CHINA 2001 VS USSR 1981: HOW MUCH WILL CHANGE IN CHINA?

By Arthur Waldron

As the Jamestown Foundation inaugurates its coverage of China it may be worth considering the parallels-and the differences-between the Soviet Union of a dozen years ago and the People’s Republic of China today. In particular, let us ask whether China’s future may hold a surprise for us: some set of unexpected and fast moving developments, perhaps comparable to those that overtook communism in the West a dozen years ago-developments that will change the face of China and its relationship with the world beyond recognition?

I think the possibility is rather large. The latest piece of evidence is an official Communist Party document, widely reported in Western media, about social unrest in China.

SOCIAL UNREST