Taiwan`s Democratization Expeience and the Future Democratization of China--from Huntington`s Democratization Theory

Abstract

In The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Samuel P. Huntington noted a particular group of regime transitions that occurred in a certain period of time, trying to explain why, how, and what consequences these countries faced on their way to democratization and the implications from these transitions for the endurance, future, and directions of other democracies This article tries to borrow Huntington`s theory to study Taiwan`s democratic experiences and the prospects for China’s democratization in the future. One of the key findings is that whether the fourth wave democratization can take place in China will depend on the leadership "Economic development makes democracy possible; political leadership makes it real.