ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the party system of China as with its characteristic domination of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the absence of free political civil society and opposition, the dependence of so-called democratic parties on the CCP and the lack of genuine power competition and power-sharing. It describes certain aspects of the transformation of the CCP and China’s political system: the replacement of the chairman system for the general-secretary system, the transition from the party’s opposition to private ownership to its support for privatization and capitalism, and from being a revolutionary party to becoming a conservative ruling party. The chapter argues that because the CCP is in decline and faces serious crises of legitimacy, the reform faction within the party might initiate a partial democratization programme to ensure its political survival. It also discusses the procedures for selecting candidates within the party and roles of the financial, educational, ethnic backgrounds in selecting candidates.
