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The Politics of “Weiwen (維穩)” and Its Dilemma in Contemporary China

Youn Mi Jang

서강대학교 동아연구소

Published: January 2013 · Vol. 64, No. 0 · pp. 105-143

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33334/sieas.2013.32.1.105

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Abstract

This paper analyzed the politics of stability (weichi wending, often shortened to weiwen), which has been strengthened throughout the second millennium. The politics of ``weiwen`` showed us the structural limitations of the system difficult to move more fundamental reform in China. Stability is a repeated theme in contemporary ideology. The task of maintaining the stability is performed by monopoly on power in the center and at all levels of local government through a concrete and a dense network. Chinese government thus is seeking a breakthrough to a new model of political stability under a ``Social innovation``. But evaluating recent policy and its enforcement process, ``Social innovation`` means social management by the state rather than by the societies themselves. Namely, it`s not a ``society (autonomous) management`` but that ``social management (of the country)``. Chinese government wants to maintain stability through social management innovation. But it seems not easy to achieve this goal, because it needs to reform the structure of the existing system.
Keywords: 중국의 안정정치유온정치안정정치권력망유온망사회관리혁신