Tuesday, February 15, 2005

China News, cont.

The BBC is going to start a political debate program in Shanghai, broadcast in China in front of a local audience. This is an important step forward for China, but we should avoid any triumphalism just yet. After all, one thing we can be sure of is that the Party will be watching the audience too. Still, one of the many examples of progress in China.

Many China-watchers have commented on how disappointed they've been with Hu Jintao's regime, which was originally hoped to be the triumph of reformers. But one of the things that needs to be remembered is that Hu still doesn't have reliable control of the government - hardliners still control a majority of the positions in the Chinese Politburo. If (a big if) Hu can fill just a few more seats with more reform-minded individuals, we might be able to see more change.

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