Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Chinese Communist Party has not progressed in bringing about the political and social reforms indicated by Deng Xiaoping. This has resulted in the spreading of corruption and broad social injustices which are at the root of the mass protests which the political system has failed to address.  This is the criticism of CP liberals, who feel it is now urgent that the process of reform is resumed, limiting the power of the Party and increasing the democratic base.

Yanhuang Chunqiu, considered the nation’s most progressive newspaper, observes that following “the 1989 political turmoil" - a reference to the student-led democracy protests in Tiananmen Square crushed by the People's Liberation Army - while market reforms had moved forward, on the one hand transforming the country into the world's most booming economy, on the other hand breeding unprecedented social inequality and official corruption”. The article states that while Deng had indicated the intention to limit CP power and to separate it from government, a string of political decisions by the CP showed the country's democratisation had not only been shelved but also "severely regressed".  The reintroduction of parallel party agencies to governments at all levels, the slowing down of grass-roots democracy in rural areas and the failure of the monitoring role of the National People's Congress (the national legislature). The CP’s monopoly of power and the bureaucracy, the alarming lack of checks and balances of power, have had grave consequences such as widespread corruption, extensive social injustice and as a result frequent mass protest.

 “The [political] reform must have a timetable," the article said, citing Deng's view that the basic reform of the political system should be completed within 10 years after the 13th Party Congress. There is also a direct criticism of the current leadership, “its "lack of resolve and confidence" and reluctance to "take necessary political risk”.

On the contrary Hu Jintao, in an address to the CP central school, insisted that the dominant role of the CP needed to be maintained and that any approach to change needed to be taken “step-by-step”.

Analysts say major political events, such as the five-yearly party caucus slated for his autumn, tended to give rise to relatively unfettered debate on political reform that central leaders might not tolerate once they had cemented their power at the congress.  Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis News observes that “There was a really lively discussion about political change in the press before the 16th Party Congress five years ago”, but without any follow through.