THE END IS JUST A MATTER OF PACE:

Beijing spring: Democracy is in the air (Kent Ewing, 4/27/07, Asia Times)

Spring has not proved to be a hopeful season in the politics of China's past, but that could be changing. These days, there is democracy as well as pollen in the air. All this seems to pave the way for the introduction of a more democratic election system in the all-important 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this autumn.

Start with the fact that both President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have recently spoken positively about democratic development both in Hong Kong and on the mainland. In addition, a number of articles on political reform have appeared in the state-controlled media and Communist Party journals. There has also been speculation by veteran commentators overseas on the possibility of a democratic future for China. [...]

Both the president and premier have pledged to support Hong Kong's democratic development. But that is no big surprise, as the Basic Law, the constitution agreed to by London and Beijing before the city reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, calls for popular election of executive and legislature some time in the future.

But Wen's expatiations on democratic development on the mainland at a March 16 news conference created a genuine stir. When the premier was asked about an article he had written for the People's Daily in which he stated that socialism and democracy were not mutually exclusive, he answered willingly and at length.

At one point, he declared: "You are actually asking what socialist democracy means. Let me be very clear about it: socialist democracy, in the final analysis, is to enable the people to govern themselves. This means we need to ensure people's rights to democratic elections, democratic decision-making, democratic management and democratic oversight. It means we need to create conditions for people to oversee and criticize the government."

But Wen went on to say that the development of democracy in a country as large and complex as China would be a gradual process and that, more immediately, it was important for the present (unelected) leadership to create a sense of social, economic and political justice among ordinary citizens. That, he added, can only come from listening and responding to the people - although he said nothing about letting them vote.