The influence of think tanks in the Chinese policy process: Different ways and mechanisms

Asian Survey

Volumn 49, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 333-357

  Xufeng, Zhu ^a,b  

^a NANKAI UNIVERSITY   (China)

^b HARVARD UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Contemporary China; Influence; Policy process; Policy research institutes; Think tanks

Indexed keywords

FOREIGN POLICY; POLICY MAKING; RESEARCH;

ASIA; CHINA; EURASIA; FAR EAST;

EID: 65649099785     PISSN: 00044687     EISSN: 1533838X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1525/as.2009.49.2.333     Document Type: Article

References (56)

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15. Such as Catherine H. Keyser, Professionalizing Research in Post-Mao China: The System Reform Institute and Policy Making (Armonk, N. Y.: M. E. Sharpe, 2003);
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19. Related criticism includes Diane Stone, Andrew Denham, and Mark Garnett, eds., Think Tanks across Nations: A Comparative Approach (New York: Manchester University Press, 1998);
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25. As an example, the Office of Policy Studies (OPS) of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the biggest ministry in the State Council of China, was established at the same time as the NDRC was reorganized from the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) in 2003. Almost all speech manuscripts of NDRC leaders were prepared and drafted by the OPS.
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37. Zhu and Xue, "Think Tanks in Transitional China."
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41. Tanner, "Changing Windows on a Changing China"; Glaser and Saunders, "Chinese Civilian Foreign Policy Research Institutes"; Shai and Stone, "The Chinese Tradition of Policy Research Institutes"; Liao, Chinese Foreign Policy Think Tanks and China's Policy toward Japan.
42. There are five main levels in the administrative rank system of Chinese government agencies. From top to down, they are as follows: (1) the State Council; (2) bu (ministry) or sheng (province) level; (3) bureau level including ju or si (ministry bureau or functional department), ting or ju (provincial department), and diqu (prefecture); (4) chu (division) in ministries and xian (county) in local governments; and (5) ke (branch) in all government agencies.
43. David Shambaugh, "China's National Security Research Bureaucracy," China Quarterly 110 (June 1987), pp. 276-304
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45. The so-called "soft-science" (ruan kexue) in Chinese means that the research works serve as decision advice and consultancy for policy makers. The Division of Soft Science at the MOST is the sector that is in charge of overseeing registration and management of all China's "soft-science" research institutes no matter which field they may belong to. Therefore, our think tank samples cover various policy fields not limited in science and technology policy.
46. For details of the test of representativeness, please see "Appendix A" of Zhu Xufeng, "Zhongguo Zhengce Jingying de Shehui Ziben: Jiyu Jiegou Zhuyi Shijiao de Fenxi" [Social capital of Chinese policy elites: An analysis in the view of structuralism], Shehuixue Yanjiu [Sociological Studies] 4 (August 2006), pp. 86-116.
47. For detailed information of the indexes of the Chinese Core Journal edition 2004, see Zhongwen Hexin Qikan Yaomu Zonglan (2004 Nian Ban) [Overview of indexes of Chinese Core Journal (edition 2004)] (Beijing: Peking University Press, 2004).
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53. Sun Yafei, "Minjian Naoku de Ruoshi Shengcun" [Civilian think tanks' weak survival], in Nanfang Zhoumo [Southern Weekly], January 15, 2004; Sun Yafei, "Minjian Naoku de Zhangmenren" [Helmsmen of civilian think tanks], in ibid., January 16, 2004
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