Revolution, reform and the rise of China: a political and social transformation

Purpose This study proposes a new political science–based interpretation of the rise of China and focuses on the academic discussion regarding its root causes. This study aims to identify the historical, economic and sociological perspectives in the relevant literature by offering a political science perspective on the factors that enabled China’s rise, analyze and comment on the controversy surrounding Perry Anderson’s theoretical approach and contribute to the literature by focusing on political and social transformation. Design/methodology/approach By offering a political science perspective on the factors that enabled China’s rise, this study aims to identify the historic, economic and sociological perspectives in the relevant literature; analyze and comment on the controversy surrounding Perry Anderson’s theoretical approach; and contribute to the literature by focusing on political and social transformation. Findings First, revolution and reform together provided the conditions for China’s rise, by establishing a sovereign state and revitalizing the system, respectively. Second, China’s reform model has resulted in a combined and complex institutional structure that effectively integrates the market, the state and political parties in a party-state system. Third, during the rise of China, the market economy, local competition and the authority of political parties have been the source of vitality, the driving force and the stabilizer, respectively. Originality/value This paper offers a critique of the theoretical interpretations of scholars such as Perry Anderson regarding the root causes of the rise of China.