The Democratization of China - Essay Example

The Democratization of China Introduction Though China’s situation has always been marked by political stagnation, there are signs that the country is undergoing some significant political transformation. In 2011, for instance, a large group comprising independent citizens took to the local congresses and launched their bids to compete for various seats (Zhang 427). In the same year, there was a group that openly visited a self-proclaimed human rights activist who had been put under house arrest despite the evident reports that such visitors were being beaten. On the other hand, a train crash in 2011 sparked public outrage as the government was criticized sharply through blog sites in China with around 200 million followers (Ahlquist and Erik 449). The examples shows how democracy in China is being fought for at a price and they show that the country is soon to experience the independency of the civil societies thus illustrating that the countrys political regime is now facing the challenge of making China a democratic state (Liu and Dingding 41). Also, over the last few decades, academicians especially from the western countries have always used some typical terms to refer to the political situation in China where terms like authoritarian resilience, rightful resistance, and illiberal adaptation have been used to describe the countrys democratic future (Liu and Dingding 43). However, the situation is fast changing where China is now moving closer to modernization that states that economic development is the basis for democratization. Therefore, there is hope for democracy in China as this essay outlines the country’s struggle to become a pure democratic state and also the challenges that may confront the Chinese in their question to become democratic. Factors fueling the quest for democracy in China Inequality in resource distribution One of the major problems with the Chinese economic geography is that resources are more concentrated on the urban areas where most of the affluent population lives (Wang 409). However, there is the imminent marginalization of the poor population who lives in the rural areas. In effect, there is an unequal distribution of resources, and this forcing the Chinese to pile pressure on the government for economic democratization (Liu and Dingding 41). The implication is that the unequal distribution of resources brings with it some political consequences where more visible inequality makes the population be disconnted with the political situation. On the other hand, inequality has become a significant political issue in China as more rural dwellers are moving to cities to access apartment buildings, luxury shopping malls and many restaurants (Wang 409). Therefore, the Chinese are now confronted with housing problem because the prices are too high for the rural population moving to the urban centers, and also unemployment rate is posing a major challenge to the population. The implication is that all these economic and social problems are as a result of the authoritarian and monarchical governance thus the lobby groups in China believe that democratization of the country will solve the problems (Liu and Dingding 46). The changing political culture Though there is always the common belief that Chinas culture may be a major hindrance to democratization, and this is not the case in modern China (Ahlquist and Erik 447). Though Chinese culture does not have room for democracy, the technological and economic developments are soon changing the country’s cultural orientation (Liu and Dingding 41). In recent years, there have been increased numbers of protests in China to challenge the government into addressing social and economic challenges. For instance, when the Chinese protest against property demolition, they are becoming aware of individual property rights and these are some of the elements of democracy. On the other hand, the public has become more aware of their right to information as enjoyed by the rest of world through advancement in the technological sector (Kristian and Michael 933). In effect, the protests and complaints in the country have succeeded in sending a message to the government that there is the need to focus on the welfare of the individual citizens as opposed to the communist ideologies. Nonetheless, the evolving culture also stems from the new generation of the Chinese born after the 1980 period and this generation has least trust in the government (Wang 412). The implication is that the new generation is following the world’s trend and is more likely to accept the doctrines and ideologies of democracy. Globalization effect Another important factor that has contributed to the increased democratization calls in China is the globalization effect (Hinnebusch 12). In most cases, the studies and works that focus on the democratization of China are always concerned with examining the internal factors thus treating the secondary factors as being secondary to shaping Chinese politics. However, the view may be accurate because the Chinese government can resist any possible external interference in the countrys internal affairs. On the contrary, little attention has been given to the international forces and factors because such forces have been crucial in shaping democracy in most nations (Risse and Nelli 13). The modern scholars and academicians have on many occasions described how non-democratic countries are embracing the ideology and this information reaches the citizens who in turn pile more pressure on the government to adopt the same (Liu and Dingding 41). In this case, there are some external forces brought about by globalization that may influence the political situation in China. Firstly, there is the contagion effect where the countries in Middle East and North Africa took to bringing down the monarchical regimes (Hinnebusch 7). Also, globally, the dominant form of governance is democracy (Hinnebusch 7). Regionally, most of the Chinas neighbors have completed their political transition to democratization including Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea (Ahlquist and Erik 447). On the other hand, Vietnam and Thailand are headed in the same direction. Another classic example is the Indias case that had been recording reduced economic growth at the onset of democracy but its current good performance is an indication that democracy supports economic grow that refuting claims that democracy will actually slow China’s economic growth rate (Ahlquist and Erik 449). Conversely, globalization has led to the development of some facilities that are spreading the liberal norms. For instance, information technology, trade, and investment are some of the structural factors that are spreading liberalization (He 39). On the other hand, global actors like nongovernmental organizations, individuals, and multinational corporations are also spreading the ideologies of liberalism (Kristian and Michael 933). Therefore, the globalization factors have succeeded in influencing the political situation in China as evident in the way in which the government and leaders are always concerned about the international community’s perception of the country and they are working tirelessly to reserve the negative perception that the country has had for a long time (Ahlquist and Erik 447). Challenges to democracy in China Though the country has recorded a tremendous improvement towards democracy, there are some challenges that are bound to deny the Chinese full democracy. Firstly, there is the issue of economic crisis and the quest for economic development (Ogden 864). Though economic development has been argued to contribute to democracy, it may pose a threat to the authoritarian regime but can never be a full guarantee for democracy. The implication is that the communism system will be maintained by singling out the elements are deemed to be opposing the authoritarian regime. For instance, the independent civil societies in China are still voiceless despite the efforts from the international community to pile pressure on China to guarantee such freedom. However, such obstacles may be addressed if the country’s GDP increase tremendous and such economic situation will lead to the liberation of the country’s politics (Wang 409). Therefore, the projected economic development will undoubtedly act as a motivating factor for the democratization of China. Another major hindrance to democracy is the imminent decline of authoritarian government (Risse and Nelli 6). In effect, the regime may use force and power to maintain its rule and thus maintain the communist ideology that is against democracy. Nonetheless, Confucianism and religion may pose a significant challenge to Chinas quest in becoming a democratic state (Wang 510). For instance, Falun Gong for a long time has been subjected to Chinese government suppression. In this case, many Chinese Citizens may opt for drawing their attention and support the quest for religious freedom. In fact, there are enough critics that the Confucianism is among the reasons as to why China will have to wait long for democratization because the ideology does not support democracy (Risse and Nelli 5). However, Confucianism advocates pluralism and also practices tolerance thus maintaining monarchy in China. Though Confucianism is being supported by the Chinese, the Western ideologies are bound to challenge the countrys ruling system and even the leaders (Wang 510). In this case, authoritarianism is bound to maintain its dominance in China but economic growth and development may instill the ideologies of democracy. Chinas governance structure always creates room for corruption from the officials, and this has impacted negatively on the countrys move towards democracy (Risse and Nelli 6). Though democracy cannot do away with all the corruption elements, it has been suggested that democratization could be the solution to the country, corrupt government. On the other hand, China is also faced with election rigging claims and denying the rights of residents from Hong Kong to exercise their freedom and the fundamental right of becoming a free state. The implication is that the Chinese government and other ruling classes are not ready for a democratic nation because they believe in exercising oppression through communism ideologies and also maintain economic inequality to maintain their regimes. Conclusion In a nutshell, China is fast moving towards becoming democratization amidst challenges that are mainly posed by the government. The imminent economic development and crisis may force the government to use force to extend the communist ideologies. On the other hand, the firm belief in Confucianism is also a major hindrance to democracy as it supports the communist ideas. Besides, the Chinese culture is also embedded on communism thus freedom can only be attained if the society is more receptive to changes brought about by modernity. However, there is much hope for Chinese democratization as the country is now realizing that democracy is the basis for economic growth. On the other hand, globalization is also having an influence on the country’s political system by using structural factors like trade to spread liberalism. Besides, the increased pressure after the removal of the Middle East and North African leaders has increased the need for a democratic China. Overall, the challenges to democratization are just limited since there is more need for a democratic China by the modern generation; those born after 1980. Works Cited Ahlquist, John S., and Erik Wibbels. "Riding the Wave: World Trade and Factor‐Based Models of Democratization." American Journal of Political Science 56.2 (2012): 447-464. He, Baogang. "Working with China to promote democracy." The Washington Quarterly 36.1 (2013): 37-53. Hinnebusch, Raymond. "Globalization, democratization, and the Arab uprising: the international factor in MENAs failed democratization." Democratization ahead-of-print (2015): 1-23. Kristian Skrede Gleditsch and Michael D. Ward. ‘‘Diffusion and the International Context of Democratization,’’ International Organization 60 (2006): pp. 911 -933 Liu, Yu, and Dingding Chen. "Why China will democratize." The Washington Quarterly 35.1 (2012): 41-63. Ogden, Suzanne. "Will China Democratize?. Edited byANDREW J. NATHAN, LARRY DIAMOND andMARC F. PLATTNER. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. xx+ 311 pp.£ 19.50. ISBN978-1-4214-1243-6." The China Quarterly 219 (2014): 864-865. Risse, Thomas, and Nelli Babayan. "Democracy promotion and the challenges of illiberal regional powers: introduction to the special issue." Democratization ahead-of-print (2015): 1-19. Wang, Chaohua. "OLD SAGE FOR NEW AGE? THE REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS CONFUCIANISM IN CHINA." The Institute for Advanced Studies UDK 322 (2012): 510. Wang, Li. "Social exclusion and education inequality: towards an integrated analytical framework for the urban–rural divide in China." British Journal of Sociology of Education 33.3 (2012): 409-430. Zhang, Liyan. "The stages of political innovation in rural China’s local democratisation: four cases of villagers’ political innovations." China Report 48.4 (2012): 427-448. Read More