BEIJING -- President Hu Jintao vowed Monday morning in his report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to deepen political restructuring, mentioning the word of democracy at least 60 times.
Hu told more than 70 million Party members nationwide in his live televised speech that the CPC, an 86-years-old political party ruling New China for over 58 years, will "expand people's democracy and ensure that they are masters of the country."
Although being faced with widening wealth gap, unwise use of natural resources and regional imbalance of economic and social development, China has achieved rarely-seen miracle in economic and social development. China's economy, once on the verge of collapse, has grown to rank as the fourth largest in the world, and its import and export volume, the third biggest. The impoverished population in rural areas has dropped from more than 250 million to just over 20 million.
Economic prosperity and a more open society give people more freedom to enjoy fruits resulting from the reform and opening-up policy. "With more individual freedom, gradual shaping of unique concept of democracy and solid forming of institutional arrangements, China-style democracy is emerging," said Yang Guangbin, professor with the Renmin University of China.
China-style democracy, which was defined by Hu in his speech, combines the Party's leadership, encouragement of people acting as masters, and the rule of law.
Hu said that the CPC will "expand intra-Party democracy to develop people's democracy" by increasing transparency in Party affairs and "opposing and preventing arbitrary decision-making by an individual or a minority of people."
