Renowned specialist on China, Jean-Pierre Cabestan delivers a complete summary of the Chinese political system, which fills a major void. Indeed, in the last 20 years, no French work has treated this subject, even though China has undergone unprecedented socioeconomic upheavals. Right away, this publication appears to be an indispensable work for any researcher in IR, no matter the area of study, given the pre-eminent role played by the Chinese power on the world stage.
The outline proves to be as simple as it is instructional: the author devotes his first section to institutions and his second to society. This allows for a better understanding of the domination of a communist party 85 million members and 10 million executives strong. Then, he analyses the challenges confronting the country: systematic corruption, significant social inequality, diverse ethnic claims, and the hindered emergence of a civil society.
Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Le Système politique chinois, un nouvel équilibre autoritaire, Paris, Presses de Sciences Po, 2014, 708 pages, including 43 pages of annexes, classified bibliography, general index and index of names.
