Democracy, Chinese Style – The 17th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party

In mid-October 2007, the Chinese Communist Party held its 17th Party Congress. This article analyzes the official documents emanating from this congress in the context of political reform debates of recent years. While the prospects for a broader democratization of China’s political system remain slim, there is a clear focus on “inner-party democracy” which aims at increasing the efficiency and legitimacy of one-party rule. Tapping into the core values of Marxism and Socialism as well as into the repertoire of traditional Chinese culture and “national spirit”, party rhetorics reveal a growing demand for ideological reaffirmation to cope with perceived challenges to the legitimacy of CCP rule.