China: A Political Meritocracy

In China’s political meritocracy versus Western democracy (published June 12, 2018 in The Economist), Daniel Bell, professor at the Tsinghua University, one of the top academic institutions in China, describes the Chinese political system as a political meritocracy.

Clearly China isn't a democracy; but should it be? We are, in the West, maybe too quick to assume it should, in part because we value democracy and may fear that a large non-democratic country can be a force against democracy in the world. Daniel Bell argues that China is allied with the West on a number of liberal values (like basic human rights and equality before the law), that China isn't trying to export its political system, and that political meritocracy may be a better system for China, given its size and history.