Blueprint for political reform

The Central Party School in Beijing has released a document, already discussed during the 17th Party Congress, on the way forward for political reform in China. Reuters reports (h/t CDT.):

This is no manifesto for outright democracy. The authors say the Party must keep overall control and “elite” decision-making will help China achieve lasting economic prosperity by pushing past obstacles to economic reform.

But the 366-page report give a strikingly detailed blueprint of how some elite advisers see political relaxation unfolding, with three phases of reform in the next 12 years, including restricting the Party’s powers and expanding the rights of citizens, reporters, religious believers and lawmakers.

A modern civil society should be in place by 2020, the document says. The document not only wants more legal rights for its citizens, it stresses also the need for freer media:

"Freedom of the press is an inevitable trend," they said, calling for a law to protect reporters and "effectively halt unconstitutional and unlawful interference in media activities".