Local Governance in Motion: Dynamics of Central-local Relationship in China

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel Proposal Application

Abstract

This panel put the topic of local governance in a broader context of central-local relationship in China. In order to grasp the current dilemma and the emergence of new actors of the Chinese governing system, this panel will analyze the local governance issue from the following aspects: (1) Central policies and local implementation, especially the political impacts of social inequality and policy coordination; (2) Local and central policy learning process, especially the impacts of political elite; (3) The empowerment of local institutions and new political actors, focusing on local People’s Congress; (4) State-society relationship in the age of economic globalization, including local identity and collaborative governance; (5) Historical lessons and events revisited during China’s traumatic past in local governance.
Topics in this panel cover a wide range of issues of local governance in China. They include: Local National People’s Congress, local management of water resources, central observation and research teams, and cultural and heritage preservation. Geographical locations discussed in the papers include coastal as well as inland areas.
Participants of this panel include scholars from Japan, China, Taiwan and Germany, including junior and senior scholars. Professor Akio Takahara of Tokyo University is invited to serve as the discussant. Each paper presenter will be given 12 minutes to present core arguments and findings. The discussant will be given 20 minutes for comments. At least 40 minutes could be left for the audience to promote interactive process of discussion.

Area of Study

• China and Inner Asia

Session Organizer

• Tse-Kang Leng, Academia Sinica/National Chengchi University

Individual Presentations

• Water Governance in China’s Southwest Region: Central Policy Directives and Local Strategies of Implementation - Sabrina Habich, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

• The Mechanism of Policy Diffusion and Central-Local Relationship: The Case of Chinese Community Party’s “Investigation and Research” (Diaoyan) Politics - Wen-Hsuan Tsai, Academia Sinica

• The People’s Liberation Army in the Local People’s Congresses: What do the Delegates of the Local People’s Congresses Represent? - Tomoki Kamo, Keio University

• Cultural Policy and Governance of Local Cultural Heritages: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Chinese Cities - Tse-Kang Leng, Academia Sinica/National Chengchi University

• The Protection of Cultural Heritage in the Cultural Revolution - Yuan Yao, Nanjing University

Discussant

• Akio Takahara, The University of Tokyo