The CCP is Fast Losing Its Legitimacy as the Ruling Party in China Today.

"The CCP is fast losing its legitimacy as the ruling party in China today." Assess this view.

After Deng Xiao Ping's opening up of China in 1978, CCP has carried out political reforms to strengthen CCP's legitimacy in the new socioeconomic realities! "hile there are still many who are unhappy and do not appreciate CCP's effort at transforming itself, CCP's attempts at impro#ing its own image through paternalistic go#ernance, promotion of nationalism and democrati$ation ha#e %een argua%ly successful at lessening popular opposition to its rule! &herefore, this essay sees to argue that CCP's legitimacy has %een weaened %ut it is not fast losing its legitimacy %ecause the socioeconomic pro%lem that CCP faces today ha#e not %een serious to the e(tent that they will endanger CCP's rule! As long as the party continues to %e successful at sustaining high economic growth, it will continue to ha#e #ast support for its monolithic rule! )deological *ustification for CCP's political legitimacy has %een challenged %y the maret reforms after 1978+!&raditionally, socialism in#ol#ed the pu%lic ownership of the means of production, central planning and euita%le income distri%ution! distri%ution! &hree decades of economic reform ha#e completely defaced socialism! Pri#ate ownership made a momentous come%ac since 1978! According to the Census on Pri#ate -nterprise conducted %y the AllChina .ederation of )ndustry and Commerce, domestic pri#ately owned enterprises contri%uted /9!7 percent to the country's 0P in 2334! Central planning, Central planning, once an important feature of socialism, is now restricted to macro economic policy economic policy and euita%le income distri%ution, another core socialist principle, is now gone under Deng' s maret reforms! As the three %asic attri%utes that once defmed socialism no longer hold in China, 5aoism is dealt almost a fatal %low, gi#ing rise to the uestion of why of why CCP should continue to %e the only go#erning organ in China, undermining the legitimacy of its monolithic rule! &he party's political legitimacy is threatened %y pro%lems stemming from its own %ureaucracy! 5any are unhappy with the efforts CCP is putting in to transform itself! Corruption perpetuates! Power is a%used %y officials! )ncome disparity is widespread! &here is a general lac of rule of law, political transparency, accounta%ility, freedom of e(pression and indi#idual rights! &he party is intolerant of opposition, often displaying itself capa%le of clamming down on dissenters mercilessly! -#en social media which is one of the few a#enues where the people can e(press themsel#es is hea#ily censored and propagated %y go#ernment agents! &hese pro%lems ha#e seriously shaen the people's confidence in the moral integrity and competence of the CCP leaders to go#ern well! According to a poll conducted in 2339, many e#en considered prostitutes to %e more trustworthy than go#ernment officials and party cadres! 6a#ish lifestyles led %y the supposedly poorly paid cadres annulled the party's socialist credentials! )f these pro%lems are allowed to worsen, e#en CCP's renewed political legitimacy which is %ased on the esta%lishment of a ci#il go#ernment would %e undermined! .oreign sociopolitical influences and the rise of a more mor e demanding populace also undermined the party's political legitimacy! "ith the influ( of modern and foreign ideas such as freedom of e(pression e(pres sion and human rights, ri ghts, the %etter informed populace has

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%ecome more #ocal and critical of go#ernment! Coupled with the )nternet, a wa#e of dissent is on the rise! As of today, China has 24 million )nternet users, the most in the world! &he amount of information the )nternet has disseminated, is unthina%le! Despite the 0reat .ire "all and tens of thousands of censors, dissenters still post petitions that once would ha#e gone unheard! .armers post #ideos of demonstrations of outu%e! Protests ha#e e(panded so rapidly that police has to %e called in all o#er China e#ery day to shut them down! &he anger against the go#ernment has intensified so much so that CCP has to hire agents lie the fi#e cent gang to moderate the tone of online de%ate! )f such foreign sociopolitical influences are left uncur%ed, and the demands of the people are continued to ignore, CCP's mandate to rule in the eyes of the people will %e se#erely in*ured! Difficulties at sustaining high economic growth ha#e inad#ertently affected CCP's legitimacy to go#ern! &he amount of money stolen through corruption scandals has risen e(ponentially since the 1983s! &he a%sence of competiti#e political process and free press mae it such that e#en the pu%lic sectors are suscepti%le to fraud, theft, ic%acs, and %ri%ery! and %ri%ery! &he direct costs of corruption could %e as much as :8;%illion each year! .oreign in#estors who ris en#ironmental, human rights, and financial lia%ilities ha#e to compete against Chinese ri#als who engage in illegal practices!


corruption include the declaration of asset %y CCP officials! 6arger part of the state %udget is allocated to military so that the P6A has less e(cuse to engage in %usiness! &he media owned %y the Party and the state has also %ecome more commerciali$ed and less politici$ed! All these measures are put in place to pre#ent pre# ent pro%lems of go#ernance go#ern ance from affecting the party's rule! conclusion, although CCP's legitimacy to rule as the sole political organ in China, unchallenged and unuestioned has %een se#erely weaened, it is not fast losing its legitimacy as it has reformed itself enough to eep itself entrenched in power! =owe#er, CCP needs to continue to reform itself in the e#erchanging conte(t of the 21st century should it wish to retain its political power! In

The CCP is Fast Losing Its Legitimacy as the Ruling Party in China Today.

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