Chinese Law and Politics Blog

Position: Intern, Congressional-Executive Commission on China

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is currently soliciting resumes for fall internships (paid) in Washington D.C., working on Chinese human rights and rule of law issues. Interns must be U.S. citizens.

Applications for fall internships must be received by August 1.  Further details are available on the Commission's Web site at www.cecc.gov. 

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to the CECC via e-mail to Judy Wright or via fax at (202) 226-3804, attention: Judy Wright, Director of Administration.

What Do Chinese "Democratic Evaluation" Campaigns Look Like?

    Numerous local Chinese authorities have launched "democratic evaluation" (民主评议) campaigns in recent months. These are aimed at improving the accountability and transparency of local governance by using a degree of citizen participation, under tight Party controls, to evaluate the performance of local officials. (See below for the details of one such campaign, in Shanxi province.)

    Chinese authorities seek to use these measures as a means to address pervasive corruption and abuse in local Chinese governments. But the continued monopoly of local Party influence over these efforts, and the unwillingness of Chinese authorities to create truly independent institutions to monitor Party and government power, raises questions as to their likelihood of success.