Tiao-kuai
Encyclopedia
The tiao-kuai system, also known as tiáotiáo-kuàikuài (条条块块) to emphasize the plurality, describes the quasi-federal
arrangement of administration in the People's Republic of China
. The term tiáo refers to the vertical lines of authority over various sector reaching down from the ministries of the central government
. Kuài refers to the horizontal level of authority of the territorial government at the provincial or local level. According to political scientist Kenneth Lieberthal
, "The former coordinates according to function ([for] example, environment); the latter coordinates according to the needs of the locality that it governs." Thus a local environmental protection bureau may have reporting responsibilities to both the central government's State Environmental Protection Administration and to the mayor of the city in which it is located.
Constitutionally, organizations in both the functional and territorial systems of governance are assigned to a system of ranks. Central ministries are at the same rank as provincial governments. Writes Lieberthal, "One key rule of the Chinese system is that units of the same rank cannot issue binding orders to each other. Operationally, this means that no ministry can issue a binding order to a province." This means a province may challenge, overrule, or ignore decisions made by a ministry. This two-dimensional arrangement sometimes creates undesirable conflicts
, and there have been calls for tiao-kuai integration (条块结合; tiáo-kuài jiéhé), although this is unlikely to occur due to resistance from the provinces.
Under the Deng Xiaoping
reforms, provinces were given substantial economic and political authority. This posed a problem for the central government in that the central government had no independent means of enforcing its authority to prevent local protectionism
or enforce standard
s. Hence in the 1990s, the PRC government began creating parallel central organizations. Most of these organizations deal with economic regulation
s.
An analogous situation can be seen in federal systems such as the United States
where the federal
and state governments
operate in parallel, but neither has the authority
to command the other. Although the power relationships are similar the actual powers exercised can be quite different. For example, there are parallel institutions for police
and financial securities regulation in the United States, but not in the PRC.
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
arrangement of administration in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The term tiáo refers to the vertical lines of authority over various sector reaching down from the ministries of the central government
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
. Kuài refers to the horizontal level of authority of the territorial government at the provincial or local level. According to political scientist Kenneth Lieberthal
Kenneth Lieberthal
Kenneth Lieberthal is an American academic.He is the director of the John L. Thornton China Center and a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public-policy organization based in Washington, D.C.-Early life and...
, "The former coordinates according to function ([for] example, environment); the latter coordinates according to the needs of the locality that it governs." Thus a local environmental protection bureau may have reporting responsibilities to both the central government's State Environmental Protection Administration and to the mayor of the city in which it is located.
Constitutionally, organizations in both the functional and territorial systems of governance are assigned to a system of ranks. Central ministries are at the same rank as provincial governments. Writes Lieberthal, "One key rule of the Chinese system is that units of the same rank cannot issue binding orders to each other. Operationally, this means that no ministry can issue a binding order to a province." This means a province may challenge, overrule, or ignore decisions made by a ministry. This two-dimensional arrangement sometimes creates undesirable conflicts
Group conflict
Group conflict, or hostilities between different groups, is a pervasive feature common to all levels of social organization .. Although group conflict is one of the most complex phenomena studied by social scientists, the history of the human race evidences a series of group-level conflicts that...
, and there have been calls for tiao-kuai integration (条块结合; tiáo-kuài jiéhé), although this is unlikely to occur due to resistance from the provinces.
Under the Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
reforms, provinces were given substantial economic and political authority. This posed a problem for the central government in that the central government had no independent means of enforcing its authority to prevent local protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
or enforce standard
Standardization
Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....
s. Hence in the 1990s, the PRC government began creating parallel central organizations. Most of these organizations deal with economic regulation
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
s.
An analogous situation can be seen in federal systems such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where the federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and state governments
State governments of the United States
State governments in the United States are those republics formed by citizens in the jurisdiction thereof as provided by the United States Constitution; with the original 13 States forming the first Articles of Confederation, and later the aforementioned Constitution. Within the U.S...
operate in parallel, but neither has the authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
to command the other. Although the power relationships are similar the actual powers exercised can be quite different. For example, there are parallel institutions for police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and financial securities regulation in the United States, but not in the PRC.
See also
- Chinese federalismChinese federalismChinese federalism refers to political theories which argue that China's central government either does or should devolve large amounts of power to local entities....
- Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China
External links
- "China’s Governing System And Its Impact on Environmental Policy Implementation" by Kenneth Lieberthal
- BBC News: How China is ruled (2002); How China is ruled (2011)