Before the current period of reform was initiated, the legitimacy of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was theoretically guaranteed due to the Party’s high moral position in politics. However, legal reformers in China have recently begun to reconceptualize the notions of the mass line and democratic centralism. Thus reform, which was initially started to restore order, has now extended its scope to include the control of all political actors, in particular those who may become potential abusers of power. The process of democratic consultation and the role of China’s 8 other extant political parties have also been increasingly highlighted in scholarly literature as important control mechanisms. In addition, the elected People’s Congress has of late been singled out by reformers to take the place of the CCP as the highest organ of power in the country. At the same time, views of the CCP as a selfless, dependable ruling party have become less relevant as talk of control mechanisms has spread. This article therefore also touches upon how such discussion may in fact allude to the role of moral politics in Chinese democracy.
