Journal of Contemporary China, Vol. 25, No.98, March 2016

Zhang Nandiyang, teacher of Public Administration department of Remin University of China

This paper examines the importance of the political elite league in our basic administrative reform. Through in-depth study of Shunde (2008-2012) case under the rule of the ocean, it proposes "provincial - grassroots political elite alliance" as an analytical concept that the Union is the core power to promote local reform. Article considers it is essential for reform success to establish the "reciprocal trust" on the basis of the political elite league. By comparing the non-ocean Pearl River Delta region and Shunde under the rule of ocean, study suggested that the nature of "Provincial - grassroots political alliance" is vulnerable, and the lack of either league will lead to ineffective or failure of the reform.

Shunde case reveals the political elite league has an important role to China basic administrative reform. "Provincial - grassroots political elite alliance" is based on reciprocal trust. In the alliance, the provincial political elite is the initiator of the alliance. Provincial political elite first expressed the will to build alliance with grass roots by satisfying the demands of grass-roots. After receiving signal, if grassroots political elite is positive with innovative spirit, both sides will be easier to build trust. Provincial political elite has ability to meet the demands of the grassroots; grassroots political elite have actual power to implement intent of the provincial political elite to reform. After the provincial political elite express a will of alliance, if both sides have shown sincerity to meet the demands of the other party, the Alliance will be officially formed. After the alliance will further promote the reform of the formation, and both sides no longer need tempt each other but enter to the formal stage of cooperation, and communication will reduce consequent cost of reform. During cooperation, the provincial political elite leads the direction of reform, and decided reform agenda matters of the grassroots. Grassroots political elite is responsible for the development of specific programs to promote reform.

Such elite alliance requires strong provincial reform man with strong will and grass-roots officials with innovative spirit. Lack of any party will result in rupture of the alliance. Through a comparative analysis, the researchers noted the innovative grass-roots political elite's different attitudes towards different provincial political elites. Facing provincial reform man with strong will, grassroots political elite with innovative spirit will build alliance with provincial reform man to promote reform; facing moderate reformers, grassroots political elite with innovative spirit will use guerrilla tactics to break soft limitation, and continue to promote reform; facing a conservative provincial leader, even grassroots political elite with innovative spirit will not promote the reform as his wish.

Different grassroots political elites' attitudes towards to the orders from the same provincial political elite is different as well. Although disobedience does not happen, but what attitude will perform, different grassroots political elites have autonomy and a considerable degree of difference. On the basis of comparative analysis, the study pointed out that the enthusiastic grass-roots political elite may actively complete the task of reforming from the superior, even taking risky innovation; and unenthusiastic grassroots political elite will take passive way.

Based on this, studies suggest that many factors - the formation of "provincial grassroots political elite alliance", such as the degree of support from the central government, whether provincial political elites own the reform vision, the support degree of provincial political elite towards to grass-roots political elites, enthusiasm and ability to promote reform of grass-roots political elite. The limitations of "provincial grassroots political elite alliance" is it is difficulty for provincial political elite to transcend boundaries to break through provincial authority in the field, therefore, it is necessary to rely on such elite league to break the limitations and promote the basic administrative reform. Any side's left may lead to the collapse of coalition. Difficult and unstable coalition's formation reveals that it is easy to successfully promote basic administrative reform.