Wen Jiabao says China needs political reform

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday that China needed not only economic reform but also political reform, especially the reform of the leadership system of the party and government.

Wen warned at a press conference after the conclusion of the annual parliamentary session that tragedies like the Cultural Revolution may happen in China again should the country fail to push forward political reform to uproot problems occurring in the society.

“Now reforms in China have come to a critical stage,” Wen said. “Without a successful political reform, it’s impossible for China to fully institute economic reform and the gains we have made in these areas may be lost, and new problems that popped up in the Chinese society will not be fundamentally resolved, and such historical tragedies as the Cultural Revolution may happen again in China.”

“The reform can only go forward and must not stand still, less go backwards because that offers no way out,” Xinhua quoted Wen as saying.

Wen said he had addressed the subject of political structural reform in China on many occasions in recent years.

He said his interest in political reforms comes from “a strong sense of responsibility”.

As the economy continues to develop, Wen said problems such as income disparity, lack of credibility and corruption had occurred.

“I’m fully aware that to resolve these problems, we must press ahead with both economic structural reforms and political structural reforms, in particular reforms on the leadership system of the Party and the country,” he said.

The premier said he believed that every member of the Party and government officials with a sense of responsibility must fully recognize that further reform is “an urgent task” for China.

“I know very well that the reform will not be an easy one and the reform will not be able to succeed without the consciousness, the support, the enthusiasm and creativity of our people,” Wen said.

To conduct such reforms in a big country with 1.3 billion population, Wen noted, people must always keep in mind China’s national circumstances and develop the socialist democracy in a step-by-step manner.

The premier said he knews people took an interest in not only what he had to say and what his ideas were, but also what results his efforts could bring.

“…I’m still prepared to dedicate myself fully to advancing China’s reform and opening-up cause,” Wen said.