Central-provincial relationships in the People's Republic of China : Sichuan and Guizhou, 1955-1965
This thesis considers the relationship between centre and province in the People's Republic of China during the decade before the Cultural Revolution. Previous accounts of that relationship have provided different assessments of the impact of the decentralization measures introduced in 1957/8 on provincial autonomy. Here it is suggested that each of those accounts is to some extent unconvincing. There seems no reason to assume a priori that there is a necessary conflictual or servile relationship between centre and province, or that there is only one such relationship. There may be common characteristics of individual provinces relationship with the centre, but there may also be differences, and it is the determinants of those similarities and differences which need to be identified. This thesis concentrates on a province's relative autonomy and the behaviour of its formal political leadership in the relationship between centre and province. Of particular importance, it employs a provincial perspective on that relationship, rather than the national view provided in previous accounts, Sichuan and Guizhou have been chosen for a comparative case study. To a large extent the framework for discussion has been built
Goodman, David Stephen Gordon
History
Central-provincial relationships in the People's Republic of China : Sichuan and Guizhou, 1955-1965. This thesis considers the relationship between centre and province in the People's Republic of China during the decade before the Cultural Revolution. Previous accounts of that relationship have provided different assessments of the impact of the decentralization measures introduced in 1957/8 on provincial autonomy. Here it is suggested that each of those accounts is to some extent unconvincing. There seems no reason to assume a priori that there is a necessary conflictual or servile relationship between centre and province, or that there is only one such relationship. There may be common characteristics of individual provinces relationship with the centre, but there may also be differences, and it is the determinants of those similarities and differences which need to be identified. This thesis concentrates on a province's relative autonomy and the behaviour of its formal political leadership in the relationship between centre and province. Of particular importance, it employs a provincial perspective on that relationship, rather than the national view provided in previous accounts, Sichuan and Guizhou have been chosen for a comparative case study. To a large extent the framework for discussion has been built
central provincial relationship people_republic_china sichuan considers_relationship centre province people_republic_china decade cultural revolution previous account relationship provide different assessment impact measure introduce provincial autonomy suggested account extent seem reason assume priori necessary conflictual relationship centre province relationship may common_characteristic individual province relationship centre may_also difference determinant similarity_difference need identify concentrate province relative autonomy behaviour formal political leadership relationship centre province particular_importance employ provincial perspective relationship rather national view provide previous account sichuan choose comparative_case_study large_extent framework discussion build