The Hindu : Chinese leaders discuss reforms

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 12, 2003

International

International

Chinese leaders discuss reforms

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE Oct. 11. The toning up of China's "socialist market economic system'' and the proposed revision of a part of the State Constitution are the main subjects on the agenda of an important political meeting that began in Beijing today. The meeting — the third plenary session of the 16th Central Committee of the governing Communist Party of China (CPC) — is expected to last four days.

The latest plenum has been convened in the light of a decision by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in August this year. It was noted, at that time, that China's Constitution required "appropriate revisions'' as also some supplementary provisions so that it could continue to facilitate the ongoing process of reforms and modernisation. The August meeting of the Political Bureau had observed that China's current Constitution did, on the whole, meet the needs of reform besides the opening-up and modernisation drive. While the Constitution should, therefore, be kept `stable', it could also do with certain suitable revisions in accordance with the relevant legal procedures.

While the details of the proposed changes were not made public at that time, the idea was that the "objective demands'' and realities of the current process of China's economic and social development would determine the revisions.

The Political Bureau will, for the first time, report on its work to the CPC Central Committee that began its latest plenum today. The official Xinhua news agency quoted analysts and experts as saying that this procedure would further enhance the party's internal democracy and political vitality under Hu Jintao's stewardship as the CPC's General Secretary.

The overall political context of the present initiatives of the party can be traced to the commencement of the reform process about a quarter century ago. What is now being fashioned is a "new starting point'' for China's reform process against the backdrop of the decisions made, nearly a decade ago, on issues relating to the firm establishment of a socialist market economic system.

Diplomats in the Chinese capital note that the latest moves by the CPC could perhaps be linked to the new ideas, now in vogue, about the political representational character of the party for the purpose of the country's economic development.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Syria warns Israel against repeating strike

Chinese leaders discuss reforms

Khaleda hopes for `acceptable solution' to water issues

Bush vows to tighten sanctions on Cuba

South Korean crisis deepens

Kashmir figures at OIC meeting

Indian immigrants face trial in Russia

Jamali reacts sharply to Phalcon deal

Booker contender's murky past

Four journalists assaulted

Foreign Ministers of India, China, Russia to meet again