Daniel Bell and Qianfan Zhang on Which Political System Is Appropriate for China? An Exchange on Electoral Democracy and Political Meritocracy (Dao)

"Which Political System Is Appropriate for China? An Exchange on Electoral Democracy and Political Meritocracy"
Daniel Bell, Qianfan Zhang
Dao, Volume 24, pp. 199–226
Published online: April 2025

Abstract: Which political system is appropriate for China in the foreseeable future? In this dialogue between two scholars with different interpretations of the Confucian tradition, Zhang Qianfan 張千帆 argues that political leaders should be selected by means of electoral democracy, whereas Daniel A. Bell argues that they should be selected according to superior ability and virtue. They justify their arguments by appealing to contrasting views on human nature, political culture, and the role of the state, and draw some practical implications from Confucian-inspired moral and political theories.