Factionalism is widely understood to be a distinguishing characteristic of Chinese politics. In this book, Jing Huang examines the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy making. His detailed knowledge of intra-Party politics offers a new understanding of still-disputed struggles behind the high walls of leadership in Zhongnanhai. Critiqueing the predominant theories on leadership and decisionmaking, he explains that it is not power struggles that give rise to factionalism, but rather the existence of "factionalism that turns power into an overriding goal in CCP politics."
Contents
List of figures and tables; Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Factionalism, the puzzle of Chinese communist politics; 2. Factionalism and the political system in China; 3. The establishment of the Yan'an round table; 4. The transition of the Yan'an round table; 5. Crises in leadership relations with the two-front arrangement; 6. The collapse of the Yan'an round table and the unleashing of factionalism; 7. Deng Xiaoping's dominance: factionalism prevails over the party spirit; 8. Conclusion; Selected bibliography; Index.
Reviews
"Huang's provocative and penetrating book focuses on the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy making. Huang (Utah State Univ.) cogently argues that factionalism may promote progress toward a more open and pluralistic system. . . . Strongly recommended." Choice
"The internal working of non-institutionalized politicial system are always at once fascinating and impenetrable. Where the political system under analysis is a major Communist Party state, the newsworthiness, as well as the intellectual puzzle, is clearly enhanced...It is interesting, though, to read" THE CHINA JOURNAL
"Jing Huang's Fractionalism in Chinese Communist Politics is an excellent work of political science." American Journal of Chinese studies
"Jing Huang has written a significant book...The book is supported by high-quality maps, graphs and tables. It offers an informed, thorough and insightful examination of regional development in China. Editing a monograph is a challenging undertaking and Li and Tang should be congratulated for their successful efforts. I highly recommend this book to students and scholars of urban and regional development in China." Pacific Affairs
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