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The Dynamics of Fragmented Authoritarianism

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China as a Double-Bind Regulatory State

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Abstract

This chapter analyses the second source of the party-state’s double-bind logic in the regulation of private ISM firms: fragmented authoritarianism. It entails two dynamics: vertical fragmentation and horizontal fragmentation. They respectively open margins of manoeuvring of private ISM firms in the economic and political regulation. On the economic axis, the party-state’s authority over firms is weakened by the inclusion of local regulators into the regulation landscape. Under the pressure of competitive liberalisation, localities compete for proffering preferential policies to private firms. Backed by their economic power, influential ISM firms acquire significant bargaining power vis-à-vis local regulators. On the political axis, the political regulation is marked by the predicament of “multiple principals”. Lack of coordination among them enables private ISM firms to “divide and manoeuvre”.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Interview P-01/12/2019.

  2. 2.

    Forward (2021). “Analytical Report on the Development Prospects of the Chinese Internet Industry and Its Leading Firms (2020–2025)”. One resume of the report is available at https://dy.163.com/article/FRSD1F0G0519811T.html.

  3. 3.

    Interview B-18/12/2019.

  4. 4.

    “Ali Imitated the Mother of Menfucius Who Changed Address Three Times, Why It Does Not Choose Beijing or Shanghai as Its Headquarter,” sohu.com, 22 September 2016, https://www.sohu.com/a/114845861_157451.

  5. 5.

    Ibid.

  6. 6.

    “Tencent, Which the Folks Call the Must-Be-Victorious Quest of Nanshan, Fails Again: It Is So Hard to Win a Lawsuit Outside the Nanshan District,” sohu.com, 10 June 2020,

    https://m.k.sohu.com/d/457628622?channelId=4&page=3.

  7. 7.

    “Based on the Reality of the Province, Which Special Industries Should Gansu Develop to Achieve a Better Development,” Zhihu.com, 16 October 2019, https://www.zhihu.com/question/275247595.

  8. 8.

    “Special Interview with the Former Content Moderator at Sina Weibo: How China Is Building an Online ‘Ministry of Truth’,” VOA, 12 August 2020, https://www.voachinese.com/a/internet-censorship-20200812/5540475.html.

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  1. Peking University, Beijing, China

    Aifang Ma

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Ma, A. (2024). The Dynamics of Fragmented Authoritarianism. In: China as a Double-Bind Regulatory State. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8857-0_6

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