| Abstrakt: |
After mulling over the surprising growth of the private sector in China, researchers have now shifted the focus of their attention to the political implications of such growth. There are two contesting views. On the one hand, some argue and predict that China's economic reforms leave the country no options other than becoming democratic. Nevertheless, the reality so far defies the verdict, and there are still few signs of democratizing momentum in a foreseeable future. Therefore, others have taken a more modest view, studying the mechanisms of regime durability rather than predicting regime change. But the incapacity of predicting the future suggests the weakness of the analysis of the current reality. In this paper I point out that we cannot correctly predict the political impact of private business owners in China without studying their relations with other social groups. By specifying the nature of their relations with the political elites and the ordinary mass, I argue that China will be forced to follow the democratic path, but this happens only when both the business owners and the mass pursue not merely quality of material life but also personal liberty as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
