Economic Prosperity or Democratization: China at a Crossroads

Abstract

Scholars in China Studies have been examining whether economic prosperity in the post-Mao period has fostered the development of a more democratic society and have been also engaging in the debate about the possible emergence of ‘civil society’ in the mainland (Nathan, 1993; White, 1994a, 1996; Brook and Frolic, 1997; Chamberlain, 1998). Historically, democracies experienced political democratization after the development of free market economic institutions (Duch, 1993). While it is clear that China has been transformed from a highly centralized command economy to a market-oriented economy, whether a post-Deng China replicates the historical experience of most democracies, transforming its political structure into a democratic system, is contentious. What is also debatable is whether the formation of ‘civil society’ contributes positively to the consolidation of democracy in China. This chapter examines how the development of a market economy has affected China’s political development; specifically, the complicated relationship between economic growth and political modernization, with particular attention on whether advancement in the economic realm and the embourgeoisement of the people have resulted in a more pluralistic, open, and economic- oriented society, which then facilitates the formation of a more democratic society in the mainland.