China’s Domestic Political System
Dr. Paul Heer

May 25, 2007

Dr. Paul Heer, a Senior China Analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, discussed China’s Domestic Political System with the 2007 Policymakers Seminar participants. Dr. Heer explained that the structure of the leadership consisted of three main institutions: the Party, Government, and military.

Throughout most of China’s communist history, political power and influence have been independent from official titles. In the past, holding an official post was not necessarily representative of political power. Dr. Heer explained that this process is changing, and the wall chart of party and government leaders is increasingly indicative of actual power and position. The current Chinese President Hu Jintao is the head of all three institutions and the Party is at the center of all policy decisions.

The Politburo Standing Committee is composed of nine leaders elected by the Politburo Central Committee and is the most powerful leadership group. On paper, all political power in China stems from the National People’s Congress (NPC), but the NPC is largely a rubber-stamp for Party policies. In fact, the Chinese government is still entirely deferential to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  The People’s Liberation Army is a party army, not a state army, further reinforcing the CCP’s control over the government. 

Despite growing institutionalization, Dr. Heer emphasized that China is still a one-party state. Though the Chinese government is pragmatic and no longer Marxist, it does not intend to make substantial democratic political reforms.  Instead, the CCP is attempting to revitalize the one party state.

At the same time, the Chinese are making substantial economic reforms as the CCP understands it depends on economic growth as a means of legitimacy. In order to sustain such growth, China will have to make several difficult economic decisions. Regardless of what decisions are made, the CCP will try to hold a steady course of growing market capitalism under a one party neo-authoritarian government structure.  

 

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