Economic change and political development in China: Findings from a public opinion survey

More than 20 years of economic reforms and opening up to the outside world have produced meaningful social, economic and political transformations in China. Have there been corresponding changes in the political-cultural orientations¹ of the Chinese public? This article examines some changes in orientations, based on the preliminary findings of an opinion survey conducted in China in 2000. The 2000 survey used an adapted form of a questionnaire used in a survey conducted in 1990 by Nathan and Shi. The evidence of the 2000 survey data suggests that the political-cultural orientations of the Chinese public are becoming more liberal and pro-democratic as China's economy continues to grow, possibly providing the basis for a transition to some form of popular democracy.