Seeking Changes

China’s revolutionary attempt to transition to socialism was an economic disaster. Since adopting elements of an open market policy in the 1970s, China has doubled its GDP every decade, and has lifted 400 million people out of absolute poverty.  But as renowned social historian Arif Dirlik keenly observed that in China, “Post-socialism is of necessity also post-capitalist.” As the wealth of the country continues to accumulate, the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly concerned about updating the tenets of Karl Marx’s ideology to create a uniquely Chinese-styled Harmonious Socialist Society.


Contributed by 14 international scholars, Seeking Changes: Political Development in Contemporary China gives a historical account and thoughtful analysis of the major changes in the legal system that provided the political grounding for China’s recent economic development. The possibility of a broader definition of democracy that includes single party rule is debated. By contrasting the Chinese experience with those of its neighbors such as Russia, India, Vietnam and Japan, an image of a new Chinese Socialism that incorporates Confucian traditions emerges. Time will tell if this ‘Beijing Consensus’ can serve as a touchstone for the developing world.