Despite manifestation to the contrary, the viewpoint for a political transition in China is not entirely unwelcoming. However, observers and activists must reflect on a wider range of approaches for democratization.
The opposition side has focused on elite-level system change, and the need to have a more accountable government. Such strategies are based on speculation which is shared by the government regime that political transition in China must be, control by the central government (Zhang, Ting, 2004).
The China elites impose their vision concerning the democratization needs for China. In essence, most of the citizen of China supports the Western style of democracy as being universal and that it is relevant for the current Chinese situation. However, the Chinese liberal has not been an important social influence due to a recurring round of oppression. Their projection seems especially poor in the event that speedy economic development continues since such development emboldens them to resist democratization.
The international relations scholars have been deeply directly responsible in assessing regularly the realm of experience and the international aspect of the democratization of China. They produce reports that have been deemed effective and efficient in promoting the Chinese liberal aspects as it has been suggested and proposed by the elite Chinese. They have been petting pressures especially to the international organization that has been concerned in repressing the democratization of the Chinese citizens (Cai Wenguo, 1992).
This perception overlooks the role of civil society, which is indispensable to the process of unrelenting democratization. Though the radical or gradual change at the national level is obligatory, the continual democratic shift can only be attained with collaboration with the local involvement (Billeter, 1976).
In the current political regime, with only narrow alternative available for national-level change, involvement of the civil society represent an imperative approach for long-term, bottom-up democratization in China, particularly in cultural nationality issues.
Civil society activists have often access to conflict-affected areas which are prohibited by international agencies. NGOs have been implementing community development and humanitarian projects in these areas, in a manner that promotes local capacities and human capital.
The underlying fact here is that the communist party-state has been the main impediment towards the democratization of China. They even have shunned out the political realm that could otherwise be strong in supporting and calling for the liberalization of Chinese. It is good to understand that democratization does occur when there is an understanding between the moderates authoritarian and the moderate in the civil society.
The moderate authoritarians have been known to repress the birth of civil society and on most occasions stopped moderates in pursuing their ranks. Despite the repression from the moderate authoritarian, the civil society in China continued to seek change outside the party-state control. The leadership is clearly committed to preventing the party-state from being pretentious in the position of power or to negotiate for democratization on behalf of the China citizens.
Sustained authoritarian propaganda from earlier 1989 has also largely contributed towards repressing the China civil society from seeking the democratization of the country and such foreign stands were seen as a plot to destabilized and divide the Chinese and refute them their right to a splendid place in the general stage of the World. The foreign propaganda was marked with demonstrations, strikes, lawsuits, and another king of confrontation that sought a clear-cut and developed sense of political efficacy that is capable of the democratization of the country.
The economic development in China and the transformation of the structures has led to the production of a middle class in large number. These middle-class citizens are rich enough and have seen traveling and filling the airport s traveling to various destinations for tourist purposes. These middle-class citizens had been educating their children and searching for opportunities in another country such as the U.S, Canada among other European country.
The middle-class society has also been seen working jointly with Non-Governmental organizations in China which are active in looking at the environmental issues alongside the social problems which have been greatly ignored by the state. These have led to an adjustment of the country’s culture and other critical changes that seek to find the way to democratization and a new cosmopolitan global stage. Their effort however has been met by a lot of restrictions from the state government and the world authoritarian nations.
There are some of the contentious issues that are held by the Chinese elite that were known to have lead to the dragging of the democratization but instead seek to construct a new political arena to gain their materials and spiritual desires. The elite believed that democratization and the affiliated relaxation control on public dialogue would combine with globalization to denature the country completely. This assumption makes them take charge and control a society against its tight control of the country. According to the elite, the idea of the society to filter the Western lifestyles into the Chinese culture especially the United State was not the ideal way.
The elite did not either trust the farmers on their view of rational economic development, the investment of the public works, the policy of education, and the foreign policy which according to them would de more hostile and nationalistic to foreigners in the democratization events. The Chinese elites believed themselves that they are the controller and custodians of the China culture for a long time in history (Jonathan Unger, 1982).
The previous year has seen an outbreak of political activity in and on the country, including the government’s approach to democracy. However, the openings for transformation that have appeared are quite restricted. Given the lack of influence by oppositions and the vanity of sanctions, the government will possibly continue to decide the course of events. Opposition groups have generally responded to the democratization either by maneuvering within government-controlled or by ignoring reinforcing a polarization of China politics which began in the 60s and has served the government better than it has the ever more disadvantaged opposition forces.
During the September 2001 terrorist attack, the analysts expressed their view that the United State of America has begun to decline. The leaders were now optimistic that the unavoidable stage for multipolarity will come to an end. They were opposed to the perception of the US that they could take control of the international system and impose its political vision on the world.
However, the United State visions were plummeted by the four issues, these issues were; that nothing could stop Russia from restoring its status as a superior power, nothing could prevent China from rising and increasing its strength, the trend towards self-reliance of the European countries is beyond control, and lastly, it was difficult to control Japan and stop it from having greater power. The Aftermath attack on 11th 2001 in the United State has raised a lot of concerns that the United State could no longer have control over international countries especially Europe and Japan. Many analysts expressed their confidence that the end to the unipolar politics had started, and will soon be reached no matter what will happen.
This view however did not last long. The successful retaliation of the United State against the AL-Qaeda in Afghanistan shade doubt of democratization of China. The world was again characterized by a lot of changes which according to the analysts was the most profound changes ever experienced in the entire world. Currently, things seem to turn authoritarian again, however, the analysts still believed that the democratization still remained tract and that with time the Chinese will have to realize it (Andrew J. Nathan, 1985).
Cai Wenguo, (1992) observes that globalization is good in terms of its force to reduce the authoritarian power over the international countries. Globalization is normative and unstoppably desirable. Multipolirization and international democratization constitute a mutual unavoidable system and irreversible historical process. Multipolarity implies the decline of the United State domination which is in fact unavoidable. However, the analysts observed that the time and the hour for the United State decline is a thing that is not easy to predict.. They still held that the United State decline will occur because nobody is willing to persevere with the authoritarian conditions, and hence the only way to be free from such power is becoming and attaining a democratization system.
Multipolarization emerged as a result of the need of the southern countries to call their right to development. This notion can be dated back to the 18th century during the European clarification; however, it became significantly clear in 19th European romantic nationalism. It has been known that northern countries put their investment in southern countries which results in the flow of advanced technologies to the underprivileged.
China poses an exceptional set of troubles both for the United State and the world economy. Despite this factor, China is and will remain a low-income developing country, its vast population and its changing domestic economy make it a much better contributor to world trade and the financial markets compare to other developing countries in the world. Since the political supremacy in China still remains highly consolidate under the China communist part, it is viewed by many analysts in the western as a historic generally in a time when democracy is normally perceived to be as growing in the international political zone.
The hesitant involvement of civil society within ethnic nationality has been one of the most significant aspects of the social and political situation in China. Efforts to promote democracy are already ongoing in the country especially in areas that are affected by ethnic conflict. Although these local initiatives will not bring about national-level change in themselves, any centrally-directed reforms are unlikely to succeed unless accompanied or even preceded by such grassroots participation. For China to achieve its dream of being a democratic country, the communist government must collaborate with the citizens and the civil societies and work jointly towards formulating strategies necessary for attaining the multi polarization.
Reference:
Zhang, Ting. Click on Democracy: Will the Internet bring democracy to China? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, New Orleans Sheraton, New Orleans, LA, 2004.
Cai Wenguo. GATT documents: Jacobianson and Oksenberg, Ya Qin, 1992.
Billeter, “The System of Class Status See Marshall Sahlins, Culture and Practical Reason.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1976.
Andrew J. Nathan, Chinese Democracy. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.
Jonathan Unger. Education under Mao, Class and Competition in Canton Schools, 1960-1980. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.