Political Science and Chinese Political Studies—Where Is Chinese Political Science Headed?

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the ongoing academic debate on the new developments in Chinese political studies over the past three decades, and how the discipline will advance knowledge about Chinese politics in the future. In the debate some scholars emphasize the scientific, universal, and cosmopolitan nature and orientation of political research, while others have challenged the applicability of western paradigms, theories, concepts, and methods for studying China. They emphasize the unique, particular, national, and local characteristics and orientation of Chinese political research, advocating to establish localized Chinese political science or a Chinese school in the Chinese context. This suggests that the discipline might be at a crossroads. How to evaluate the current state, problems, challenges, and future directions—scientification or localization, universality or particularity, or coordination between the two, and so on— would influence how we study Chinese politics, public policy, and foreign policy, thus, have long-term impacts on the future directions of the political science discipline in China.