China's political reform must combine modern ideals and tradition

The way a party presents itself can either enhance or undermine a regime's legitimacy, and China is no exception. The regime currently faces a legitimacy crisis, partly because the Communist Party presents itself in such an ugly way that it has eroded the traditional Confucian moral basis of the state.

There is no doubt the one-party system is responsible for China's economic success, and that it will remain the dominant force for years to come.

But the topic of republicanism remains relevant today, even for maintaining the legitimacy of one-party rule. The party faces growing public dissatisfaction over rampant corruption among its political elites, and the seven new leaders presented at the just concluded 18th party congress do not have a convincing mandate to rule.

Constitutionally, China is a "people's republic", but it resembles neither a republic nor a traditional dynasty; it is an unnatural hybrid of a Chinese political body dominated by an alien political organ, the politburo.

The politburo system was abandoned in most parts of the communist world after the end of the cold war, so why does China insist on keeping this ugly relic of the Russian revolution?

The party also performs poorly in presenting itself on the issue of political reform. While the new leaders appear to agree that the party's badly damaged image is in urgent need of a makeover, no concrete ideas have yet been put forth.

So how can things be improved? In seeking to redesign China's political system, analysts tend to look towards Western democracy while neglecting to consider modern China's republicanism. It is easy to see why it is often overlooked: the term "People's Republic of China" suggests that the nature of the Chinese political system has long been defined.