The dual governing system of the People's Republic of China

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1607
• Date: 01 May 2016
• Published date: 01 May 2016

■Academic Paper

The dual governing system of the People’s

Republic of China

John G. Blair

1,2

*

1

University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

2

School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China

The dual governing system of the People’s Republic of China has proved to be an effective way to cope with the ex-

traordinary problems of managing a polity on the massive scale of China. Because it is unusual in the world today,

perhaps even unique, it is important to clarify how the present order came about and how it functions. Some outsiders

may unthinkingly assume that the Chinese government operates as the power governing the country. But in the Peo-

ple’s Republic of China, the government is in fact the outward and visible face of the governance system. Behind (and

above) the government is the Communist Party of China. The Party now has around 85 million members, between 5%

and 6% of the population. This group defines the political class in today’s China and functions as a leadership oligar-

chy.The Party determines policy and oversees appointments at all levels of public service. These officials are in fact in

charge, dominating their government counterparts through the dual system of governance. Copyright © 2016 John

Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Open Question: Besides the Purposes of

Comparative Studies, What Difference Does it

Make for Chinese and Others to be Aware of

These Complex Arrangements?

Historical and comparative perspectives

The purpose of the accompanying chart is to clarify

the Chinese system of governance. For Westerners,

the dual system may seem obscure because it does

not lead back to forefathers of Western-style ‘de-

mocracy’like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Baron

de Montesquieu, or Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This

type of system was originated by Vladimir Lenin

(Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, 1870–1924), who devised

it as a subversion-proof structure ideal for the early

years of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

[Source: Lu, 2001, p.88.]

In the 1920s, Chinese political leaders were quick

to recognize how relevant this dual system could be.

Both the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) under

Chiang Kai-shek and its rival, the Communist Party

(CPC), adopted these structures. In both cases, they

successfully resisted all attempts at subversion, that

is, disruption from inside.

The inner core of this system is the doubling of

persons in all key positions, with—in case of dis-

agreement—the Party person automatically overru-

ling the government person. This practice also

applies in the military arm of governance, the

People’s Liberation Army, assuring civilian control.

Most individuals occupying governmental posi-

tions are members of the Party, but this is not oblig-

atory. It goes without saying that the two

individuals occupying parallel positions keep an

eye on each other at all times.

Western political systems in modern times incor-

porate agon: a structured tension between segments

within the governing apparatus. The principle of

checks and balances articulated in the 18th century

by Montesquieu applies widely, with differing nu-

ances of definition. In effect, political conflicts be-

come part of the governing apparatus itself.

In China, the dual system assures against major

in-house conflicts, pushing any significant disagree-

ments out to the interface between politics and soci-

ety. Active surveillance and policing assure that

*Correspondence to: John G. Blair,University of Geneva, Geneva,

Switzerland. E-mail: jgblair1226@yahoo.com

Journal of Public Affairs

Volume 16 Number 2 pp 111–117 (2016)

Published online 18 February 2016 in Wiley Online Library

(www.wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/pa.1607

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.