Trivia

• People in China enjoy the same level of Internet freedom as North Americans. True or False?

Trivia

• False!– China’s Government carefully monitors internet

usage– Techniques such as DNS blocking prevents users

from accessing certain sites– E.g. Google.cn results re-directed to Baidu– Government determines which sites are deemed

“prohibited”

Trivia

• The Chinese Communist Party is the sole political party in China. True or False?

Trivia

• False (But also true)• 8 Registered minor parties

– Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang– China Democratic League– China Democratic National Construction League– China Association for Promoting Democracy– Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party– China Zhi Gong Party– September 3 Society– Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League

• Serve as a formality, essentially run by the CCP

The Setting: PoliticalCommunist State- Chinese Communist Party

- Founded in 1921- Marxist-Leninist foundation

- Centralization- Conformity of ministries- Eliminating opposition

- Ruling political party- Ultimate control over state affairs and legislation

The Chinese Communist Party

The Chinese Communist Party

• The National Party Congress– Supreme legislative power– Meets every 5 years– Major issues e.g. constitutional revisions

• The Central Committee– 5 year turn-over intervals– Elected by NPC to carry out its mandate

• The Politburo Standing Committee– Decision and law-making body– Highest ranking officials of government ministries

The Government

• 3 Major bodies– President– State Council– National People’s Congress

• Communist Party is the ruling party and essentially controls at every level

The Government- Hu Jintao

- President – Head of State- Figurehead, elected by the National People’s Congress

- General Secretary of the Communist Party- Highest ranking official- Head of the Politburo

- Chairman of the Central Military Commission

The Government

- State Council- Wen Jiabao (premier) appointed by the president- Administrative body- Consists of the heads of each ministry and

department

The Government

• National People’s Congress– Wu Bangguo (Chairman)– Legislative body• Rubber Stamp?

– Communist party is the majority, other parties make up the minority• However minor parties are all “registered” parties with

the CCP

References• http://www.china.org.cn/english/archiveen/27750.htm• http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/03/-ldquo-the-connection-has-been-reset-rdquo/6650/• http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/Q589.aspx• http://www.cfr.org/publication/14482/• http://www.index-china.com/index-english/Politics-gov-s.html• http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/state_structure/64735.htm• http://www.economicexpert.com/a/General:Secretary:of:the:Communist:Party:of:China.htm• http://is.china-embassy.org/eng/xwdt/W020060101209907667507.jpg• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Wen_Jiabao_-_Annual_Meeting_of_the_New_Champions_Tianjin_2008_1.jpg• http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-03/11/xin_5603041116577201609817.jpg• http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/24/xin_1920305111522062108142.jpg