To Legitimise the CCP Economic is the Only Way

“To legitimise the CCP economic is the only way.” Discuss. After ter Chin China’ a’s s open openin ing g up in 19 197 7!! CCP CCP has has incr increa easi sing ngly ly empl employ oye" e" economic "e#elopment as the primary $usti%cation for CCP’s legitimacy in the the new new soci socio&e o&eco cono nomi mic c reali ealiti ties es.. 'owe 'owe#e #er! r! recen ecentt glo( glo(al al %nan %nanci cial al "ownturns which challenge" the Chinese economy also raises "ou(ts as to whether CCP’s legitimacy! as pre"icate" upon economic "e#elopment! woul woul" " (e a)ec a)ecte te" " an" an" (y e*ten *tensi sion on!! is econ econom omic ic the the only only way way to legi legiti timi mise se CCP CCP. Ther Theref efor ore! e! this this essa essay y see+ see+s s to argu argue e that that econ econom omic ic "e#elo "e#elopme pment nt is the most most impor importan tantt $usti% $usti%cat cation ion for CCP’s CCP’s rule rule which which without! it will lose its legitimacy! (ut economic is not the only way to legitimise CCP as authoritarian rule is insu,cient to (e only $usti%e" (y economic success. -y (ringing in prosperity for the people! economic growth enhances the stan"ing of CCP in the country an" allows them to ha#e the man"ate from the people to rule largely unchallenge" an" without popular opposition. ust li+e prosperity an" a(un"ance of foo" an" clothing represent represent the /an"ate of 'ea#en that ha" authorise" 0mperors in the past to rule o#er its people! economic prosperity has (een the line of "efence for CCP that ha#e ma"e it possi(le for a large ma$ority of the people to stay at least passi#ely acceptant of CCP’s authoritarian rule. Due to the success of CCP at "e#elo "e#elopin ping g China’ China’s s econom economy! y! stan" stan"ar ar"s "s of li#ing li#ing for (oth (oth the rural rural resi" resi"ent ents s an" the ur(ani ur(anites tes ha#e ha#e #astly #astly an" great greatly ly impro impro#e" #e".. ince ince China’s opening up! 233million people ha#e (een lifte" out of po#erty. 4n $ust 5336 alone! in spite of the out(rea+ of A! 16million $o(s were creat create". e". eal incom income e for rural rural resi"en esi"ents ts grew grew (y 2.68. 2.68. CCP! CCP! with with its promise of “people¢re" "e#elopment” "e#elopment” to the country! has (een a(le to gain the continual support of the people to unite with it in spurring the Chinese economy. 53.9trillion yuan ra+e" in in 533: shows that CCP has (een successful successful at uniting uniting the people people through through economic economic "e#elopmen "e#elopment! t! an" at the same time safeguar" its legitimacy as people are +ept content with the status ;uo. The economic successes of the CCP ha#e cause" the emergence of a mi""le class in China that largely supports the CCP for fear of roc+ing the (oat of prosperity. <#er 38 of China population earn at leas leastt :3 :333 33yu yuan an per per mont month h an" an" are are cons consi" i"er ere" e" the the mi"" mi""le le clas class. s. Therefore! Therefore! with economic growth growth CCP’s legitimacy legitimacy is in"ee" strengthene". strengthene". 'owe 'owe#e #er! r! su su(s (se; e;ue uent nt lea" lea"er ers s ha#e ha#e e*pan *pan"e "e" " the the (asi (asis s for for CCP’ CCP’s s legitimacy with other pillars of legitimacy that are (esi"es economic to suit su it the the e#er e#er&c &cha hang ngin ing g soci socio&e o&eco cono nomi mic c realit ealitie ies. s. -esi -esi"e "es! s! econ econom omic ic "e#elopment! there are other pillars of CCP’s legitimacy such as state i"eology! nationalism! populism an" ci#il go#ernance. =or eg! Communism which e#en up till to"ay is still nee"e" to support the legitimacy of CCP (ecause it $usti%es an" a n" legitimises the monopoly of political power (y CCP. CCP. Communism! with its emphasis on the socialist "ictatorship e*plains why CCP can (e the only political party as the go#erning organ of China. 4t confers confers CCP with the right to outlaw the e*istence e*istence of other political political party an" #ali"ates the omission of elections an" "emocratic practises. /ao

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>e"ong! who li(eralise" the country an" its people through the re#olution of a ci#il war! as well as CCP’s allegiance to /aoism! then $ustify why CCP is that one party that will ha#e unchallenge" a"" un;uestione" authority. Any(o"y that wishes to $oin the politics of China woul" ha#e to $oin the ca"re school since young where they woul" (e taught /aoist #alues. As such! CCP will always hol" on to the i"eology of /aoism as it legitimises the monopoly of political power (y CCP! there(y showing that economic is not the only $usti%cation to CCP’s legitimacy. till! the ina"e;uacy of other pillars of legitimacy in legitimising CCP’s rule meant that economic "e#elopment is imperati#e in legitimising CCP. =or e*ample! /ao >e"ong Thought cannot (e a replacement for economic "e#e "e#elo lopm pmen entt to $ust $ustif ify y for for CCP’ CCP’s s legi legiti tima macy cy (eca (ecaus use e it has has (eco (ecome me increasingly out of touch an" with the new socio&economic nee"s of the coun countr try y whic which h only only econ econom omic ic "e#e "e#elo lopm pmen entt can can a""r a""res ess. s. 0#en 0#en with with 1.2(illion people an" 233million of them lifte" out of po#erty! China still nee"s to continue to sustain high growth rates to maintain its political sta(ility. /ao >e"ong Thought! which (elie#es in the Cultural e#olution an" the ?reat @eap =orwar"! the #ery same few e#ents that ha" (rought a(out "rastic repercussions to China "uring /ao’s era will not wor+ in the 51st century $ust as they "i" not (ac+ then. /a$ority of the Chinese to"ay aspire to get white collar $o(s an" they want to get managerial positions. o(o"y woul" want to pic+ up the hoe an" go (ac+ to the %el"s to start ploughing again. As such! /ao’s i"eas are incompati(le with the current econom economic ic struct structur ure e of China China.. China China has in"ust in"ustria rialis lise" e" great greatly ly an" has (ecom (ecome e the “factor factory y of the worl"” worl"”.. To strict strictly ly a"her a"here e to /ao >e"ong >e"ong Thought is to (ring China on a path of retrogression retrogression to a more (ac+war" stat state e an" an" no(o no(o"y "y in the the posi positi tion on to inBu inBuen ence ce polit politic ics s in Chin China a in the the slightest sense will en"orse that. Therefore! economic "e#elopment is still nee"e" as it is the (asis that allows CCP to ha#e the man"ate from the people to rule largely unchallenge" an" without popular opposition. e#e e#ert rthe hele less ss!! othe otherr pill pillar ars s of legi legiti tima macy cy are are nee" nee"e" e" to su supp ppor ortt the the legitimacy of CCP "ue to the "i,culties at sustaining high growth rates. The amount of money through corruption corruption scan"als has risen e*ponentially since the 193s. The a(sence of competiti#e political process an" free press ma+e it such that the e#en the pu(lic sector is suscepti(le to frau"! thefts! +ic+(ac+s an" (ri(ery. The "irect cost of corruption on the economy amount to as much as :(illion yuan each year. The nee" for foreign in#estors to ris+ en#ironmental an" human rights! an" %nancial lia(ilities to compete against Chinese ri#als who engage in illegal practices an" the proli prolifer ferati ations ons of scan"a scan"als ls of poison poisone" e" foo" foo" an" faulty faulty pro" pro"uct ucts s often often caus cause" e" (y poor poor ;ual ;ualit ity y cont contrrol proc proces esse ses s ser# ser#e e as a "isi "isinc ncen enti# ti#e e for for foreign in#estors to in#est in China. =ew western companies are willing to tran transf sfer er their their a"#a a"#anc nce e tech techno nolo logy gy to Chin China a for for fear fear of pate patent nt righ rights ts



=urther urthermor more! e! "ire "ire conse; conse;uen uences ces of econom economic ic succes success s which which ha#e ha#e the counte counterr&e)ect &e)ect of wea+ wea+ening ening CCP’s CCP’s legitim legitimacy acy also also call call for the nee" nee" of other pillars of legitimacy. China has (een plague" (y social ills that are (y&p (y&prro"uc o"ucts ts of its its econ econom omic ic reform eforms. s. 0con 0conom omic ic tran transf sfor orma mati tion on has has resulte" in serious en#ironmental "egra"ation "etrimental to the health an" social social sta(il sta(ility ity of China. China. 0conom 0conomic ic succes success s couple couple" " with with une;u une;ual al "e#elopmen "e#elopmentt has also e*acer(at e*acer(ate" e" socioecono socioeconomic mic ine;ualitie ine;ualities. s. /ar+et /ar+et refor reforms ms ha#e ha#e also also accent accentuat uate" e" "is "issen sents ts agains againstt CCP CCP regime egime as more more political challenges (egan to surface. The pre#alence an" rampancy of corruption that ha#e arisen out of China’s economic success are roote" in China’ China’s s partia partially lly refor reforme me" " econom economy y an" a(senc a(sence e of genuin genuine e politi political cal reforms. =or many years! -ei$ing! for fear of un"ermining the supremacy ruling party has lac+e" the political will to act against top le#el party o,cials an" this has encourage" rampant le#el of corruption in a patron& client structural relationship. The recent -o ilai saga is a goo" e*ample Cre"i( Cre"i(ilit ility y of go#er go#ernin ning g instit instituti utions ons was was critic criticall ally y un"er un"ermin mine"E e"E pu(lic pu(lic resentment was fuelle"E massi#e economic "istortions were resulte"E an" nee"le nee"lessl ssly! y! CCP’s CCP’s legiti legitimac macy y was was chall challeng enge". e". As such! such! other other pillar pillars s of legi legiti tim macy acy are are nee" nee"e" e" to suppor pportt the the wea+ wea+ne ness ss of eco econom nomic in legitimising CCP. 4n conclu conclusio sion! n! the most most import important ant $usti% $usti%cat cation ion for CCP’s CCP’s legitim legitimacy acy is economic "e#elopment as it irreplacea(ly pro#i"es CCP with the man"ate from from the the peop people le to rule rule lar largely gely unch unchal alle leng nge" e" an" an" with withou outt popu popula larr opposition. 'owe#er! ri""le" (y its inherent unpopularity! authoritarian rule is insu,cient to (e only $usti%e" (y economic success an" other pillars pillars of legitimacy legitimacy are nee"e" nee"e" suit the e#er&chan e#er&changing ging socio&econo socio&economic mic realities an" support the potential wea+ness of economic "e#elopment in legitimising CCP. Therefore! to legitimise CCP! economic is not the only way.

To Legitimise the CCP Economic is the Only Way

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