China's Communist Party turned 65 last week, but it was not an altogether happy birthday. The celebration came in the midst of a heated debate among party factions over the progress of the reforms launched under Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping, 81, to introduce free enterprise into his nation's economy. In the Chinese press, the openness and variety of criticisms leveled at the party over the past two months have been breathtaking. "The only area that is effectively barred from discussion," said one Western diplomat, "is the party's right to rule."
At the center of the debate has been the drive to...
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