Is China a democracy or a dictatorship?

China’s political system is complicated, and there’s a lot of contradictory information out there. Is China a communist country? Is it democratic, as its own government insists? And what does “freedom” mean to Chinese citizens? Ian Johnson, CFR’s senior fellow for China studies, answers these questions and more. 00:00 - Is China a democracy or a dictatorship? 00:40 - Why does China say it’s a democracy? 01:23 - Is dissent allowed in China? 02:00 - Why is freedom of expression limited in China? 03:23 - Does the Chinese public have a say in how the country is run? 04:12 - Can people voice concerns to the Chinese government? 04:59 - If not democracy, then what do the Chinese people want? Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/