[WikiEN-l] Classification of China?

Fri Apr 25 08:19:38 UTC 2003

Axel Boldt wrote:

>The question is, how to identify the Chinese (specifically, PRC) state.
> The article identified the state as communist.  I checked the Chinese
>Constitution which states that it is a socialist state; an official
>Chinese website states that it is not a communist state.  JTDIRL and
>172 responded that all political scientists identify China as a
>communist state and that we should go by what Western scholars do.  I
>talked to a few colleagues of mine -- a sociologist, two
>anthropologitsts, and a political scientist.  They told me that many
>political scientists used to label China a communist state but that
>they are moving away from that designation, considering it inaccurate
>and meaningless; that many political scientists and most other scholars
>identify China as a socialist state, although some qualify it as "late"
>or "post" socialist.  Now JTDIRL claims that it doesn't matter what
>political scientists say, that what ought to be presented is a "formal
>encyclopædic definition."  
>
Well whose opinion is he going to take? The proverbial man on the street's?
It's obviously unclear how to identify it. But we have the answer right 
here:

"China's whatsit state is somewhat unclear. Its constitution defines it 
as .....; however, ..... ; some qualify it as "post socialist", meaning 
that (explain the justification of the new term here)"

>
>  
>