ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a multidimensional pressure to adapt drives the reorganisation process of the Chinese party-state. This pressure results from rising expectations of a diversifying and increasingly mobile society, the high integration into the global economy and the demands of the international community. Local governments play an important role in this regard. They manage and channel pressure in diverse ways and through this contribute to the stability of the whole system. To analyse the situation of the Chinese system and its stability, the chapter looks at the following three dimensions: security, welfare, and legitimacy and the contribution of the local level to the performance of the party-state in these areas. To improve central–local relations and relieve pressure from the local levels, better coordination, avoidance of contradictive signals from above, clear-cut assigned competences and measures to reduce inter-regional disparities would be necessary. The chapter analyses the relevance of the local levels, in particular the cities, counties and townships.
