Now on to the main argument in John Lee’s brilliant analysis, which concerns the second phase of China’s economic reforms: “In a rapidly industrializing system, the Party faithful realized, urban elites determined the fate of authoritarian governments. The great lesson of the East European and Soviet revolutions learned in Beijing was that authoritarian regimes become […]
The purpose of the Deep End is to feature the very best of in-depth journalism. John Lee’s magnificent essay in the American Interest certainly qualifies on that front – stripping away the recycled clichés of received opinion to reveal a more troubling reality. Lee’s central argument is covered in the next post (see below), but before that, let’s […]