Beijing Social Contract is Starting to Fray

{
  "authors": [
    "Minxin Pei"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AP",
  "programs": [
    "Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "China"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Democracy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Beijing Social Contract is Starting to Fray

By Minxin Pei

Published on Jun 7, 2004

Source: Carnegie

Beijing's Social Contract is Starting to Fray

by Minxin Pei

Financial Times, June 3, 2004

Now fifteen years since the Tiananmen democratic uprising, the Chinese Communist Party has showed incredible resilience. The Party's perseverence is largely attributable to its ability to maintain high-growth with only minor social reforms. However, this neo-authoritarian approach is unsustainable, breading state predation and endemic corruption. The Party must rewrite its social contract with Chinese citizens and pursue real political reform before it self-destructs.

Click here to view the article (subscription required)

About the Author

Minxin Pei

Former Adjunct Senior Associate, Asia Program

Pei is Tom and Margot Pritzker ‘72 Professor of Government and the director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College.

Recent Work

In The Media
How China Can Avoid the Next Conflict
- Minxin Pei
In The Media
Small Change
- Minxin Pei

Democracy China

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Article
Leveraging Internal Security Cooperation with Vietnam Offers a Glimpse of Future Chinese Diplomacy with Southeast Asia
Despite long-standing differences, China and Vietnam are reinforcing common ground for collaboration, especially in public security. This internal security–centered diplomacy offers a strengthened road map for how China moves forward with Southeast Asia.
Sophie Zhuang
Paper
The Impact of Ending U.S. International Media Assistance
The future looks bleak for independent media worldwide, but there is a robust infrastructure of knowledge, organizations, and people to build upon.
Daniel Sabet, Susan Abbott
Commentary
China’s Energy Security Doesn’t Run Through Hormuz but Through the Electrification of Everything
Across Asia, China is better positioned to withstand energy shocks from the fallout of the Iran war. Its abundant coal capacity can ensure stability in the near term. Yet at the same time, the country’s energy transition away from coal will make it even less vulnerable during the next shock.

Damien Ma
Paper
Alarm or Caution? Defending Democracy During Backsliding
Defenders of democracy often split over perceptions, methods, urgency levels, and priorities.
Murat Somer, Jennifer McCoy
Commentary
Emissary
Protests Like No Kings Can Only Go So Far to Stem Authoritarianism
Lessons from other backsliding democracies show that mass mobilization needs to feed into an electoral strategy.
Saskia Brechenmacher, Shreya Joshi

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Article

Leveraging Internal Security Cooperation with Vietnam Offers a Glimpse of Future Chinese Diplomacy with Southeast Asia

Despite long-standing differences, China and Vietnam are reinforcing common ground for collaboration, especially in public security. This internal security–centered diplomacy offers a strengthened road map for how China moves forward with Southeast Asia.

Sophie Zhuang

A person faces away from the camera wearing a yellow jacket with "PRESS" printed across the back

Paper

The Impact of Ending U.S. International Media Assistance

The future looks bleak for independent media worldwide, but there is a robust infrastructure of knowledge, organizations, and people to build upon.

Daniel Sabet, Susan Abbott

Commentary

China’s Energy Security Doesn’t Run Through Hormuz but Through the Electrification of Everything

Across Asia, China is better positioned to withstand energy shocks from the fallout of the Iran war. Its abundant coal capacity can ensure stability in the near term. Yet at the same time, the country’s energy transition away from coal will make it even less vulnerable during the next shock.

Damien Ma

Hundreds of members and supporters of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) join Prime Minister Dorin Recean during a pro-EU rally on the final day of the electoral campaign in Chisinau, Moldova, on September 26, 2025.

Paper

Alarm or Caution? Defending Democracy During Backsliding

Defenders of democracy often split over perceptions, methods, urgency levels, and priorities.

Murat Somer, Jennifer McCoy

The tops of people's heads. Raised above their heads are "No Kings" signs, an upside-down American flag, and a rainbow flag.

Commentary

Emissary

Protests Like No Kings Can Only Go So Far to Stem Authoritarianism

Lessons from other backsliding democracies show that mass mobilization needs to feed into an electoral strategy.

Saskia Brechenmacher, Shreya Joshi