中国的基层选举（英文版）

　　The word "election" has long been used in China.Huainanzi， a philosophical classic of the Han Dynasty （206BC-AD 220）， even says in the Bing Lue chapter that elec-tions can help win the hearts of virtuous men.Strictly speaking， however， under 2，000 years of feu-dal despotism， elections in China were nothing but a meansfor the ruling class to appoint their own officials， as pertheir own whims and convenience. Although democraticideas had infiltrated into the country from the West， theyhad had little impact.Regular， impartial elections in China can thus be saidto have begun after the founding of the Peoples Republicof China in 1949， and to have sprouted at the grassrootslevel， in the rural areas. The reform and opening up policyinitiated in the 1970s brought tremendous changes toChinas political， economic， and cultural scenarios.Grassroots elections also made their debut in China duringthe same period. The election of the villagers committee，a product of Chinas grassroots election， captured world-wide attention when it was first introduced. In fact the newelections have not only facilitated the development ofChinas political system at the grassroots level， but alsoimproved the strength and integrity of the grassroots elec-tion system.

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