As an amazed world watches the explosive growth of China’s increasingly free market economy, international observers hope that this economic liberalization will be followed by greater political liberalization and freedom. This timely volume provides important clues on where Chinese political development is heading.
Democracy Is a Good Thing brings together the most important work of Yu Keping, a leading Chinese intellectual and prominent figure in official think tanks. Yu’s widely read essay "Democracy Is a Good Thing" has been the touchstone for heated debate within China on the desirability of democratic reform. That important piece appears here, along with several of Yu Keping’s other influential works on politics and democracy. This collection pulls back the curtain to reveal ongoing debates in Chinese political and intellectual circles, discussions that will go a long way toward determining the future of the world’s most populous nation.
Part I. Social and Political Development
1. Democracy Is a Good Thing
2. Political Science Studies in China: An Overview
3. Incremental Democracy and Political Reform
4. China’s Civil Society: Institutional Environment and Administrative Regulations
Part II. Culture, Modernity, and Sustainability
5. Culture and Modernity in the Chinese Intellectual Discourse: A Historical Perspective
6. Transformation of Chinese Culture since the Reform
7. China’s Economic Modernization and Sustainability
8. Harmony between Man and Nature: China’s Practice and Challenges
Part III. Globalization and Governance
9. Preserving China’s Autonomy under Globalization Pressures
10. Federalism in Modern China: Concept and Experiments
11. Globalization and Changes in Public Administration in China
12. A Harmonious World and Global Governance: A Chinese Perspective