The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

sonable demands. The CCP, after all, is committed to
China’s modernization and has a sound plan to approach
it. Moreover, China’s reform and development
cannot take place in a chaotic situation. However, the
CCP should turn to democratic ways to keep itself in
power. It should also use democratic means to maintain
political stability in China. Singapore is a good
example for China, but eventually, Japan is a better
model. In many ways, the CCP has a good chance to
become a long-ruling party like Japan’s Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP). 45
It should be noted that in recent years the CCP has
taken positive steps to address the need for political
reform. In 2004, the CCP for the first time passed a resolution
to address the Party’s ruling issue. The CCP
acknowledges that it is not easy to seize power, but it
is more difficult to manage a country. It also acknowledged
that the CCP’s ruling party status was not born,
but should be earned; it is not forever. The CCP allows
discussion of its legitimacy problem (合法性问题) and
accepts that it must work to keep it. 46 In 2006, the CCP
put forward a resolution to construct a harmonious
society in China. In 2007, Hu Jintao made a sweeping
call for democratic reform at the 17th National Party
Convention report. In 2009, the CCP adopted a resolution
to promote “intra-Party democracy” (党内民主).
Along the way, the CCP has accepted that freedom,
equality, justice, and harmony are universal values. 47
The CCP has also accepted the concepts such as human
rights, rule of law, constitutional democracy,
people-based approach, political civilization, transparent
government, service government, responsible
government, etc. 48
The 30th anniversary of China’s economic reform
test case, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ),
95