The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) faced two serious legitimacy crises, but it was able to regain political legitimacy by adopting positive-stability measures. The first crisis was in the mid-1970s after the Cultural Revolution and Chairman Mao’s death. The CCP overcame the situation by adopting political and economic rationalization and legalization. The second crisis in the late 1980s was in the form of the Tiananmen Square incident. The party again gained legitimacy through adopting economic nationalism, eudaemonism and traditional Chinese political conservatism. The trend may continue in future.
