Share the story of what Open Access means to you

a graphic of a lock that is open, the universal logo for open access

University of Michigan needs your feedback to better understand how readers are using openly available ebooks. You can help by taking a short, privacy-friendly survey.

China as Number One? The Emerging Values of a Rising Power

Yang Zhong and Ronald F. Inglehart
Open AccessOpen Access
Citable Link
Published: 2024
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
License:Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license
ISBN(s)
  • 978-0-472-07635-2 (hardcover)
  • 978-0-472-05635-4 (paper)
  • 978-0-472-90373-3 (open access)

Resources

Search and Filter Resources

This is the en.blacklight.search.search_results_header

Search Results

This graph shows where different countries are regarding their traditional vs. rational values and survival vs. self-expression values. The vertical line reflects traditional vs. rational values with smaller numbers indicating more traditional values. The horizontal line reflects survival vs. self-expression values with smaller numbers indicating more survival values.

Figure 1.1.Global Cultural Map in 2017–2020 Source: Data from the 7th wave of the World Values Survey and European Values Study carried out between 2017-2020 (fieldwork was interrupted in early 2020 because of the Covid19 pandemic).

Bar chart showing the Freedom House rankings of freedom and democracy in selected countries. China is ranked at a miserable level of only 8% if the U.S. and other western-style liberal democracies are ranked as 100%.

Figure 2.1a.Freedom in the World: FH Rankings 2012 Source:https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world.

Bar chart showing the respondents' subjective feeling of freedom in selected countries and regions in the 6th Wave of the World Values Surveys. The highest is 83% in Mexico and the lowest is 53% in Japan. Chinese respondents' level of subjective freedom is at 68% of 100%, which is higher than several western style liberal democracies including Germany, Spain, Netherland, South Korea, Japan, among others. This suggests that the lack of freedom in China is grossly exaggerated in the Freedom House ranking by Western liberal elites in figure 1a.

Feeling Free

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.1b.Feeling Free Source: 6th Wave World Values Surveys.

Bar chart showing 83% of Chinese respondents in the 7th World Values Survey in 2018 preferred democracy as their desired political system.

Figure 2.2.Preferred Political System in China Source: World Values Survey China 2018.

Bar chart showing more than two thirds of Chinese survey respondents in the 7th World Values Survey were satisfied with democracy, human rights and the political system in their own country. This is in sharp contrast to the Freedom House ranking in figure 1a that shows near-bottom level of freedom in China.

Figure 2.3.Political Satisfaction in China Source: World Values Survey China 2018.

Bar chart showing cross-society comparison of satisfaction with democracy in selected countries and regions in the 6th wave of the World Values Survey, ranging from 74% in Sweden and 32% in Armenia. China is at 60%, which is the same as the U.S. This is again in a sharp contrast to the Freedom Housing rankings in figure 1a.

Figure 2.4.Satisfaction with Democracy in Selected Countries and Regions Source: World Values Surveys Wave 6.

Bar chart showing that Chinese survey respondents in the 2018 7th wave of the World Values Survey thought both democratic institutions and social welfare are equally important for Chinese democracy.

Figure 2.5.How Important Are These Items for Democracy? Source: World Values Survey in China (2018).

Bar chart showing satisfaction with human rights in selected countries and regions in the 7th wave of the World Values Survey, ranging from 91% in Qatar to 30% in Egypt. China is at 67%, higher than several Western style liberal democracies.

Figure 2.6.Satisfaction with Human Rights in Selected Countries and Regions Source: World Values Surveys Wave 6.

bar chart showing how Chinese survey respondents in the 7th wave of the World Values Survey were able to express higher level of support for government surveillance in public space than in private life.

Figure 2.7.Support for Government Surveillance Source: World Values Survey in China (2018).

Bar chart showing support for strong political leaders in selected countries and regions in the World Values Surveys. In China from the 4th to the 7th waves, support for strong leader increased significantly

Figure 2.8.Support for “Having a Strong Leader Who Does Not Have to Bother with Parliament and Elections” Sources: World Values Surveys Waves 4 (China only), 5 (China only), 6 (all countries/regions) and 7 (China only).

bar chart showing cross-society comparisons of satisfaction with the combined index of freedom, democracy and human rights in the 6th wave of the World Values Survey, ranging from 73% in New Zealand to 36% in Armenia. China is at 65%, which is 13th out of the 49 countries and regions.

Figure 2.9.Support for Combined Index of Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights in Selected Countries and Regions Source: 6th Wave World Values Surveys.

This figure shows that among the factors considered, education level and Party membership are strongly correlated with whether the respondents voted for Local People's Congress (LPC) deputies.

Figure 3.1.Demographic Breakdown of Vote for Local People’s Congress Deputies

This figure maps the change in factors that correlate with citizens' participation in protest activism. It suggests that education level is consistently a strong predictor of protest activism.

Protest Activism

From Chapter 3

Figure 3.2.Demographic Breakdown of Protest Activism

We consider participation in other types of political activism, including donating to a certain organization or activity and contacting government officials. The figure suggests that CCP membership and education level positively and significantly correlate with participation in other types of political activism.

Figure 3.3.Demographic Breakdown of Other Types of Political Participation (WVS 7)

This figure demonstrates that education level and Party membership are positively and strongly correlated with whether respondents will seek information related to politics online. In contrast, age is negatively correlated with such activities.

Figure 3.4.Demographic Breakdown of Online Participation (WVS 7)

This figure shows that education level is positively and strongly correlated with whether respondents will engage in online protest activism. In contrast, age is negatively correlated with such activities.

Figure 3.5.Demographic Breakdown of Other Online Activism (WVS 7)

This figure compares levels of political interest in four Asian societies: mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. It turns out that the percentage of people who say they are very or somewhat interested in politics is the highest in mainland China (over 50 percent) and the lowest percentage of people expressing they are very or somewhat interested in politics is found in Hong Kong (around 30 percent).

Figure 3.6.Interest in Politics (%) in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Mainland China

This figure shows levels of political participation in various forms in four Asian societies. The forms of political participation include donating to a group or campaign, contacting a governmental official, encouraging others to take action about political issues, and encouraging others to vote.

Figure 3.7.Other Types of Participation (%) in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Mainland China

Figure 3.8 compares online political participation in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Online political participation forms include searching information about politics and political events, signing an electoral petition, encouraging others to take any political action, and organizing political activities, events and protests.

Figure 3.8.Online Participation (%) in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Mainland China

This figure compares levels of political interest between the United States and China, showing that more Americans are interested in politics than mainland Chinese.

Figure 3.9.Interest in Politics (%) in the United States and Mainland China