Rise of Chinese Civil Society and Changes in Governance

Author: Yu Keping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: During my visits and lectures abroad, when I introduced the case studies on local governance to my international colleagues, they were all surprised to say that they had originally thought China had only experienced dramatic socio-economic changes after the reform and opening-up, without significant political transformation. They did not expect that China's grassroots level was also actively pursuing various reforms towards good governance. — Yu Keping
There is a view among overseas scholars that after 1978, China implemented profound economic reforms but made little change to its political system, which is a one-sided perspective. From a political science perspective, the connotation of a political system is multifaceted. In addition to the multi-party system, separation of powers, and representative democracy in Western countries, it also includes the rule of law, administrative systems, leadership systems, election systems, supervision systems, the relationship between the Party and government, and the relationship between the central and local governments, among others. If we evaluate based on these broad standards, China's political system has undergone significant changes since the 1980s. Many of these changes, directly or indirectly, have contributed to the development of Chinese civil society.
The Rise of Civil Society and the Transformation of Governance, primarily studies the organizations that emerged after the reform and opening-up and their impact on social and political life. It selects representative cases such as the China Youth Foundation, industry associations, village organizations, and community organizations to conduct a comprehensive study of the influence, functions, operational mechanisms, management methods of these organizations, and their impact on governance. Based on these cases, the author provides preliminary theoretical summaries of the emerging Chinese civil society and its significance for good governance. The book presents undeniable facts that the rise of civil society has already and is continuing to exert an increasingly profound influence on the entire social life of China.