Law and Politics in Modern China: Under the Law, the Law, and Abo ...

determined by a representative democratic system, and economic growth and social distribution are balanced within a wide spectrum of political presentation, Chinese law is contemplated, written, administered, monitored, and adjusted by a singular authority.

The Chinese single-party system has a mechanism distinct from the Western multiparty systems in which concerned groups are consulted during the decision-making process. Western policies are routinely modified by a wide variety of public opinions, producing a two-way transparency and a continuous dialogue between the electorate and the government. Chinese policies are modified through internal government discussion and are rarely brought into the public forum for debate. With this freedom from the scrutiny of the public eye, those in positions of influence tend to pursue their own interests. Chinese leaders must ultimately be correct in the first instance, as any error in policy direction could spark either an insurrection of the under-law portion of local society or the withdrawal of the sanction of global partners who offer China opportunity to modernise. Either consequence would undermine the very legitimacy of the current state and the accomplishments that it has made since 1949.

Chinese leaders have a challenging task, as they must attempt to balance policy that cannot appear offensive to several apparently conflicting factions. Hundreds of millions of Chinese live at a level of poverty that the modern world does not comprehend. These are the under laws, farmers and peasants who eke out a living in their little villages on the mountains and along the streams and rivers of the interior. It is important to the Chinese leaders that this critical mass must believe that corruption is being addressed diligently and that the personal standard of living is improving at a satisfactory rate. The central government is well aware of the risks if this huge group loses faith in the integrity of the system. The military must be disarmed of its influence in government affairs and stripped of its corrupt procedures in its day-to-day operations. Officials at all levels of public service must operate in a transparent environment.

This is why there must be a balance between “socialist” image and “capitalist” pursuits, as well as between a mass of humanity living around