A gloomy anniversary

Beijing turns away from the reformist instincts of the past

This week marks the 40th anniversary of what the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) calls the “Reform and Opening Up” process initiated by the second generation of communist leaders led by Deng Xiaoping. The process, which began with agricultural reforms that increased rural incomes sharply, and then by the growth of township and village enterprises and the special economic zone of Shenzhen, accelerated over time. As a consequence of four decades of sustained high growth, the People’s Republic of China is now the world’s manufacturing superpower, and rivals the United States for global economic power and influence. In