Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, March 19, 2012

Top down reform in China?

The remarks by China's premier were front page news in the West. But at China's Xinhua news agency, they were buried deep in the web site.

Wen says China needs political reform, warns of another Cultural Revolution if without [sic]

Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday that China needs not only economic reform but also political structural reform, especially the reform of the leadership system of the Party and the government.

Wen warned… that historical tragedies like the Cultural Revolution may happen in China again should the country fail to push forward political reform to uproot problems occurring in the society…

He noted although after the crackdown on the Gang of Four, the Party adopted resolutions on many historical matters, and decided to conduct reforms and opening-up, the mistake of the Cultural Revolution and feudalism have yet to be fully eliminated.

"The reform can only go forward and must not stand still, less go backwards because that offers no way out."…

As the economy continues to develop, Wen said, such problems as income disparity, lack of credibility and corruption, have occurred.

"I'm fully aware that to resolve these problems, we must press ahead with both economic structural reforms and political structural reforms , in particular reforms on the leadership system of the Party and the country," he said…

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