China's Transition from Communism – New Perspectives

As China moved from a planned to a market economy many people expected that China’s political system would similarly move from authoritarianism to democracy. It is now clear, however, that political liberalisation does not necessarily follow economic liberalisation. This book explores this apparent contradiction, presenting many new perspectives and new thinking on the subject. It considers the path of transition in China historically, makes comparisons with other countries and examines how political culture and the political outlook in China are developing at present. A key feature of the book is the fact that most of the contributors are China-born, Western-trained scholars, who bring deep knowledge and well informed views to the study.

1. Introduction Helen Lansdowne 2. Capitalism Making and its Political Consequences: A Comparative Political Economy of China’s Communist Capitalism Xiaonong Cheng 3. Communist Oligarchy and the Oligarchic Transition in China Ming Xia 4. A Tale of Two Party-States: Comparing Authoritarianism across the Taiwan State Szu-chien Hsu 5. Counterframing as Revolution Deterrent: The 1989 Crackdown in Retrospect Yang Su and Ting Jiang 6. Being "Yellow," Being "Red": Constructing a Racialized Identity in Post-Mao China Yinghong Cheng 7. The Debate on Constitutionalism and the Liberal Force within the Chinese Communist PartyFeng Chongyi 8. Engaging the Government’s Critics on Weibo: China’s "Authoritarian Resilience" in the Internet Age Yiyi Lu 9. Transition from a "Rule-taker" to a "Rule-maker"? China in Global Governance Hongying Wang 10. ConclusionGuoguang Wu

Guoguang Wu is a Professor of Political Science at University of Victoria, Canada Helen Lansdowne is Associate Director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (CAPI), University of Victoria, Canada.