Yuanheng Zheng

Citation

Thesis Title
Political and Ethnic Representation in Chinese Local Governance - Analysis of the Roles of the Deputies of Leishan County People's Congress, Guizhou Province, China

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Dual roles create representational dilemmas for deputies of a Miao County People’s Congress in China because they are representing both the interests of the state towards the community and the interests of the community towards the state. To investigate these dilemmas, Mr Zheng used four research methods; focus groups, semi-structured interviews, purposive observation and document analysis. He explained the political and ethnic representation of the deputies by exploring the deputies' achievements as well as the challenges they faced in playing their roles as both agents of, and remonstrators to, the state. His research found that the deputies were both coordinators and negotiators in a traditional structure of polycentric governance. Mr Zheng’s results provided valuable insights into the governance and politics of a local government body dominated by an ethnic minority and the interplay of these dynamics with central government authorities presided over by Han Chinese.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Gerard Prinsen
Professor Glenn Banks