The Chinese Logic of Consultative Governance

Abstract

Contemporary China needs to change from a Western to a Chinese-style governance discourse so as to form and explore a consultative governance discourse with Chinese characteristics. This is profoundly evident in the following: the Marxist philosophy of the state is the theoretical premise of contemporary China’s consultative governance; traditional Chinese thought on governance and practice are the soil in which contemporary Chinese consultative governance grows; socialism with Chinese characteristics is the realm in which contemporary Chinese consultative governance exists; the masses under the leadership of the CPC are the necessary subjects of contemporary Chinese consultative governance; and the target of contemporary Chinese consultative governance is a multi-layered and diverse existence. Realization of national governance through consultative democracy is the basic form of contemporary Chinese consultative governance; the balanced development of public, collective and individual interests is the basic objective of contemporary Chinese consultative governance; the basic principles of contemporary Chinese consultative governance are equality, inclusiveness and peace; and the criteria for assessing contemporary Chinese consultative governance are authority, consensus, institutions and the rule of law. Guided by the Marxist view of the state, rooted in the tradition of China’s fine political culture, and founded on the theoretical and practical claims of socialism with Chinese characteristics, socialist consultative governance with Chinese characteristics constitutes the Chinese form of contemporary governance theory.