It looks to me as though it had little choice. The oppression of the 80's couldn't go on. Remember Tienanmen square? I think it was a case of reform of face a revolution. The current socialist market economy is a compromise that has been forced on the state. It's eroded their power and I think is pretty clearly a transitional phase in Chinas history. Sooner or later, they will demand a multi party sytem and an elected government, it's human nature. The alternative is to doom yourself to global isolation and totalitarianism, like North Korea - which will implode eventually.
Hi,
At the risk of getting banned, stood down or the thread locked I'll proffer a response.
Deng Xiaoping had steered China on the pathway to economic reform before the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Economic reform began in the late 1970's and continued apace in the early to mid 80's. So reform of the system was occuring prior to 1989 and has continued after. We were discussing Shenzhen earlier, Shenzhen was designated a Special economic Zone in the late 70's...
Far from being a compromise the current system is designed to offer the benifits of a free market economy with retention of a single party state.
The Chinese tend to plan on a different time scale than Western Governments. So it's not unsusal for 'plans' to be set out over 10,20,30 year time frames...
One view you could argue is that from a historical perspective every phase in the history of a Nation is trasnsitional. But I agree at some point the Chinese people may demand a different political system for themselves. As long as it's what they want not what were telling them they should have and it's implemented with out bloodshed then let them crack on.
I think your comparison with North Korea is flawed as China is totally different politically and Socially. Far from being closed or isolationist China is open for world trade and a lot of the stuff ( if not the majority) we consume in the west from Karrimor SF rucksacks to I Phones is made there.
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