Rising China and Asian Democratization

Download or read book Rising China and Asian Democratization written by Daniel Lynch and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2006-07-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that democratization is inherently international: states democratize through a process of socialization to a liberal-rational global culture. This can clearly be seen in Taiwan and Thailand, where the elites and attentive public now accept democracy as universally valid. But in China, the ruling communist party resists democratization, in part because its leaders believe it would lead to China's "permanent decentering" in world history. As China's power increases, the party could begin restructuring global culture by inspiring actors in other Asian countries to uphold or restore authoritarian rule.