Cadres bemoan lack of political reform

The pace and direction of China's political development has come in for criticism from liberal-minded Communist Party members, the South China Morning Post reported. This month's edition of the progressive journal Yanhuang Chunqiu runs a cover story arguing that the political reform agenda pioneered by Deng Xiaoping has been allowed to stagnate. It suggests that rampant social problems, ranging from corruption to social injustice, are the result of the Communist Party's monopoly on power. The article cites Deng's view that "the basic reform of the political system should be completed within 10 years after the 13th Party Congress." However, reform is said to have been stalled ever since "the 1989 political turmoil." Market developments are credited with creating a booming economy but also intensifying social inequality and official corruption.