China's Long March to Freedom: Grassroots Modernization

China is more than a socialist market economy led by evermore reform-minded leaders. It is a country whose peopleseek liberty on a daily basis. Their success has been phenomenal,despite the fact that China continues to be governed bya single party. Clear distinctions between the people andthe government are emerging, underlining the fact thattrue liberalization cannot be imposed from above.Although a large percentage of the Chinese peoplehave been part of China’s long march to freedom, farmers,entrepreneurs, migrants, Chinese gays, sex pleasure seekers,and black-marketers played a particularly importantrole in the beginning. Lawyers, scholars, journalists, andrights activists have jumped in more recently to ensurethat liberalization continues. Social dissatisfaction with thegovernment is now published in the media, addressed inpublic forums, and deliberated in courtrooms. Intellectualsdevoted to improvement in human rights and continuedliberalization are part of the process.This grassroots social revolution has also resulted fromthe explosion of information available to ordinary people(especially via the Internet) and far-reaching internationalinfluences. All have fundamentally altered key elementsof the moral and material content of China’s party-stateregime and society at large. This social revolution is movingChina towards a more liberal society despite its government.The Chinese government reacts, rather than leads,in this transformative process. This book is a landmark-adecade in the making.

Kate Zhou is associate professor of political science at the University of Hawaii.