DEMOCRACY IN CHINA
DEMOCRACY IN CHINA

Summary/Abstract: Political regimes tend to be perceived as “good” or “bad” according to the culture bias of the beholder, and China is no exception. The recent decision to remove the constitutional limits to Xi Jinping’s mandate made many people upset in the West; but China requires an understanding of its culture before any political and/or economic analysis can be taken seriously. The Chinese culture is characterized by high Power Distance, Collectivism, high Masculinity and very high Long-Term Orientation as value-dimensions described by Geert Hofstede. In order to understand what is going on in China, one needs to begin by understanding the mentality of high Power Distance cultures. It also helps if one can bring oneself to realize that the time perspective of most Chinese leaders is much more extended than that of their counterparts in Europe and in the United States of America, especially the latter.

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