Includes THIRD PLENUM Much of Western writing about China starts with a smug assumption that Western ways are superior and that China's progress can be measured by the extent to which it imitates them. This book makes no such assumption. It chronicles the emergence of Western democracy and its rather short history of universal suffrage and then goes on to portray the intra-party democracy that has arisen in China and appears to be working well there. The proposed chair of the Federal Reserve Board described the bank's rule by committee thus: its greatest strength rests in its capacity to approach important decisions with expertise and objectivity, to vigorously debate diverse views, and then to unite behind its response. These words would also serve as a good description of China's cabinet - the Politburo Standing Committee.