We do research in two fields: democratic transition and economic transition. With respect to political transition, we focus on experiences and lessons of democratic transitions in various countries, how to manage the process of a democratic transition so as to minimize uncertainties and enhance the likelihood of success , and the choices of constitutional frameworks which will help to consolidate democracy and make it stable and durable. With respect to economic transition, we mainly explore political conditions required by economic reform, structural reforms required for the building of a free market economy, and key structural reforms such as land, finance, and capital market. This research, which is in nature prospective, is not merely about the future. So long as people are unsure of what the future may hold, they are more likely to fear the uncertainty of the future rather than fight for it courageously and enthusiastically. We encourage our research fellows to look into these and related issues confronting China from cross-national and comparative perspectives

The Democratic College affiliated with our institute provides distant learning opportunities at no cost. The courses on offer are prohibited in the universities of China for political reasons. There are courses on issues of democratic transition and economic transition. Anyone, regardless of his or her age and professional background, and whether he or she is located inside or outside of mainland China, can register as a student either with their real names or pseudonyms. A student who finishes three courses successfully, upon his or her request, will be granted a certificate of advanced study of transitology.

There are over 120 electoral democracies in the world today, which constitute more than 60 percentage of independent nations. While many countries have succeeded in building and maintaining a democracy, many others have experienced democratic breakdown or are struggling with maintaining their democracy. As a result, there is a large body of literature on democratic transition, democratic construction, and democratic success and failure. However, only a few of those works have been translated into Chinese and published in mainland China, usually in an abridged, censored, form. Many great works are either left unnoticed by Chinese scholars or can only be accessed by a few people who have sufficient English. The scarcity of academic resources and insufficiency of knowledge about democratic transitions around the world profoundly impact the quality of discussions among Chinese scholars and activists about how to democratize China. We will address this gap by translating important Western academic works into Chinese and publishing them on our website. Considering that China must transition to free market economy as well, we also translate Western academic works that discuss economic reforms in comparative perspectives.

The achievement of democracy requires not only struggle but also cooperation. Democracy can only be established by using methods of democracy. Dialogues and negotiation have been common in the third wave of democratization around the world over the past four decades; roundtable, instead of guillotine, is the totem of our time. By dialogues, negotiations and agreements, uncertainties of the transitional period can be minimized; fear, anger and hatred can be mitigated; and a new era in which people join hands to work for a free, democratic and peaceful future, will hopefully be started. It is true that China has not yet reached the point when major political forces are ready to sit down together at a roundtable. Nevertheless, there is at least one thing we can do in the run up to such dialogues: study how other countries used roundtable talks to start and manage their democratic transitions, and promote discussions among academics and various political groups in China.

This is a series of small conferences held in the United States, specifically Princeton, New Jersey. Most of the participants are Chinese scholars, students, and democratic activists. The purpose of the salon is to promote thinking and understanding of various aspects of China among scholars, artists, politicians, and businessmen, from China, and Americans interested in and knowledgeable about Chinese affairs. The salon covers a wide variety of subjects ranging from politics, economics and law to culture. The salon emphasizes truthfulness, open-mindedness, and innovative and creative thinking.

China Journal of Democracy is a quarterly publication by the Institute for China’s Democratic Transition, aiming to provides Chinese readers with fresh knowledge and opinions about significant issues facing China and the world, particularly about issues of democracy and democratic transition. It serves as a free discussion platform for pro-democracy Chinese intellectuals in and outside China, and publishes articles by foreign experts or interviews with foreign experts as well. The electronic version of the journal is delivered by email to readers in mainland China. Readers can also access the journal by visiting this website. Since its launch in January 2023, the journal has quickly become the flagship publication for pro-democracy Chinese intellectuals.

To access each issue of the journal, please click: Here.

For information of the journal’s work team, advisory and editorial boards, how to submit manuscripts, and how to subscribe, please click: Here.