Combating Corruption in China: The Role of the State and Other Agencies in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

This paper is the first to compare China’s current anti-corruption approach with those of both post-communist and other Sinic states/regions. Its principal purpose is to compare anti-corruption in China with the situation in countries that constitute appropriate comparators—either systemically (post-communist transition states) or culturally(predominantly Sinic states/regions)—and suggest ways in which China could usefully learn from these comparators.A comparative public policy evaluative approach forms the core of the analysis. The study uses publicly available surveydata, both perceptual and experiential, for drawing inferences about the corruption levels in China and the other statesanalyzed. A neo-Weberian approach to system legitimacy and delegitimation is employed in analyzing the potential dangersof a radical anti-corruption approach, while Giddensian structuration theory is used to emphasize the interplay between structure and agency in anti-corruption. The findings and value of this research are primarily practical, in that it highlights potential lessons China could learn from Singapore and the Hong Kong SAR while also identifying the principal obstacles to the adoption of such measures. In particular, the establishment of a single and independent anti-corruption agency would almost certainly have a positive impact on the reduction of corruption levels. But this is politically difficult, since such a body could be perceived as constituting a threat to the Communist Party. Moreover, all comparisons between states are limited, since some features are unique to a given country.