The belief that the Chinese are generally nonlitigious people has been remarkably popular in the English literature. It is argued that, due to cultural preferences and organizational arrangements, the Chinese are socialized to perceive and solve social conflict in a particularly Chinese way. One organization that has received special attention is the people's mediation committee, a so-called mass organization that is organized by the local residents to resolve their own daily disputes. For critics of the system, the mediation committee represents the omnipotent state penetrating into people's everyday lives. For its sympathizers, it provides an ideal model for community justice. Regardless of whether observers condone or condemn China's mediation system, it is generally agreed that, as an alternative to state law, the committee profoundly influences order in Chinese society.