Political Transformation of Late Qing China: Focusing on the Constitutional Reforms of the Late Qing Dynasty: Focusing on the Constitutional Reforms of the Late Qing Dynasty

Author: Gao Wang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: This book analyzes the late Qing constitutional reforms from a political science perspective. The reforms were oriented toward the separation of powers (legislative, judicial, and executive), further differentiating political structures and functions, and establishing a preliminary modern political system. Although the reforms ultimately failed, they still held positive significance. The book explores the reasons behind their failure, offering insights for contemporary Chinese political reforms. It argues that the late Qing constitutional reforms were an important part of the modernization movements in countries around the world. The late Qing official system reforms were also oriented toward the separation of powers and checks and balances, further differentiating political structures and functions and establishing a preliminary modern political system. However, due to the Qing court's racial prejudices, efforts to centralize power by favoring Manchus exacerbated conflicts between the central government and local authorities, making it difficult for the government's reform policies to be effectively implemented. The Qing court's local autonomy policies granted broad participation rights to the general populace. The practice of these policies strongly promoted the development of political participation, playing certain positive roles in fostering citizens' national consciousness and nurturing the early stages of China's civil society. However, the implementation of local autonomy not only intensified conflicts between autonomous units and the central government but also accelerated the erosion of central authority, further deepening the government's crisis of legitimacy.