Is China a democracy or a dictatorship?

Is China authoritarian, democratic, or somewhere in between? Ian Johnson, CFR’s senior fellow for China studies, unpacks China’s complex political system.


The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.

[saxson]

Since when election of leaders = democracy? Election is just a way to practice democracy, not democracy itself. Democracy means people make the decisions, share the responsibilities and benefits. If you vote for a government that does nothing but wasting money on endless wars overseas instead of building your own country, how come it is a democracy country?

[evolutionus]

One open party system with local level of democracy.

[SPACEMONKEY]

All communist (Marxist Leninist) states have the same set up.

1)Workers directly elect there union council leaders.

2)Union leaders of all sectors join and make a regional council.

3)The regional council takes someone from within and votes to have them speak for them, that person sits on the state council.

4)The socialist state is the creation of the people via direct democracy, and the peoples use it to channel there demands.

The communist party in every society is a one party vanguard of intellectual Marxist.
They sits at the head above the socialist state and the people use there state “socially” to directly voice the populist opinions and demands and the party leaders listen, and plan economic development in the interests of the people.

It’s that simple.

[brentgerchicoff]

Who on Earth thinks China is a democracy?

[Thinkofwhat]

I think Meritocratic bureaucracy is most accurate to label China’s governmental system minus the Son of Heaven or the Dragon Throne to separate from the imperial period:)

[LonganLee]

There are no limits to political models that can exist . Even America democracy is not the same as UK democracy. So, it's meaningless to dictate what democracy is except when one is narrow minded.

China is a Democracy in the sense that a super majority of China population Strongly support their 1-party state and ACCEPT such a political model. Democracy is based on Majority DECISION. The majority in China Accept CCP strongly.

Why must democracy comprise the typical voting process? Democracy is about Majority Acceptance.

We can redefine democracy also. Language allows for ambiguity. I can also say China people Voted CCP with their hearts. English allows for Oral Masturbation.

[billbilliton]

Tyranny, totalitarianism, socialism.. it's horrible

[whitewalker-sqcy]

Why box a country into democracy or communist or dictatorship etc? What’s the use of democracy when people’s lives are not being improved