WASHINGTON — During the state visit to the United States of Chinese President Hu Jintao, President Barack Obama pressed Hu on human rights. He probably should have asked more about spreading democracy in China, because he might have been surprised by what he heard.
In September 2010, Hu gave a speech in Hong Kong in which he called for new thinking about Chinese democracy. He said, "There is a need to . . . hold democratic elections according to the law; have democratic decision-making, democratic management as well as democratic supervision; safeguard people's right to know, to participate, to express, and to supervise."
His remarks elaborated on previous comments by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, delivered in Shenzhen, the coastal free-enterprise zone where China's economic revolution began. Wen said political reform, including opportunities for citizens to criticize and monitor the government, is necessary to sustain China's breakneck economic growth. Otherwise, he argued, the country's economic gains would be lost.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.