Silk and Knots of Chinese Governance

The book uses the Laosapian ??? (Three Constantly Read Articles) to demonstrate the rich historical trajectories of Chinese governance, from ancient China to the current form of governance run under President Xi Jinping. The Laosapian also covers the cumulative impact of 20th century wars of independence in China, involving internal and external enemies, which culminated in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The book argues that the Laosanpian borrows from other traditional Chinese texts, allegories and children rhymes such as Dizigui ??? (Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child), written in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) by Li Yuxiu. The Laosanpian also shows themes witnessed in the Sanzijing ??? (The Three Classics), written during the Song dynasty (960-1279) by Wang Yinglin, which emphasises basic requisites for being a good person and guidelines for living in harmony with others. Simply stated, the Laosanpian is an expression of societal obligation and a contract between the state and citizenry. In this book, Confucian postulates of "benevolence" and "propriety" are revealed to be founding pillars for PRC governance system that relies on "harmony", "diligence", "trust", "people-centred approach" and "real results outcomes" articulated by President Xi as core leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the PRC. The historical, philosophical processes described in this book, reflect on the paradigm shifts in the Warring States (ca. 475-221 BCE), the Six Dynasties (220-265 CE) that led to a unified strong Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), and the Song-Yuan-Ming Transition (960-1279; 1279-1368, to 1368-1644). These historical transitions and continuities of Traditional Chinese bureaucracy as exemplified by the Gentleman scholar shi ?, the harmonious CPC-PRC nexus, are still in place in present-day governance system as articulated in President Xi Jinping's multi-volume Governance of China.