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**yeung3939** · 08 Aug 08,, 09:43

Originally Posted by Blademaster

I think what yeung is trying to say is that it takes two to tango. It is not enough for the CCP to actually say and it will get it done. The days of Mao and Deng Peng are over. There has to be incentives. More like a carrot and stick policy. The catch of the carrot and stick is that if the carrot is not good enough, you will end up using the stick and if you use it too many times, the stick becomes no good and your arm becomes tired and actually becomes weak like a case of fatigue with your muscles. So CCP is actually trying to conserve its strength and yet remain on top.

Well said.

True, the CCP central can change the person in charge on spots. But does it usually do so? What political costs are involved? Will the mid-level and low-level governments become uncooperative? Will excessive use of this 'final power' undermine the (elite) support the CCP central enjoys? What if the use of 'final power' arouse public discontent towards the CCP central? What about people related to the local government in the CCP central?

There are many questions that need to be answered before the use of such 'final power'.

The CCP central does have the final power, but it is rarely used. Even when the CCP central uses such power, the views of local authorities are certainly taken into account. This creates much room for local de facto autonomy (especially the coastal provinces and some autonomous regions).

The internal hiearchy is weakening. This is an open secret.

**yeung3939** · 08 Aug 08,, 11:36

From the introduction of a book on localism:

" A popular view on central-local relations is that the old Chinese saying - 'the sky is high and the emperor is far away' - depicts attitudes of local government officials towards the central government in Beijing. Indeed, after close to two decades of economic reform, the power of the once mighty center (zhongyang) is believed to be severely weakened. Central government policies are often ignored, local government officials are more interested in building 'Dukedom economies' (ZhuHou Jingji) than carrying centrally directed economic plans, and the government is losing fiscal control. It appears that 'all politics is local' has become an increasingly appropriate proposition in studying Chinese politics for the reform era. China studies in the West are beginning to reflect this trend in recent years. "

Yang Zhong, Local Government and Politics in China: challenges from below (Armonk, N.Y. ; London : M.E. Sharpe, 2003), p. 3-4

**Officer of Engineers** · 08 Aug 08,, 14:38

Originally Posted by Blademaster

I think what yeung is trying to say is that it takes two to tango. It is not enough for the CCP to actually say and it will get it done. The days of Mao and Deng Peng are over. There has to be incentives. More like a carrot and stick policy. The catch of the carrot and stick is that if the carrot is not good enough, you will end up using the stick and if you use it too many times, the stick becomes no good and your arm becomes tired and actually becomes weak like a case of fatigue with your muscles. So CCP is actually trying to conserve its strength and yet remain on top.

Hitesh, it's not even a carrot. It's a picture of a carrot. If you behave, this is what you will get. It's scraps off the table ... and they're happy with it.