Source: Book Review
China’s capitalist revolution presents two divergent political paths for the country: autocracy or democracy. While the current strength of the CCP might suggest China is travelling down the first path, there are signs that citizen resistance on issues like growing economic disparities and environmental degradation may be on the rise and become more potent in the future.
The party has done well since 1989, but the legitimacy of outright repression is declining. The party may incarcerate those trying to set up an opposition party, but it cannot deploy brute force against ordinary citizens demanding clean air, drinkable water, and affordable health care. The Chinese citizenry today is becoming sophisticated enough to probe the soft spots (such as corruption, inequality, and incompetence) of the autocratic system and challenge it without taking excessive risks.
