DOCSLIB.ORG

Criticism in News and Its Effects on Authoritarian Duration in China By

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Criticism in News and Its Effects on Authoritarian Duration in China By Criticism in News and Its Effects on Authoritarian Duration in China By Dan Chen Submitted to the graduate degree program in Political Science and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________________________ Chairperson John Kennedy _______________________________ Mark Joslyn _______________________________ Robert Rohrschneider _______________________________ Jiso Yoon _______________________________ Scott Reinardy Date Defended: April 14, 2014 The Dissertation Committee for Dan Chen certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Criticism in News and Its Effects on Authoritarian Duration in China ______________________________ Chairperson John Kennedy Date approved: April 22, 2014 ii Abstract This study explains the varying levels of criticism in news coverage in China and tests the news effects on public opinion. It proposes a revision to the traditional censorship paradigm—fractured censorship system. It finds that in authoritarian China, censorship on the news media is not monolithic. Nor is it entirely decided by ideology. In fact, censorship is a locus where negotiations among political and business powers occur. Specifically, the potentially diverging interests between the central and local governments, the strong commercial interests of news organizations, and the aspirations of certain journalists may constitute fractures in the censorship system that allow sporadic criticism on local governments and officials. Fractured censorship does not mean fault lines. The fundamental characteristic of China’s censorship system remains to be its swift and effective intervention over news content. While fractured censorship helps us understand the news production process, once critical news is published or broadcasted, how does such news affect public opinion, if at all? What are the implications of such fractured censorship for authoritarian duration in China? Through two field experiments conducted in east and central China, this study finds that critical news does not necessarily undermine public evaluation of the regime. In fact, critical news may blow off the steam of public anger over contentious social and political issues that emerged during China’s economic and political development process, which helps consolidate, rather than undermine, the authoritarian rule. iii Table of Contents Abstract List of Figures List of Tables Introduction Chapter 1 The News Media as a Political Actor in Authoritarian China…………………………1 Part I News Production: Fractured Censorship Chapter 2 Political Fracture: Monitoring Local Officials, Establishing Personal Authority…….28 Chapter 3 Market Fracture: Market Competition Among News Organizations…………………51 Chapter 4 Journalistic Fracture: Aspirational News Professionals………………………………89 Part II News Effects: Limited Influence on Public Opinion Chapter 5 Limited Effects of Critical News on Public Opinion………………………………..116 Conclusion Chapter 6 State-Controlled Media and Authoritarian Duration…………………………….…..148 Appendix: Sources and Research Methods……………………………………………………..163 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………168 iv List of Figures Figure 3.1……………………………………………………………………...…………………55 Figure 3.2……………………………………………………………………...…………………56 Figure 3.3…………………………………………………………………………...……………58 Figure 3.4……………………………………………………………………………...…………59 Figure 3.5……………………………………………………………………………...…………60 Figure 3.6……………………………………………………………………………...…………71 Figure 3.7………………………………………………………………………………...………73 Figure 5.1……………………………………………………………………………….………130 Figure 5.2……………………………………………………………………………….………131 Figure 5.3……………………………………………………………………………….………137 Figure 5.4………………………………………………………………………………….……138 Figure 6.1……………………………………………………………………………………….149 Figure 6.2……………………………………………………………………………………….155 Figure 7.1……………………………………………………………………………………….164 v List of Tables Table 4.1………………………………………………………………………………………110 Table 4.2………………………………………………………………………………………112 Table 4.3………………………………………………………………………………………113 Table 4.4………………………………………………………………………………………114 Table 5.1………………………………………………………………………………………128 Table 5.2………………………………………………………………………………………129 Table 5.3………………………………………………………………………………………134 Table 5.4………………………………………………………………………………………136 Table 5.5………………………………………………………………………………………139 Table 5.6………………………………………………………………………………………139 Table 5.7………………………………………………………………………………………140 Table 5.8………………………………………………………………………………………140 Table 5.9………………………………………………………………………………………141 vi Chapter 1 The News Media as a Political Actor in Authoritarian China Control over the news media characterizes Chinese authoritarianism. An important manifestation of such control is the lack of criticism on the regime, including governments and officials at central and local levels. After the economic reform initiated in the late 1970s, the Chinese media experienced marketization that consists of deregulation, commercialization, and partial privatization (Stockmann 2013). As a result, the media market, that is, audience and readers, has become an important factor in the news production process. The receded state control does not mean, however, that the state is losing control. The media now have to satisfy both the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the market. The two forces often pull media content in different directions, creating a dilemma for media practitioners (Brady 2008; Stockmann 2013; Zhao 1998, 2008). Consequently, Chinese media remain tightly controlled by the CCP. The increased but still limited reporting freedom in the news media actually contributes to, rather than undermines, the authoritarian rule in China (Stockmann 2013). While this study comes to a similar conclusion that the news media in China helps consolidate the authoritarian rule, it challenges both the perception of the lack of political criticism in authoritarian China and the understanding that political and market forces drive news content in different directions. Focusing on varying levels of criticism in news, this study finds that the diverging interests of the central and local governments, the commercial interests of news organizations, and journalistic aspirations constitute fractures in the censorship system that allow sporadic political criticism at local levels. The diverging political interests of central and local governments can sometimes drive news in a critical direction, consistent with the direction 1 of market competition. However, such criticism tends to stay at the local level, and the censorship system remains effective. This study also finds that such critical news has limited effects on public opinion. Specifically, while it can lead the public to be more dissatisfied with local governments on contentious issues, it does not undermine the public’s confidence in the government’s capability to ultimately solve difficult social issues. In other words, it blows off the steam of public anger without compromising the overall legitimacy of the CCP. Therefore, the fractured censorship system contributes to, rather than undermine, the authoritarian rule in China. Next, this chapter reviews the literature of authoritarian politics and the media, introduces the research questions, discusses the mixed-methods approach used in this study, and concludes with an overview of the remaining chapters. *** News media has long been entangled with authoritarian politics (e.g. Farrell 2012; Garnham 2000; Lee 1990; Lerner and Schramm 1967; Pye 1963; Randall 1998; Skidmore 1993). In many authoritarian regimes, the opening of the economic system, that is, increasing market competition and receding state control, is not accompanied by the loosening of media control, at least not to the same extent. In Vietnam, despite the promotion of an open economy, surveillance and imprisonment of critical journalists prevail (CPJ 2012). In Russia, reports critical of the regime can lead to assassinations of journalists (The Economist 2006; 2009). In China, the situation of press freedom is among the worst in the world.1 The recent incident of censors modifying an editorial that a liberal newspaper Southern Weekend prepared to publish resulted in public gatherings in support of media freedom in January of 2013. The lack of press freedom is 1 Reporters Without Borders ranks China at 174 out of 179 countries and regions in the world in the Press Freedom Index 2011-2012. 2 seen as a defining characteristic of authoritarian regimes and thus has been broadly reported by foreign media especially from democracies. In most authoritarian regimes media are state- controlled. In the journalistic discourse, the state-controlled media may help propagate news and commentary praising the regime; minimize the spread of news and commentary critical of the regime; and sometimes help mobilize the public for political campaigns launched by the regime. While journalists seem to have reached converging views that perceive the state-controlled media as tools of authoritarian regimes, scholars have probed this topic through the lens of authoritarian politics and have reached different, if not opposite, understandings. What is the political role of the news media in the functioning of authoritarian regimes? After the end of the Cold War, the political role of the media in authoritarian societies has attracted much scholarly attention (e.g. Chan and Lee 1991; Price et al. 2002). Within the discipline of political science, democratization scholars have pointed out that access to alternative information may be an essential enabling
Load more

Recommended publications
  • New Media in New China
    NEW MEDIA IN NEW CHINA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOCRATIZING EFFECT OF THE INTERNET __________________ A University Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, East Bay __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Communication __________________ By Chaoya Sun June 2013 Copyright © 2013 by Chaoya Sun ii NEW MEOlA IN NEW CHINA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOCRATIlING EFFECT OF THE INTERNET By Chaoya Sun III Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 PART 1 NEW MEDIA PROMOTE DEMOCRACY ................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 9 THE COMMUNICATION THEORY OF HAROLD INNIS ........................................ 10 NEW MEDIA PUSH ON DEMOCRACY .................................................................... 13 Offering users the right to choose information freely ............................................... 13 Making free-thinking and free-speech available ....................................................... 14 Providing users more participatory rights ................................................................. 15 THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN THE CONTEXT OF NEW MEDIA ................ 16 PART 2 2008 IN RETROSPECT: FRAGILE CHINESE MEDIA UNDER THE SHADOW OF CHINA’S POLITICS ...........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • China Human Rights Report 2009
    臺灣民主基金會 Taiwan Foundation for Democracy 本出版品係由財團法人臺灣民主基金會負責出版。臺灣民主基金會是 一個獨立、非營利的機構，其宗旨在促進臺灣以及全球民主、人權的 研究與發展。臺灣民主基金會成立於二○○三年，是亞洲第一個國家 級民主基金會，未來基金會志在與其他民主國家合作，促進全球新一 波的民主化。 This is a publication of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). The TFD is an independent, non-profit foundation dedicated to the study and promotion of democracy and human rights in Taiwan and abroad. Founded in 2003, the TFD is the first democracy assistance foundation established in Asia. The Foundation is committed to the vision of working together with other democracies, to advance a new wave of democratization worldwide. 本報告由臺灣民主基金會負責出版，報告內容不代表本會意見。 版權所有，非經本會事先書面同意，不得翻印、轉載及翻譯。 This report is published by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. Statements of fact or opinion appearing in this report do not imply endorsement by the publisher. All rights reserved. No portion of the contents may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. Taiwan Foundation for Democracy China Human Rights Report 2009 CONTENTS Foreword ....................................................................................................................i Chapter I: Preface ............................................................................................. 1 Chapter II: Social Rights .......................................................................... 25 Chapter III: Political Rights ................................................................... 39 Chapter IV: Judicial Rights ...................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sex with Chinese Characteristics : Sexuality Research In/On 21St Century China
    This is a repository copy of Sex with Chinese Characteristics : Sexuality research in/on 21st century China. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/127758/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Jackson, Stephanie Forsythe orcid.org/0000-0001-6981-0712, Ho, Petula Sik Ying, Cao, Siyang et al. (1 more author) (2018) Sex with Chinese Characteristics : Sexuality research in/on 21st century China. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH. pp. 486-521. ISSN 0022-4499 https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2018.1437593 Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ PDF proof only--The Journal of Sex Research SEX WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS: SEXUALITY RESEARCH IN/ON 21ST CENTURY CHINA Journal: The Journal of Sex Research Manuscript ID 17-247.R2 Manuscript Type: Original Article Sexual minorities, Women‘s sexuality, Desire, Extramarital Sex, Special Keywords: Populations/Gay, les,ian, ,isexual Page 1 of 118 PDF proof only--The Journal of Sex Research 1 2 3 SEX WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS: 4 5 6 ST SEXUALITY RESEARCH IN/ON 21 CENTURY CHINA 7 8 9 10 Abstract 11 12 13 This article examines the changing contours of Chinese sexuality studies by locating 14 15 recent research in historical context.
    [Show full text]
  • Modeling Regional Transportation Demand in China and the Impacts of a National Carbon Constraint
    Modeling regional transportation demand in China and the impacts of a national carbon constraint Paul N. Kishimoto, Da Zhang, Xiliang Zhang and Valerie J. Karplus TSINGHUA - MIT China Energy & Climate Project Report No. 274 January 2015 The MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change combines cutting-edge scientific research with independent policy analysis to provide a solid foundation for the public and private decisions needed to mitigate and adapt to unavoidable global environmental changes. Being data-driven, the Program uses extensive Earth system and economic data and models to produce quantitative analysis and predictions of the risks of climate change and the challenges of limiting human influence on the environment—essential knowledge for the international dialogue toward a global response to climate change. To this end, the Program brings together an interdisciplinary group from two established MIT research centers: the Center for Global Change Science (CGCS) and the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR). These two centers—along with collaborators from the Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) at Woods Hole and short- and long- term visitors—provide the united vision needed to solve global challenges. At the heart of much of the Program’s work lies MIT’s Integrated Global System Model. Through this integrated model, the Program seeks to: discover new interactions among natural and human climate system components; objectively assess uncertainty in economic and climate projections; critically and quantitatively analyze environmental management and policy proposals; understand complex connections among the many forces that will shape our future; and improve methods to model, monitor and verify greenhouse gas emissions and climatic impacts.
    [Show full text]
  • India and China
    India and China: A Comparative Analysis of Mobile Phones in Agriculture By C2014 Prashanthi Bonthu Submitted to the graduate degree program in Global and International Studies and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. ________________________________ Chairperson Professor Eric Hanley ________________________________ Committee Member Professor Darlene Budd ________________________________ Committee Member Professor John James Kennedy Date Defended: Feb 3rd , 2014 The Thesis Committee for Prashanthi Bonthu certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: India and China: A Comparative Analysis of Mobile Phones in Agriculture ________________________________ Chairperson Professor Eric Hanley Date approved: Feb 3, 2014 ii Abstract In 2010, China and India were named the first and second largest mobile phone markets in the world based on their number of subscribers. India and China have focused on extending their telecommunication services into rural areas for socio-economic benefits. Both countries liberalized and privatized the industry under different political regimes utilizing different strategies. The aim of this thesis is to examine the collaborative efforts of public and private agencies in India and the role they do in disseminating information to farmers through mobile phones when compared to the government agencies in China that have been created to share that information in order to determine which program is more effective. To answer this question, the thesis compares Indian and Chinese policies and programs enacted to encourage sales and use of mobile phones in the agricultural sector to increase efficiency and encourage growth. As free market principles and private for-profit corporations are generally more efficient than government agencies, this thesis hypothesizes that the policies and development initiatives taken by the Indian government are more successful in disseminating information than the government agency approach followed by China.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of China's Three Gorges Project
    The Impact of China’s Three Gorges Project: An Evaluation of Its Effect on Energy Substitution and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Jiaqi Liang With 26.43 million cubic meters and on the Yangtze, the world’s third longest river, China’s Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydropower project in the world. One of the project’s objectives is to generate renewable and sustainable electricity in order to reduce the reliance on conventional thermal energy (i.e., coal, oil, natural gas) and thus curtail carbon dioxide emissions in China. However, some suggest that hydropower is a generator of greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide and methane), which emanate from the decomposition of a large amount of submerged vegetation and organic matter. This study tests the effect of Three Gorges on electricity generation from thermal energy sources. Proponents of the project believe it will reduce thermal electricity generation as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The major finding is that the contribution of Three Gorges to China’s total electricity generation is far less than that envisioned by policymakers when they launched the project. INTRODUCTION Hydropower is the leading renewable and sustainable energy source in the world (REN 2009, 21)1. China, as an emerging economic giant, seeks to diversify its energy structure and to decrease the effects of global warming.2 In 2006, the amount of carbon dioxide produced by China exceeded the amount produced by the United States (New York Times 2007). That same year, China was the largest carbon dioxide emitter in the globe, accounting for 21.78 percent; the United States ranked the second, with 20.25 percent (World Resources Institute 2010).
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Connections a Triannual E-Journal on East Asian Bilateral Relations
    Comparative Connections A Triannual E-Journal on East Asian Bilateral Relations China-Russia Relations: Mounting Challenges and Multilateralism Yu Bin Wittenberg University China-Russia economic relations were “reset” on New Year’s Day 2011 when the 1,000-km Skovorodino-Daqing branch pipeline was officially opened. The pipeline, which took some 15 years from conception to completion, will transport 15 million tons of crude annually for the next 20 years. The low-key ceremony marking the launch of the pipeline at the Chinese border city of Mohe was followed by several rounds of bilateral consultations on diplomatic and strategic issues in January. In March and April, Moscow and Beijing sought to invigorate their “joint ventures” – the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) forum – at a time when both Moscow and Beijing feel the need for more coordination to address several regional and global challenges and crises. Fifth round of China-Russia Strategic Security Talks Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo visited Moscow on Jan. 23-25 to attend the fifth round of China-Russia Strategic Security Talks with his Russian counterpart Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. Chinese media reported that Dai had an “in-depth exchange” of views with the Russians on “important international and regional issues of common concern.” The talks were initiated in 2005 and the first round of consultations took place in Beijing in December 2009, when Russia and China signed a protocol on strategic security cooperation. The next round is scheduled to be held later this year in China. There were several major issues for this round of the bilateral security talks.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ongoing Plight of Labour Rights in China
    University of Amsterdam MSc Political Economy Looking Beyond Economic Globalisation: The Ongoing Plight of Labour Rights in China Author: Yannick Walther Michael Heinrich (12449288) July 10, 2020 Supervisor and First Reader: Prof. Dr. Brian Burgoon Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................. 2 MOTIVATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. 3 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 4 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 5 II. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 7 2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................... 9 2.1. LABOUR RIGHTS AND LABOUR MARKET ..........................................................................................................9 2.1.1. Labour rights definition ....................................................................................................................9 2.2. CALIFORNIA EFFECT? STAKEHOLDERS AND IMPORTANT FACTORS ...................................................................... 10 2.3. THE SITUATION
    [Show full text]
  • Pursuing an Innovative Development Pathway: Public Disclosure Authorized Understanding China’S NDC Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized
    Public Disclosure Authorized National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) COUNTRY PAPER | NOVEMBER 2016 Pursuing an Innovative Development Pathway: Public Disclosure Authorized Understanding China’s NDC Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................... v KEY FINDINGS ............................................................................. 1 The Constraints to China’s Current Growth Model ....................................... 3 The ‘New Normal’ and the ‘Innovative Development Pathway’ ........................... 4 The Purpose of This Report ............................................................. 6 CHINA’S NDC AS A VEHICLE FOR ACHIEVING THE INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY 9 China’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ...................................... 9 China’s Current Trajectory and BAU Scenario ........................................... 10 The Carbon Mitigation Potential of Each Sector ........................................ 12 Total Mitigation Potential and Contribution Factors Analysis............................. 17 Implementing the NDC: A Modelling Scenario ......................................... 20 Progress Towards the 2° Goal .......................................................... 29 CHALLENGES FOR AND CO-BENEFITS OF THE INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY .. 31 The Co-Benefits of the Innovative Development Pathway ............................... 31 Challenges for China’s
    [Show full text]
  • The Development and Evolution of China's Mobile Phone Industry
    Working Paper Series No.2013-1 The Development and Evolution of China’s Mobile Phone Industry Shin-Horng Chen and Pei-Chang Wen April, 2013 Chung‐Hua Institution for Economic Research 1 The Development and Evolution of China’s Mobile Phone Industry Shin‐Horng Chen and Pei‐Chang Wen Chung‐Hua Institution for Economic Research, Taiwan Abstract This paper examines the development and evolution of China’s mobile phone industry, with a special focus on the effect of migration to smartphones on the industrial ecosystem and industrial transformation. The Chinese market was dominated not long ago by Shanzhai handset makers, which were often associated with notorious elements of bandit, copy cats, piracy, and illegal network access. However, in the migration from 2G to 3G and smartphones in China, a few home‐grown brands have become the leading suppliers of smartphones, outperforming international premium brands, such as Nokia, Motorola and even Apple. With an intensive case study, the paper takes into account the significance of layered platform‐based development in the migration towards smartphones and mobile digital services to examine the rise of the Chinese brands for smartphones. In addition, the paper discusses a co‐evolution process of social and market factors in shaping Chinese “good‐enough innovations”, highlighting the role of distinct demands in the Chinese market and the growing popularity of mobile internet services within Chinese walled garden with heavy regulations and censorship. Moreover, the paper discusses the role of industrial standards in the Chinese migration of smartphones, by referring to a “three‐level model for standards and innovation in ICT”, including the infrastructure, middleware (service platform) and application levels.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Connections, Volume 11, Number 3
    Pacific Forum CSIS Comparative Connections A Quarterly E-Journal on East Asian Bilateral Relations edited by Brad Glosserman Carl Baker 3rd Quarter (July-September) 2009 Vol. 11, No.3 October 2009 http://csis.org/program/comparative-connections Pacific Forum CSIS Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Pacific Forum CSIS operates as the autonomous Asia- Pacific arm of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1975, the thrust of the Forum’s work is to help develop cooperative policies in the Asia- Pacific region through debate and analyses undertaken with the region’s leaders in the academic, government, and corporate arenas. The Forum’s programs encompass current and emerging political, security, economic/business, and oceans policy issues. It collaborates with a network of more than 30 research institutes around the Pacific Rim, drawing on Asian perspectives and disseminating its projects’ findings and recommendations to opinion leaders, governments, and publics throughout the region. An international Board of Governors guides the Pacific Forum’s work. The Forum is funded by grants from foundations, corporations, individuals, and governments, the latter providing a small percentage of the forum’s $1.2 million annual budget. The Forum’s studies are objective and nonpartisan and it does not engage in classified or proprietary work. Comparative Connections A Quarterly E-Journal on East Asian Bilateral Relations Edited by Brad Glosserman and Carl Baker Volume 11, Number 3 Third Quarter (July-September) 2009 Honolulu, Hawaii October 2009 Comparative Connections A Quarterly Electronic Journal on East Asian Bilateral Relations Bilateral relationships in East Asia have long been important to regional peace and stability, but in the post-Cold War environment, these relationships have taken on a new strategic rationale as countries pursue multiple ties, beyond those with the U.S., to realize complex political, economic, and security interests.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from 10 Years of Healthcare Reform in China
    Practice BMJ Glob Health: first published as 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002086 on 19 March 2020. Downloaded from Towards universal health coverage: lessons from 10 years of healthcare reform in China 1 1 2 3 4 Wenjuan Tao , Zhi Zeng, Haixia Dang, Bingqing Lu, Linh Chuong, Dahai Yue,4 Jin Wen,1 Rui Zhao,5 Weimin Li,6 Gerald F Kominski4,7 To cite: Tao W, Zeng Z, Dang H, ABSTRACT Summary box et al. Towards universal health Universal health coverage (UHC) is driving the global health coverage: lessons from 10 agenda. Many countries have embarked on national policy ► Continued political support is the most important years of healthcare reform reforms towards this goal, including China. In 2009, the in China. BMJ Global Health enabling condition for achieving universal health Chinese government launched a new round of healthcare 2020;5:e002086. doi:10.1136/ coverage (UHC). China has shown clear political will- reform towards UHC, aiming to provide universal coverage bmjgh-2019-002086 ingness to make UHC achievement a more country- of basic healthcare by the end of 2020. The year of led process. 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of China’s most recent Handling editor Seye Abimbola ► Increasing health financing is necessary, and the in- healthcare reform. Sharing China’s experience is especially vestment from both government and private sector timely for other countries pursuing reforms to achieve WT and ZZ contributed equally. is considered. UHC. This study describes the social, economic and health ► A strong primary healthcare system should be re- Received 16 October 2019 context in China, and then reviews the overall progress of garded as a core component in realising UHC.
    [Show full text]