Party admits country will grind to halt without reforms

An article published today in the government People's Daily said: "The path to follow is that of reforms in political, cultural and social systems. Without these, no decent results are possible."

Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) – The government-run People's Daily today published a signed article claiming that "the country will be able to keep up its growth only if it presses ahead with true social reforms".

"China should never swerve from the path of reform that started 28 years ago in building a socialist market economy," said Zhong Xuanli, a pseudonym shielding a Communist leader. "This is the path for the prosperity of its people, but without social reform, China cannot make further progress, nor could it keep the achievements that have been scored."

The article was intended to counter criticisms that have emerged in recent years among Communist leaders and Intelligence, who claim corruption, social inequality and popular discontent have followed the opening up of the market.

The article responds: "Our country should not withdraw; in fact it should open the doors of its market wider. In doing so, however, it must do something lasting to counter the many problems facing its citizens. Among these, the most urgent are high medical bills, difficulty in ensuring quality schooling for all children, and the plight of workers, that seems get worse each year."

The author added: "On the basis of economic development, more attention should be given to social equity: people's fundamental interests must be the starting point of any reform and the basis of every government decision." The article ends by saying: "Naturally, all this should be done without abandoning the system and teachings of Socialism, the only path to freedom."

Although the article did not mention political changes explicitly, more than once, the author referred to reform as an "indispensable part of a comprehensive process involving areas such as political, cultural and social systems."

• China
• economy
• politics
• social
• reforms
• market
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• rights