Foundation of the Political Resilience in China: A Perspective of State Capacity

Abstract

ABSTRACT The issue of how the Chinese Communist regime has managed to sustain amidst market-oriented reforms and social pluralism has been widely explored, but the findings have not been entirely satisfying. This study aims to provide a more comprehensive explanation from the perspective of state capacity, going beyond traditional approaches. By analyzing welfare policies implemented since the early 2000s, this article seeks to demonstrate that the regime’s resilience has been significantly bolstered through the expansion of welfare programs and improvements in efficiency. The enforcement of welfare policies involves changes in both the center-local and state-society relationships. As crucial aspects of state capacity, the rationalization of bureaucratic structure and functions, as well as the state’s influence over impoverished communities, have undergone substantial improvement and consolidation. These results contribute to the stability and resilience of the Chinese political regime. However, challenges for the communist regime will emerge if welfare provision for the economically disadvantaged is no longer guaranteed and if state capacity is seriously weakened due to economic stagnation