Dissent and the emergence of civil society in post‐totalitarian China

There are several theories which argue that dissent is the precursor of civil society in totalitarian regimes. Several factors contribute to the emergence of dissent in these regimes, yet it remains to be proven in the case of China, whether this can be interpreted as the emergence of a civil society that feels it has the inalienable right to criticize the regime; to disagree with its policies; to remind authorities of their duties, obligations and laws; and to advocate alternative policies for the government to pursue. The response of the Chinese Communist Party to dissident challenges to its monopolistic moral authority provides some insight into the changing nature of the regime itself, particularly with the political and economic imperatives of modernization. Generally intellectuals and students, who have varying conceptions of the nature of the relationship between the government and its people, have been the voices of dissent. Despite these variations however, there has been consistency on the basic principles of respect for human rights and the rule of law. Formally organized programs of action, aside from the 1949 Revolution, have never really been developed which, along with a lack of organizational strength and with a vulnerability to repressive Party measures, is a primary weakness in the dissident movement. Whether dissidents enjoy the support of the Chinese people is debatable, because it is primarily though not exclusively, an urban based movement. Nevertheless, dissent in China is growing and being expressed by different sectors of the population which is an indication of the increasing consciousness of the Chinese people to their rights and responsibilities as citizens that go beyond the dictates of the Chinese Communist Party. In other words, dissent and the emergence of civil society in China are inextricably intertwined.