Shortly before the end of his 10 year term in 2013, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has asked for political restructuring in the country in order to prevent a recurrence of the Cultural Revolution(1966-76). The Cultural Revolution was engineered by the Gang of Four led by Mao Zedong’s wife and her supporters. They carried out severe atrocities in 1976which were followed by a crackdown on the Gang of Four. The Communist Party of China adopted a resolution on several historical matters and took the important decision of conducting reform and opening up the Chinese economy. But Wen has made it clear that the mistakes of the Cultural Revolution and the impact of feudalism had yet to be fully eliminated. As the Chinese economy continues to be developing, new problems have arisen. Income disparities, lack of credibility and corruption are some of the evils. The Prime Minister urged the nation to press ahead with political restructuring along with economic liberalisation. It is particularly necessary to bring about the reform in the leadership system of the party and the country and only the support of the Chinese people could make it possible. The Cultural Revolution had tried to purge the economy of all capitalist elements. Wen’s appeal should cause a stir in Chinese industry as he said that political restructuring must precede the economic changes.
What Wen said about political restructuring does not spell out if it means the end of the totalitarian system in China. Long after the Cultural Revolution, such incidents as the firing in Tiananmen Square and the ban on a Chinese Nobel Laureate accepting his award took place. Russia has totally abandoned totalitarianism. Is China moving in the same direction?
