The Research On Causes, Effects And Countermeasures Of Local Protectionism In China: An Analytic Framework Of Politics

Local protectionism is an emerging extreme narrow of wrong thinking andbehavior when the local government (including party committees, the power ofexecutive, legislative and judicial branches, etc.) in the conversion of non-stakeholderunder the highly centralized system to autonomy stakeholders under market economyconditions only consider local interests without regard to the overall interests. Localprotectionism is a new phenomenon since the establishment of the market economy,which is different from localism, separatism, and nationalism in Chinese history andalso different from parochialism, sectarianism and dispersion doctrine after the foundingof new China. The main purpose of the local government implementing localprotectionism is to promote local economic development, and seek political capital forthe government officials. It is not dared to openly defy the decision of centralgovernment’s and superiors, or pursue political division or independent. Localprotectionism undermines the unity of the national government decree, and weakens thecapacity of the national macro-control. It hinders the formation of a unified nationalmarket, and affects China’s socialist modernization drive seriouslyAt the beginning of transition to market economy, the local protectionism began toproduce and spread. Political reasons are as follows: The first, the traditional politicalideas and culture of Confucianism causes influence. The planned economy causesinertial effects.; the second, the government function is misplacement. This situation isshown as the border of government and corporate is confusion. And the governmentintervene the market too much, too deep; the third, after the reform and opening up,releasing power reform reduces the central government’s control force. And alsoweakens the capacity for national macro-control. Cut-throat competition among localgovernments at the same level generates local protectionism; the fourth, assessment andsupervision mechanism is not perfect. The achievements evaluation schemes taking economic development as the standard urge local government which has the dynamic tocarry out the local protectionism. The lack of restraint of power urges local governmentwhich has the ability to carry out the local protectionism.The politic impact caused by local protectionism is negative. Local protectionismundermines the image of our government, and weakens the authority of the party’sleadership. It fuels power with money transactions, and breeds of social corruption;Local protectionism undermines the central government decrees, and weakens thecountry’s macro-control ability seriously. It expands the differences between regions,and becomes a potential factor of social instability; Local protectionism hinders the ruleof law as a fundamental principle, and undermines the unity of legal system of the state,and encourages the tendencies of the "rule of man”.Solve local protectionism should consider China’s specific national conditions, andputs forward some effective countermeasures. First of all, developing market economy,to get rid of the Influence of "fumuguan""the official term for the benefit of the party"and other narrow political ideas. Secondly, transforms government functions, andreduces microeconomic interventions. And strengthens the government’s macro-controlability, and enhances the government’s public service functions. Then, improvesintergovernmental relations, and strengthens central authority, and achievesintergovernmental relations standardization and legalization. Finally, developscomprehensive performance evaluation mechanism, and improves mechanisms ofoversight powers.