A cloud descends over the Communist Party’s succession plans

Don't worry once China stops growing at 9-10% a year there will be a popular movement within China to ditch the CPC.

Not even the CPC's elites actually believe in the CPC; they only pretend to still be socialists so that they can stay in power.

Bo xinlai gives me bad vibes. While he is building up revolutionary his credentials through Mao song sing along, his son is cruising around in a Ferrari living the life of decadence. As a man who is suppose to be the champion of the oppressed working class, his family affairs does not inspire confidence. On the other hand, Bo has major talent in governance. Both DaLian and ChongQing has received major boost during his tenure. So as a man of questionable integrity who is never the less good at what he does, I hope he does not make it into the all powerful standing committee but instead be in a position that is closer to the ground. As for his son, a play boy who is studying at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, I hope he does not join the government nor the party in any way.

The princeling phenomenon should be covered extensively but its noteworthy to compare the coverage of the 2004 US presidential election. Two members of Skull and Bones ran against each other. It was a moment that should have prompted some reflection on social mobility in the US. (Especially when paired with the later UK general election in 2010 which brought to the helm a member of another elitist university society.) Was there ever an article about Anglo-American princelings?

It goes to show that the Economist and other English language publications can often times be more critical about similar flaws that outside countries share.

-TC
http://chinaoverindia.blogspot.com

China is like a huge ship with a lot of holes underwater. The ship has gone too long from the shore to return and repair. Most on board keep using the distance it sailed to convince themselves that it will reach dreamland one day. They resist anyone who tell them that there are holes and we need to fix it. But those in the command rooms know the truth. These guys keep sending their children to other ships.

I used to defend this regime all the times on TE against "foreign interference". How stupid am I!!!

Go away troll who doesn't even realize he's trolling.

The alternative to the CPC is an India-style democracy. As we've seen many many times in the world, democracy does not work with a severely undereducated population.

You don't really know. The problem is not solely on CPC. Substituting CPC with any other groups of people you will get the same result, or even worse. Mainland is cursed by the nationalism and arrogance. I know it, because I was blinded by that sentiment before.

This is really desperating. I don't believe there is anyone who can save this country.

Mr. Ma and his KMT?

Maybe once the CPC falls then China could finally be reunited with Taiwan under TW's system of government. The result would probably be a SG style single-party dominance under the KMT or whomever.

Also I can save China, if you make me your king...

But then in 08 the US elected Mr. FromAPoorFamilyBama as president.
China has zero chance of doing anything even remotely similar under the current system. (Mao, Deng, and Jiang do not count because they rose up the CPC when China was ACTUALLY socialist)

You are entitled to your personal views of course whatever that is.

But facts are facts. Get it?

It doesn't matter whether it's a White Wang or a Black Bo, whoever catches the mouse for the Communist Party with Chinese Characteristics and Scientific Outlook is good (ask Deng Xiaoping)

And you know that God reserve special places in hell for those who take pleasure in the pains of others.

This Economist article is fair in writing IMO. But it doesn’t change the fact that the whole thing is much ado about nothing, as far as domestic politics are concerned.

Don’t they have infighting, dirty politics and scheming behind the scenes in other countries?

For example, does anybody care to know or remember what went on behind the scene when Ms. Julia Gillard dethroned Mr. Kevin Rudd as Australia's Prime Minister just like that without voter approval process?

Princelings? I guess the Communist Party does have the Mandate of Heaven.....

Change takes times.

If you overthrow the CPC now and tried to implement Western style democracy all at once, you would get both a violent revolution AND something that looks like India or even a worse version of India as a result.

The best solution for China would be for the CPC to self reform.

So unless you have a magic wand that could magically turn a chicken into a cow overnight, then please stop crying about China like a 9 year old little girl everywhere on the internet. Your time would much better be spent praying to Jebus Christ or Buddha for him to save China.

Oh look another hater who hates everything everywhere and who thinks that even Canada is way too capitalistic for him.

If only you moved to Norway and could live off the government then you would be a lot happier.

Well obviously you won't get perfect social mobility unless you have truly pure socialism, but nobody rational (aka not including the Occupiers) actually thinks that perfect social mobility is either desired or feasible. Mostly people just want to give the poor a legitimate chance.
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You gave three examples of US presidents who rose through the ranks from poor families. But in contrast under China's current system there is zero chance of such an event happening.

Perhaps the correspondent of the Economist should visit Chongqing and speak to a few locals before submission of his latest article. In addition to jailing the old mafia and assuming control himself of the underworld in his new fiefdom, Mr Bo has also conducted old-style communist activities to draw attention to himself. None of this display of power has endeared himself to the local populace. Nothing is further from the truth to describe him as a popular local ruler. In fact, Mr Bo's unpopularity everywhere he has ever ruled can only be matched by the scandals of his own family.

"My point:"
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Yes but in the UK and US heads of states are elected in (generally) fair elections, so few complain. In China the process is closed off so who knows what goes on behind closed doors, and thus controversies in Western media emerge.

Over the last 50 years, incredible examples of meritocratic talent rose to the top including Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton but Obama was propelled by a strong desire by many in the US to use him as a symbol for closing historical divisions.

Obama is not a good example of a break from the princeling showing in Anglo American politics.

-TC
http://chinaoverindia.blogspot.com

Poor Chinese subjects of the Communist Dynasty.