Peter Sandby-Thomas - Legitimating the Chinese Communist Party Since Tiananmen: A Critical Analysis of the Stability Discourse

The dominant view concerning the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is that it is simply a matter of time before it comes to an end. This view has been dominant since the pro-democracy protests in 1989 and has only been strengthened by the increasing number of protests in recent years. However, the Chinese Communist Party has continued to remain in power throughout this period and its rule appears to be secure in the short-to medium-term. As the twentieth anniversary of the military suppression of the pro-democracy demonstrations approaches, this book explains how the Chinese Communist Party has maintained its authority since 1989. It provides a detailed analysis of the Partys discourse emphasizing stability in the post-Tiananmen period, analysing the governments propaganda in order to show how this discourse has been used by the Party to legitimate its authority. The interdisciplinary nature of this book makes it relevant to a number of different academic disciplines including Asian studies, China studies, international relations, politics and sociology.

Peter Sandby-Thomas obtained his PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham, UK. His research is concerned with analysing the justification of power and focuses on Chinese politics in the post-Mao period.

Series Editor: Zheng Yongnian
China Policy Institute, University of Nottingham, UK

A critical analysis of the stability discourse

First published 2011
by Routledge
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Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
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This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010.

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2011 Peter Sandby-Thomas

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Sandby-Thomas, Peter.
Legitimating the Chinese communist party since Tiananmen : a critical
analysis of the stability discourse / Peter Sandby-Thomas.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Zhongguo gong chan dang. 2. CommunismChinaHistory. 3. China
Politics and government. I. Title.
JQ1519.A5S3 2010
324.251075dc22
2009050119

ISBN 0-203-85043-2 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN: 978-0-415-55398-8 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-203-85043-5 (ebk)

This book is based on my doctoral thesis and, as such, my gratitude extends to all those who helped me, both academically and personally, to get this far. Unfortunately, space only permits me to acknowledge some of them here. Academically, my time on the MA programme in Chinese Studies at the University of Leeds was a formative experience and I am grateful to the staff that taught me during this period, particularly Flemming Christiansen, who prompted me to approach material more critically and pushed me to think more analytically, and Penny Francks, who encouraged me to continue my studies at the PhD level. I am also indebted to Ian Gow, who not only helped me secure the funding for my PhD at the University of Nottingham but also provided support when my research moved onto more politically sensitive terrain. In terms of supervision, I was fortunate to have Sally Sargeson as my first supervisor, as she not only engaged critically with all my ideas, no matter how tentative and half-baked, but also gave me excellent advice that still informs my research to this day. I also benefited from the ideas and advice of Gary Rawnsley, who provided supervision for a short period when we were on Nottinghams Ningbo campus. Following their departures, I was extremely fortunate to have Andreas Bieler and Zheng Yongnian supervise me for the final part of my doctorate. Notwithstanding the difficulties of taking over supervision in the middle of the research process, they gave me the guidance and encouragement to ensure that my thesis was submitted in time. Moreover, their detailed feedback and practical advice mean that my doctoral thesis and, with it, this book is much stronger as a result.

On a personal level, I am extremely grateful to my family and friends for helping me along the long and winding road of doctoral research. It has not always been certain that I would reach the end, so to speak, but without their support and encouragement, I am pretty sure I would not have. Particular thanks go to my parents, not only for supporting during the whole of my academic studies but also for trying to mask their rising anxiety levels as the PhD took longer and longer to finish. My parents-in-law have also been great and I promise to use the new pen (and wear the elbow-patched jacket) for any book signings! Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Kate, for going through this with me. In addition to spending two years out in China, she has patiently listened to my (frequent) moments of intellectual tumult and always managed to offer the words and support to keep me going. I hope the publication of this book goes a small way towards repaying all this help.