Question

Can you call China a democracy? Why?

Answer 1

Hint:
China was given a 2.26 out of 10 in the Democracy Index. The country is run by a single party known as the Communist Party of China or the Chinese Communist Party. Non-party members of the republic are not allowed to form organizations to compete with the Chinese Communist Party.

Complete answer:
Democracy in China has been a major topic of ideological debates in Chinese Politics. According to modern Chinese leaders, China is ‘socialist democracy’. The ‘Communist Party of China’ is the head authority which acts towards the interests of the people and also approves which political parties can operate. So, it is a socialist republic run by a single party The CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

Currently, the Chinese Communist Party dominates the government. It has the tightest control on the central government offices and the industrial, urban, economic and cultural settings. This control is considerably loose in rural areas. The Party’s most important responsibilities lie in the selection and promotions of personnel. They also check that non-party members do not create their own organizations to challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s rule.

The political organ or body of the highest power is the Party Congress or the National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is supposed to meet at least once in five years. The party itself elects the Central Committee and the major powerful organs of the committee.

The major organs of power in the CCP include:

> General Secretary (the highest-ranked official)
> The Political Bureau (consisting of 22 members)
> The Political Bureau Standing Committee (consisting of 7 members)
> The Secretariat (primary administrative mechanism of the CCP, headed by General Secretary)
> The Central Military Commission
> The Central Discipline Inspection Commission

Thus, the government in China cannot be called as Democratic. It is rather referred to as authoritarian, totalitarian, soft authoritarian, surveillance state or even dictatorship (by several foreign media).

Note
> The Economist Intelligence Unit produced the Democracy Index, produced by, for instance, gives China a 2.26 out of 10 and classifies its government as authoritarian.
> The Central Discipline Inspection Commission of the Chinese Communist Party is charged with rooting out corruptions and wrongdoings among the party cadres.
> The Chinese Communist Party is also the creator and the leader of the People’s Liberation Army.