The authoritarian regime in China is a prime target of the US-led war on autocracy; however, the regime claims a majority of the Chinese people trust the government, with national surveys since the 1990s supporting this assertion. How much do Chinese citizens actually trust the one-party regime? Instead of dismissing survey results, Li examines the contexts in which Chinese citizens are predisposed to say they trust the government. He argues that political trust in China is a power-accommodating and nonbinding hope rather than a rights-based and binding expectation as Chinese citizens do not have the right to grant and retract trust through free and fair elections.

Lianjiang Li is Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.

List of Figure
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
2. Definition
Interpersonal Trust
Political Trust
The Chinese Variant
Conclusion
3. Measurement
Two-dimensional Measurement
Evidence from Local Surveys
Evidence from National Surveys
Conclusion
4. Construction
Three-pronged Strategy
Empirical Evidence
Conclusion
5. Effect on Political Participation
Voice, Petition, and Defiance
Data, Hypotheses, and Models
Findings and Discussions
Conclusion
6. Implication for System Support
Measuring Diffuse System Support
Popular Election of the President
Acceptance of the One-Party Rule
Conclusion
7. Conclusions
Appendix 1. Survey Data
Appendix 2. Variable Descriptions
Appendix 3. A Note on Measurement
Bibliography