
• State/Government (National People’s Congress in a 3 branch government in theory)
• People’s Liberation Army (PLA) through CMC
STOP AT THE ABOVE QUESTION
Why is China’s political system so similar to that of the Soviet Union and what is the reality of that
system?
• Soviets helped to design it from 1949-1958
• The reality of the political system is that it’s run by factions and personal relationships

Even though China has a 3 branch government why is this not important?
• The CCP controls everything and all important positions so the branches are not independent,
nor is there any system of checks and balances

What is the theoretical power of the National People’s Congress (not National Party Congress), the
highest level of people’s congresses, what is the reality and what leaders does it select?
• Theoretically it represents the power of the state but controlled by the party in reality
• Does choose the head of state (president) who then chooses head of government (premier)
and vice president but there is only 1 candidate for each office and they are picked by the
party
• Both can serve two 5 year terms, mostly ceremonial in nature, and positions held by
party members who must be 45 or older to take the job but also have a mandatory
retirement age
• No real power but their gatherings are important because that’s when Politburo’s decisions are
announced
The book says the office of presidency is mostly ceremonial in nature. If that is so, then how can it be
that President Xi Jinping (formerly Hu) is clearly recognized as the true leader of China?
• Because he also holds the party office of General Secretary and the CMC (as did Hu)
• Note that political leaders may not be the official leader of the country but can still retain
great power and influence by heading other offices

Who is the head of government in China and who is head of state?

• The premier (Li Keqiang) is head of government and this position is appointed by the
president who, as head of state, selects the premier from the Standing Committee (again from
the party)

Identify some major points with the bureaucracy.

• Exists on national, provincial, county and local level (4 tier just like courts, CCP, and people’s
congresses)
• 30 million cadres carry out leaders policies and have a close link with party/govt.

Identify some major points of the current judicial system and compare it to what it was like under
Mao.
• 4 tier peoples court system, just like peoples congresses (national, provincial, county,
local/village), with a Supreme Court that oversees all and theoretically has the power of
judicial review
• Peoples procuratorate provides prosecutors and defense lawyers to courts
• Judicial system was attacked during Cultural Revolution but slowly regained influence after
code law (rule of law) was introduced
• System works swiftly and harshly, with a 99% conviction rate
What is the state of rule of law in China and what group seems to have rule of law enforced on it more
than others?
• Rule of law (code law) is firmly established in China, this after meaning very little during
Mao’s rule, but leaders still above the law
• Dissidents are harassed and there is plenty of rule of law to control normal citizens but rulers
are above the rule of law

What group represents the PLA in the government, how strong is that group and who currently heads
it?
• Central Military Commission (CMC) which has been led by many important leaders like
Deng and Hu; Xi Jinping currently heads it
• Though the military has never held power it has great influence in policy and politics and is
being given more of the annual budget
• Xi Jinping heads all 3 parallel hierarchies (CMC, General Secretary CCP, and President) as
did Hu

What is unusual about capitalism and democracy in China, relative to other nations?
• Other nations that experienced marketization/privatization/capitalism eventually ended up
with democratic governments, something that is not happening in China

Explain fang-shou and how is transparency a problem.

• Means a letting-go then tightening up cycle
• When economic reform occurs, liberal factions demand some political reform, after which the
CCP/government cracks down
• The old guard of leaders, elected and retired, meets behind closed doors to decide when to
crack down and citizens do not really know what is really going on until decisions announced
by CCP, as happened in the Tiananmen incident

What are some democratic reforms which have occurred?

• Politburo is beginning to allow some input from National People’s Congress
• Laws and legal procedures becoming more respected (rule of law) as are courts
• Village elections are somewhat competitive, with real choices free from party control
• Some autonomy for the courts/judicial system

Outline the original purpose of the Tiananmen incident and what it escalated in to?
• Originally a gathering to mourn the death of the liberal Hu Yaobang who was kicked out of
the Politburo by the conservatives
• Gatherings turned into demonstrations for democratic reform
• Deng sent the PLA in to crush the demonstrations

What is the current state of human rights in China under Xi Jinping (and Hu Jintao) and explain the
Nobel Prize example?
• Not good-Hu (and now Xi) followed Deng and Jiang in not liberalizing the political process at
all
• Refused to allow Liu Xiaobo receive his Nobel Prize and pressured 15 other nations to
boycott the ceremony
Why have legal codes (rule of law) taken on greater importance since Mao’s rule and why do
problems remain with the judiciary?
• Economic growth and investment have required consistent regulations to be in place to attract
overseas investors
• Criminal law also developing as a reaction to corruption, bribery, theft, insider trading, other
crimes
• Even with these changes, there is no independent judiciary in China and the party controls all

What are some examples of the current state of civil rights and liberties in China with respect to the
internet and criticism of the government?
• Internet sites regulated or blocked by Great Firewall (but corruption, investigative reporting
and SARS outbreak are/were transparently covered)
• Dissidents who criticize the government are arrested

Explain the meaning of the iron rice bowl and what policy replaced it.
• Mao’s policy of cradle to grave health care, guaranteed employment and retirement benefits
• The policy was used to justify a command economy directed by central planning and
democratic centralism
• The policy was replaced with Deng’s socialist market economy policy

What were the people’s communes and what system has replaced them?
• Collective farms during Mao’s rule (designed to increase productivity, they were poorly run,
had poor living conditions and eventually failed)
• Household Responsibility System (Deng replaced people’s communes and allow for farmers
to earn profits after paying government fees/taxes-very successful)

Do private businesses exist in China?

• Yes they do, though the government tries to regulate them strongly and state controlled
enterprises are losing ground (only 25% of business is state owned today)
• China has a mixed economy (capitalism with state industry as do most nations)

What rural private business system has helped to stem the flow of migrants to cities?
• Township and Village Enterprises (TVE’s) run by local government and private entrepreneurs
and have really helped countryside do well

Why does The CCP/government guarantee minority groups some seats in the National People’s
Congress?
• To increase CCP legitimacy rule and at least give the impression that all voices are heard

What are some major problems economic reform has brought?

• Unemployment, great income inequality and migrant workers flooding to cities
• Inefficient state sector (25% of all industry and heavily subsidized by the government)
• Pollution
• Product and food safety issues (a result of capitalists who exploit less centralized control in
the way they do business)

What are the Special Economic Zones which have been an important part of economic reform?
• Areas where foreign investors are given incentives and lower tax rates to invest
What is China’s relationship with Hong Kong and how autonomous and free is Hong Kong today?
• One country two systems policy-meaning Hong Kong gets a lot of autonomy even though
Britain’s lease on the land ended and it now belongs to China
• Civil liberties as strong in Hong Kong now as when Britain leased the land
• ABOVE ENDED IN 2020/21 WITH TOTAL CRACKDOWN; REFORM/DEMOCRACY
ADVOCATES IN HK ARRESTED; FREE PRESS SHUT DOWN; CCP TOTAL CONTROL

What is China’s relationship with Taiwan?

• China views Taiwan as a renegade province and wants it back
• Taiwanese divided on reconciling or standing up to China
• Taiwan is China’s most important trading partner

While the Chinese constitution guarantees things like speech, religion, press and assembly, what’s the
reality?
• The reality is that they only exist on paper/in theory because the CCP cracks down/restricts
most all liberties, especially those which challenge the state/CCP

(7th Edition Update)

Outline some points regarding population and population policy.
• China has the world’s largest population at 1.3 billion people
• Deng Xiaoping implemented a “one child policy” to reduce growth rate
• Many girls killed at birth because parents prefer sons and now population is aging quickly as
birth rate has decreased
• Minority groups can have more than one-child as can people in rural areas
• While the birth rate has lowered, it has also led to a society which will not have enough young
people to take care of the old, as the median age increases
• One child policy abandoned/ended in 2015

Describe the 2014 Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong

• Hong Kong citizens protested for greater input in local elections
• Beijing/CCP then allowed direct elections for top Hong Kong leadership position, but only
candidates approved by a pro-China/CCP group were allowed to run

(Describe two reforms to the legal system in China in the past two decades).
• Refinements to civil law and criminal law
• Establishment of commercial law, contract law, property rights
• Some autonomy for the courts
• Creation of new types of courts (local, specialized)
• Establishment of law schools and more lawyers
• Allocation of monies for reform of the legal system

(Explain two reasons that reforms to the legal system have occurred).
• The state’s desire to promote and enhance international trade and investments
• International pressure surrounding high-profile events like the Olympics
• Development of market mechanisms (capitalism) in China that require codified laws and
procedures
• Domestic pressure for rule of law from citizen groups in China
• The need to meet requirements in order to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), which
China joined in 2001
(8th Edition Update)
• NO SIGNIFICANT UPDATES
(Explain the Democracy Index)
• Created by The Economist, it ranks countries in terms of five democratic practices
• Electoral process and pluralism
• Civil liberties
• Functioning of government (effectiveness)
• Political participation
• Political culture

(What are the categories included in the Democracy Index?)

• Full democracies
• Flawed democracies
• Hybrid regimes
• Authoritarian regimes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUCEeC4f6ts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHOkhAplfn0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMHAnh0IeEw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTksmlZ0FPQ