China's Regional Politics: A Biographical Approach.

George C. S. Sung

Expert InsightsPublished 1974

Statistical analysis of biographical data, a relatively new technique in studying Chinese political behavior, is utilized to examine the state of Chinese provincial politics in 1971, by analyzing the background of those persons who were elected first secretary, second secretary, secretary, or deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) provincial committees between December 1970 and August 1971. From comparison with the provincial Party secretaries who held office in 1966, some conclusions may be drawn about the changes in provincial leadership since the Cultural Revolution. This paper suggests that, at least in the regional level, there is a shift in the primary loyalty from field army to military region, i.e., from ties based upon common history and personal loyalty to ties based upon common geographic location over a relatively long period of service. The paper also illustrates a central point of using the biographical technique in the context of seeing central Chinese politics from a viewpoint of provincial politics. (Updated from P-4998.) 29 pp.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1974
  • Pages: 29
  • Document Number: P-5272

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Sung, George C. S., China's Regional Politics: A Biographical Approach. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1974. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5272.html.
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