Different countries adopt different administration strategies. The strategies adopted are generally those which seem or appear feasible to the nation. In as much as the political regimes in different countries mostly affect the residents of the country, other people around the globe do not fail to notice the differences. They also raise opinions as to how they think the regime should react towards the citizens. One of the countries which have raised issues in terms of governance is China.
According to Li (2012), the Chinese political model is very different from that of the U.S. from the historical context; it is known that China adopted the communism form of economy while the U.S took the capitalist view. These differences have persisted to date, where the current standing between the two nations appears as a standoff between democracy and authoritarianism. China is seen as a nation which adopts an authoritarian regime which suppresses the will of the people.
Xia (2012) explores the different areas in which the Chinese regime is seen as authoritarian. First of all, there are unwarranted taxes and fees in the countryside. These are executed with a high level of brutality from the officials. This drives the poor peasants into riots and rebellions. No one seems to care about the woes of these people. There is also the issue of freedom of worship. It appears that there is the Falun Gong Movement and the underground churches. More often than not, these cause frictions between the faithful and the government officials. It is hard to understand why the people cannot be given their freedom of worship. Those in the urban areas are not spared either. From the government enterprises, there are massive layoffs. Furthermore, those who work are faced by harsh conditions and they often loose their pensions and medical covers. In the long run, these people resort to violence.
Well, looking at the above prospects, it is not hard to notice why there are differences between the Chinese system and other systems in the world. The Chinese system is closed; the people do not have much of a say. All they have to do is to struggle and survive in the harsh regime. This is what is seen as an authoritarian rule.
The various injustices existing in the nation make it much hard for the nation to achieve the democratization process. Perhaps, this is the reason as to why the nation has remained rooted in the old regime. It also explains why the nation tends to differ with the American system. Talking of the difference between China and the U.S, it can be seen that the main reason as to why China has stuck with its old regime is because the leaders as well as the people of the land feel that their system is superior to the American system (Li, 2012). The understanding of governance in China is also quite different. In the U.S, democracy is seen as an end. However, the Chinese people tend to see any form of government or any political system as a way of achieving other national goals (Li, 2012). With this understanding, it can be seen why China has had a hard time with the issue of democratization. The country simply cannot agree with the current definition of democracy as known in the U.S. In as much as there are negative aspects related to the argument, it can be seen that the current understanding of democracy in China makes it hard for the nation to move towards democratization.
Works Cited
Li, Eric X. ‘Why China’s Political Model is Superior.’ New York Times, Feb. 16, 2012. Web, 28th Sept. 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/opinion/why-chinas-political-model-is-superior.html
Xia, Ming. ‘The Governance Crisis and Democratization in China.’ The New York Times, 2012. Web, 28th Sept. 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/ref/college/coll-china-politics-006.html
