China’s Political Reforms (or lack thereof)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/asia_pac/02/china_party_congress/china_ruling_party/problems_mount/html/political_reform.stm
With the ruling CPC still strongly interwoven in the government, there is little room for dissension or reformists in the ranks of the party. There are no checks or balances, neither from the legislative or the judiciary (there is no precedent for judicial review). The National People’s Congress consists of 2,987 members, and meets only once a year for 10-14 days, which allows for very little room for influence by minority members. In order to advance politically, one must prove their loyalty both to the party’s ideology and (more importantly) to the party’s elite, so even a slight hint of reformist would turn off anyone from advancement.