In China, Talk of Democracy Is Simply That

In China, Talk of Democracy Is Simply That - New York Times

The state-run news media’s newly prolific references to democracy to describe a range of prosaic political actions — like setting up an e-mail address so that the public can comment on pending legislation — so devalue the term that critics of the leadership suspect that Mr. Hu’s goal may be to strip democracy of meaning.

“They want democracy to belong to the party, not to belong to people who oppose the party,” said one retired party official who declined to be identified because top leaders sometimes punish people for discussing elite politics. “If the party can define what democracy is, then it will not be as dangerous.”