In recent years, Brookings has published a series of high-quality books on Chinese politics. This edited volume joins that list. Unlike the other books in this series, the format here pairs chapters by well-known Chinese political scientists, including Yu Keping, Wang Changjiang and Wang Ming, with commentaries by US-based scholars: Jacques deLisle, Joseph Fewsmith, Mary Gallagher, David Lampton, Cheng Li, Kenneth Lieberthal, Melanie Manion, Jean Oi, Tony Saich, Andrew Walder and Lynn White. Larry Diamond is another commentator, and while not a China specialist he should be familiar to most readers.
The starting point for the book is the recognition that Chinese and Western scholars working on Chinese politics do not interact with each other as much as they should. They often begin with different theoretical assumptions, employ different research methods and write in very different styles. The book is designed to both promote greater dialogue between Chinese and Western scholars and to make the work of Chinese scholars more available to Western readers. The result is an engaging set of readings on a series of core topics, including institutional reforms, the nature of China's Party-state, state–society interactions, and political development more generally.
Most of the chapters have certain common characteristics. First, most trace PRC institutions to the pre-1949 era, especially the Republican period. This reflects a growing trend in the study of Chinese politics not to treat 1949 as an absolute dividing line. Second, most rely heavily on leaders’ speeches and official documents as sources of information. There is a tendency to treat the announcement of a policy as a change in policy without looking for evidence of its implementation. Third, most chapters include frequent use of the words democracy and democratization in ways that most Western readers would find inappropriate. Conversely, most commentators pointedly avoid discussing the prospects for democracy or how it may happen and instead focus on the kinds of reforms necessary to govern China better.
Chapters in edited volumes are often of unequal quality, and that is the case here. Several chapters read like official propaganda, long on vague language, short on evidence, and unfailingly optimistic about the political reforms they describe. As in old-school Pekingology, what is not said can be as important as what is. Most Western readers are not used to working this hard to glean understanding from academic writings. It is left to the commentators to summarize and interpret the most salient points of the Chinese authors, and the contrast between the chapter writers and the commentators can be striking. As a teaching tool, these commentators provide good examples of how a careful reading of texts can produce valuable insights.
But most of the chapters are much better, including the ones by Wang Ming on civil society, Yu Jianxing on public goods provision, and Yang Guangbin on central–local relations. These chapters are refreshing in offering a critical assessment of the status quo, noting current inadequacies and the reasons for them (in most cases, the authors draw attention to institutional interests inhibiting further reforms). They offer good empirical examples to support their arguments and identify what reforms are necessary to resolve the problems they identify. They cover an expansive period of time rather than focus on the most recent events, highlighting the changing priorities of China's leaders and how they shaped policies. This will help the book avoid being immediately out of date.
Most commentators refrain from directly challenging the chapter writers. Having been on the receiving end of comments by most of these scholars over the years, I know they are fully capable of cutting to the quick. But the commentaries in this book are less about critique and more about dialogue. Given the purposes of this book, that seems like an appropriate strategy. Each commentator uses the chapter's topic as a launching pad for further discussion of reform-era dynamics and future prospects. In the few instances where the commentators pointedly disagree with the chapter writers, the focus remains on the nature of Chinese politics, not the quality of scholarship. As a result, the tone of the discussions in the book remains respectful, while still identifying key differences in approaches and conclusions.
This is a useful and very readable book on some of the most important political issues in China. It will be particularly welcome in classrooms, providing opportunities for students to read and discuss Chinese perspectives on Chinese politics. An equally valuable companion volume would have chapters by Western scholars and commentary by Chinese colleagues. One can only hope.
