Why Chinese Citizens are so Positive toward Party and Government? Chronological Analysis of Chinese Four-city Survey

Speaker: Shigeto Sonoda, Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies, University of Tokyo
Moderator: Kevin O'Brien, Political Science, UC Berkeley
Sponsors: Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS), Center for Chinese Studies (CCS)

In spite of a lot of argument about “Collapse of CCP’s rule,” many opinion polls are still showing popularity of the government by ordinary citizens in China. Many social scientists discuss the possibility of democratization due to the rise of middle class, spread of higher education and marketization or the challenges of CCP’s governance due to the rise of many social problems (air pollution, corruption, social inequality, and so forth), while Chinese political system seems to be maintaining its rigidity and stability. Many experts on China study are facing such “dilemmas” and “contradictions.”

In this lecture, the speaker will start from brief introduction of Chinese Four-city Survey conducted in Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqin, and Guangzhou from 1998 to 2014, and its basic findings, followed by analysis and interpretation of how to understand these “dilemmas” and “contradictions.” Some additional information of third wave data will be presented, too.