CHINA
Chinese Society Roils, and the Mandate of Heaven Slips
Chinese society is perhaps the world's most dynamic: a caldron of urban hipsters, restless peasants, recalcitrant mystics — all demanding to be heard in the midst of a dizzying social transformation. On top of this ferment sits the Communist Party, one of the most hidebound organizations on earth, a remote regime that seems impervious to change unless under immediate threat. But this split between the government and the governed is untenable, which is why change is on the way. As a new generation of leaders prepares for promotion in 2002, China's younger, more market-minded officials will wield increased political clout, stepping up demands for reform. President Jiang Zemin will try to limit the party infighting as the transition approaches, and will attempt to tighten his grip on social order. It won't work. This will be the year the Communist Party begins to attempt to reform itself, before China's restive masses decide to do it themselves.
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The Year Ahead
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- Viewpoint: Globalization, the Sequel
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