Future Political Party Improvements in Taiwan and Hong Kong - Research Proposal Example

GOVERNING GREATER CHINA: COMPARING CHINA’S EFFECTS ON THE PARTY SYSTEMS IN TAIWAN AND HONG KONG Synopsis The study of party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong does not have a long history. However, that the party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong differ greatly from those in the Western world cannot be denied. Today, both Hong Kong and Taiwan operate as special administrative units of the People’s Republic of China which, in turn, predetermines the direction of all political decisions and political party actions there. This work is actually a research proposal, whose goal is to delineate the fundamental features of the political systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong and the role which China plays in the development of their political parties. Another goal of the proposed research is to see how the political systems in China and Taiwan differ from the political systems developed in the Western world. The proposal includes a brief review of literature, a discussion of methods and approaches to be used in the proposed research. Introduction Party systems and demarcation in Taiwan and Hong Kong are extremely interesting objects of professional analysis. Hong Kong is an administrative unit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Likewise, Taiwan is a territorial part of China and should be unified. While Taiwan and Hong Kong greatly influence the politics, economics, and social life in China, the effects of Chinese politics on the party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong cannot be ignored. In Hong Kong and its traditional commitment to democratization and liberalization in politics, the unholy alliance between China’s Communist Party (CCP) and Hong Kong businessmen remains the source of major political controversies. In Taiwan and its political system, where political parties are divided by their background and ideology, China’s Communist Party also plays a huge role. CCP has launched economic collaboration with the KMT in Taiwan, while also funding DAB in Hong Kong and monopolizing its Legislative Council. Apparently, the effects and connections between the Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and their political systems are extremely complicated. Therefore, future research is needed to clarify the role which CCP plays in the direction and advancement of Taiwanese and Hong Kong’s political parties. It is crucial that the place of CCP in the development political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong be understood in Asian, non-Western terms. Western political systems differ dramatically from those in Hong Kong and Taiwan and cannot serve an effective framework for understanding the nature of all political processes in the East Asian region. Literature review The study of the political systems and political parties in Hong Kong and Taiwan is rather young, mainly because the overall political history in these administrative regions does not exceed a few decades. Contemporary researchers are extremely interested in the way the political systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong operate, factors influencing their direction and advancement, the role of China’s Communist Party (CCP) and the overall interests of China in Taiwan and Hong Kong’s political systems, as well as the way in which these political systems differ from those adopted in the Western world. To understand how political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong operate, a brief review of the regional political contexts should be provided. This information will lay the groundwork for the development of the proposed research argument and questions. With regard to the political context and parties working in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the most comprehensive reviews were provided by Sing (2004), Robinson and Brown (2000), Cheng (1989), and Zakaria (1997). According to Sing (2004), the history of political parties development in Hong Kong is very short, and the first political parties came to being in Hong Kong early in the 1990s.1 Since that time, democratic parties enjoyed the greatest popularity.2 The most important and popular has been the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, accompanied by the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong and the Liberal Party.3 Due to the lack of political experience and failure to provide relevant financial and political support, political parties in Hong Kong have been generally regarded as immature.4 They have demonstrated unsophisticated political arguments and philosophies. Pro-democratic parties have failed to establish strong political opposition.5 Researchers believe that the main factor behind the overall weakness of Hong Kong’s party system is in the overwhelming influence of China’s executive power on political decision making in Hong Kong.6 This is, probably, why Zakaria (1997) writes that “Hong Kong has precious little democracy to undo; what it has is a framework of rights and laws” (5). Political parties in Hong Kong display a huge commitment to the principles of policymaking imposed on them by Beijing.7 It is no wonder that the topic of anti-partyism is so popular in the study of politics in the East Asian region. The political situation in Taiwan is no better. In 1989, Cheng wrote that “since the mid-seventies, political space for electoral competition in Taiwan has gradually opened up, the degree of political contest has intensified, and the scope of political discourse in the public domain has widened” (471). The eighties, earlier authoritarian constructs were dismantled, giving place to the newly developed principles of democratic decision-making.8 Since the 1980s, a great number of civic organizations have been formed in Taiwan, with the goal of diversifying the country’s political landscape and removing entry barriers to new opposition parties.9 However, again, the story of contemporary research into the political system of Taiwan is not so long. Foreign scholars became more attentive to the analysis of Taiwanese politics in 1986, on the eve of democratic elections in Taiwan.10 For this reason, it is too early to say that political parties in Taiwan pursue the line of democratization and have resources and capabilities required to complete the desired transition from the authoritarian rule to democracy. While researchers lack a profound insight into the nature and process among the political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the issue of China’s influence on the party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong remains a topic of hot professional debates. Scott (1992), Schubert (2004), Tsang (1996), Dickson (2003), and Fiss (1998) provide some information that can be helpful in the analysis of the China-Taiwan-Hong Kong political interactions. Basically, the scope of influence on the political systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong is justified by the fact that both remain essential administrative elements of the Chinese state.11 The one-China principle remains one of the fundamental conditions shaping and re-shaping political parties’ decisions in China.12 In political elections, the success of this or that particular political party is generally determined by the extent to which this party demonstrates their stance towards the Chinese government.13 Despite the fact that both Hong Kong and Taiwan pursue the political line of independence and political self-realization, there has been no major policy decision made without the direct participation of Chinese top officials.14 The Politburo of China’s Communist Party (CCP) remains the source of major political influences on political parties in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.15 Therefore, any discussion of the political systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong should revolve around the topic of China’s participation in the political lives and policymaking in these two administrative regions. The current state of research justifies the importance of the proposed research idea. The fact is that little analysis into the nature and principles of the political party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong has ever been performed. Moreover, given the transition state of both Taiwan and Hong Kong and their pursuit of democracy, the overarching differences between democracies, semi-democracies, and less developed countries should not be disregarded.16 However, in most cases, researchers implicitly assume that party systems in both developed and developing worlds are shaped in accordance with the principles set by advanced industrial democracies.17 As a result, the real picture of political demarcation in the East Asian region is seriously distorted. Contemporary researchers do not recognize higher electoral volatility that is characteristic of most developing and semi-developed democracies.18 They erroneously assume that the developing and semi-democratic societies have strong party and political roots while, in reality, most theoretical approaches to the party systems in the developed world do not fit in the political conditions and complexities affecting semi-democratic societies.19 Also, semi-developed democracies like Taiwan and Hong Kong may have more personalistic linkages between voters and political parties than in the developed world.20 Finally, the existing typologies and discussions of political party models fail to capture the diversity of variations and patterns in party types currently observed in all parts of the world.21 In light of these complexities, a detailed analysis of the differences across Taiwan and Hong Kong’s party systems needs to be performed. The existing research gaps justify the importance of the proposed research in the context of the complex political conditions affecting present-day Hong Kong and Taiwan. Methods and approaches This research will involve both primary and secondary data collection approaches. The use of primary data collection methods is justified by the need to reduce the risks of prejudice and bias. The use of secondary data will facilitate the analysis of primary findings in the context of the special political conditions and party systems in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Both primary and secondary research elements will rely on the principles of qualitative analysis, which enables the researcher to uncover the hidden facets of complex social and political phenomena. The primary data collection part of the proposed research will involve the use of qualitative interviews with political party representatives in both Hong Kong and China. The results and findings will be further interpreted against the background of the secondary data provided in the earlier studies. Conclusion Taiwan and Hong Kong exist in complex political conditions. The influence of China and China’s Communist Party on political decision making in Taiwan and Hong Kong is enormous. The success of this or that political party in Hong Kong and Taiwan is usually predetermined by the degree to which this or that party demonstrates its stance towards China’s Communist Party and its top officials. The goal of the proposed research is to delineate the fundamental principles governing the formation and development of political parties in Taiwan and Hong Kong, against the complex political context in which these parties currently exist. The proposed research is intended to close the existing gaps in professional knowledge about the political party systems in the East Asian region. The use of qualitative primary and secondary data collection methods will ensure greater validity and reliability of the study results. The results of the proposed research will create the basis for developing policy recommendations and future political party improvements in Taiwan and Hong Kong. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cheng, Tun-Jen. “Democratizing the Quasi-Leninist Regime in Taiwan.” World Politics 41, no.4 (1989): 471-499. Dickinson, Bruce J. Red Capitalists in China: The Party, Private Entrepreneurs, and Prospects for Political Change. Cambridge University Press, 2003. Fiss, Owen S. “Hong Kong Democracy.” Faculty Scholarship Series, 1998. Gunther, Richard and Larry Diamond. “Species of Political Parties: A New Typology.” Party Politics 9, no.2 (2003): 167-199. Mainwaring, Scott and Mariano Torcal. Party System Institutionalization and Party System Theory after the Third Wave of Democratization. The Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies, 2003. Robinson, James A. and Deborah A. Brown. “Taiwan’s 2000 Presidential Election.” Orbis, Fall (2000): 599-613. Schubert, Gunter. “Taiwan’s Political Parties and National Identity.” Asian Survey 44, no.4 (2004): 534-554. Scott, Ian. “An Overview of the Hong Kong Legislative Council Elections of 1991.” In R. Kwok et al. (eds), Votes Without Power, pp.1-28, Hong Kong University Press, 1992. Sing, Ming. “Origins of Anti-Partyism in Hong Kong.” East Asia 21, no.3 (2004): 37-57. Tsang, Steve. “Maximum Flexibility, Rigid Framework: China’s Policy Towards Hong Kong and Its Implications.” Journal of International Affairs 49, no.2 (1996): 413-433. Zakaria, Fareed. “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy.” Foreign Affairs, November (1997): 1-16. Read More