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China Bans Book on Constitutional Democracy Ahead of ‘Constitution Day’

Communist Party dismisses constitutionalism as a ‘western value’ designed to undermine China

Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping / AP
December 3, 2015

China has banned a new book on constitutional democracy just a day before Beijing celebrates "Constitution Day," the Financial Times reports.

The book by prominent historian Qin Hui discusses "China’s dream" of eventually achieving a constitutional democracy, rather than an authoritarian government ruled by the Communist Party.

The Times reports:

Qin Hui, a historian at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, told the Financial Times that his book Zouchu Dizhi (Moving Away from the Imperial Regime), had been "banned". "It’s like they want to kill someone and won’t even let him complain about it," he added. "I can’t talk about this matter."

Staff at the official Xinhua news agency’s flagship bookstore in downtown Beijing said Prof Qin’s book, which traces the political transition from the late Qing dynasty to Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist regime, was "out of stock" — as did online retailers. An employee at the book’s publisher, who asked not to be named, added that the volume had "quality problems".

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has superintended a broad crackdown against dissidents and minorities in China, has denounced political traditions in the West, including democracy and individual rights:

Communist party officials have consistently dismissed "constitutionalism", an independent judiciary and other "western values" as tools of foreign hostile forces bent on undermining their own vision of "socialism with Chinese characteristics".

In October, a planned display of a copy of the Magna Carta — the mother of all constitutional documents that curbed an English king’s powers 800 years ago — at Beijing’s Renmin university had to be shifted to the UK ambassador’s residence.

Published under: China