Introduction to Chinese Politics

This module aims to introduce students to the political system of the People's Republic of China. The module first provides a historical foundation for understanding the current political regime, covering the Civil War and Communist victory, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the transition to economic modernisation under Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. Building on this foundation, the module examines China's social context, including geography, urbanisation, demographics, and the hukou system. It then analyses political institutions—the Party, government, legislature, local politics, and the military—before turning to political contestation through factions, corruption, and protest. The module addresses mechanisms of authoritarian control, including repression, censorship, ideology, propaganda, and the politics of nationalism and ethnicity in Xinjiang and Tibet. It concludes by examining China's foreign relations, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, and global governance initiatives such as the Belt and Road initiative. By the end of the module students will have a well-grounded understanding of Chinese politics and be prepared to think carefully about current and future developments.