China is known to be a big country with lots of Chinese, who make products with 'made in China' on them. Now that China is developing to such an extent that it launches space missions and the economy of China is overheating and supporting other economies, the place of China within the world system is disputed. The used to be communist society has become a capitalistic totalitarian state with the capability to influence more then just the countries it has on its borders. Some rely on the predestination of China becoming a democracy and others rely on China to form the forces predicted in Revelations in the Bible. But what does the Chinese government think?

From the point of view of the Chinese government; a Chinese democracy is a prosperous and harmonious democracy. They don't mention or even hint to the word freedom. Choice of leadership is not based on representation, but the appointment of leaders who seem fit by the system. This does mean a shift from overall vertical control by the CPC (Communist Party of China), to a more horizontal business venture. This process started in 1978 with Deng Xiaoping and that there was a change is been accentuated and fully accepted by the Chinese officials. I would describe it as a company changing from a family lead situation (the family being the CPC), to a public limited liability situation. The power base is now shared within the political bureau with the major 'share holders' of the country: the company bosses from the industrial organizations. This leads to more capitalistic 'efficiency', but not a representation of the workers within the country.

The lack of representation is seen as a harmonious and prosperous way of forming a Chinese democracy and to keep a prosperous situation for its citizens the Chinese system is expanding itself. Firstly this means that the Chinese political bureau is starting to cover issues like environmental issues, living and workers conditions. From 2008 onwards people can't be fired without reason if they have worked for 10 years within a company for instance. Also the high prices are tackled by legislation, like fines for too high prices and higher taxation on the export of basic foodstuffs (like wheat flower). Environmental issues are tackled mostly by observation of bad conditions, which also tries to support the food delivery within the country. China does acknowledge the existence of global warming.

External expanding is done by deploying business ventures in third world countries and making contracts with first world countries. Company ethics is the best term to use within this context, because China does want to display itself as a trustworthy company with good products, but has total disregard for any human rights, if these are not taken into account by the buyer. Where there is no basis for workers rights, Chinese firms don't form workers rights.

Like the first public limited liability company always propagated (the VOC); ideals are bad for business. But like the old liberals of the 19th century in Europe found; production is supported by moderate healthy living conditions within the home country, which will also increase the sales of consumer products within that country. The Chinese political bureau is following these two lines, while not letting go of its power base as company boss. In a country where whole regions don't fall under any legislation -to give the industry room to develop without limits- it is questionable how much new legislation can change the conditions within China. Also widespread corruption is a major problem within China and this been tackled by efforts to root out non-harmonious corrupt leadership.

To maintain the ideal that the political bureau is the best and only solution for the China, a culture of harmony is upheld. Everything that is not harmonious with the system is 'perverted' and expelled. This ideal of China as an harmonic organic society is very nationalistic and Chinese education accentuates this nationalistic tendency. For the political bureau this is a strengthening of the power base, because it can claim to be the ultimate Chinese solution. All problems are seen as external problems, that have infiltrated the organic nation state. But with this China develops a nationalism which is not always in control of the political bureau. The business venture China without ideals and only harmony is not that apparent anymore with this nationalism.

To keep the country and not the people self conscious, political talk is nothing but the system within China. That this system offends other states in their democratic ideals is seen as a cultural problem, not a political one. Because of its business and power intentions the political bureau in China keeps its totalitarian subjection of its population discreet. Mostly its power as economic entity has lead to disputes with business partners, most notoriously the US, not its policies towards its inhabitants. If one refers to Tiananman square, one must know that China has paid its due by becoming a business partner for the countries which disapproved of this anti-humanitarian measure taken by the political bureau.

And can China survive in this situation? The political bureau has strengthened itself as leader of the Chinese economic state, so a democratic upheaval doesn't seem apparent. China is more threatened by its own prosperity. Economical overheating is acknowledged by the political bureau as a problem, but solving it will be problematic. The political bureau simply can't afford an economical crisis, because it's whole legitimacy is based upon the economical strength of the country. A crisis can occur due to overproduction, an environmental crisis and food shortages. There is no other politician to chose, if the political bureau disintegrates. This system can only use its institution of harmony and that will mean blaming a 'perverted' part of Chinese society.