Transcript
CHENG LI: At least three trends have contributed to the growing importance of think tanks in China. First, the end of strong-man politics and the emergence of collective leadership have pushed policymakers to seek more legitimacy for their policy through Chinese think tanks. Secondly, China’s growing integration with the world economy requires input from scholars with professional expertise, especially in the areas of foreign investment and foreign, or international, finance. The third factor is that the rapid development of China’s market economy has not only made the Chinese economic and socio-political structure more pluralistic, but it has also created many interest groups. These interest groups, especially those in the business sector, have attempted to influence government policy and public opinion.
Now these three trends will likely continue in the future. For those of us studying China from overseas, the dynamic interaction between the Chinese government on the one side and the country’s promising think tanks on the other side can offer insightful information on China’s future political trajectory.
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