The urbanization and the structural and institutional changes that have taken
place in China in the past two decades have resulted in the collapse of the old
system and the germination of a tremendous number of irregularities. To redress
the malfeasance brought about by the new decentralization of economic resources,
the People's Congresses (PCs) are taking the lead in another round of incremental
political reforms. The combination of specialization and centralization of
leadership has led to an augmentation of legislative oversight. Measures
developed by the legislative institutions, such as pingyi (evaluation) and zhifa
jiancha (inspection of implementation of laws), have enlivened a lethargic local
political scene and given rise to the committee autonomy. These political reforms
have transformed local politics forever, forcing the central government to follow
suit. The urgent need for institutional mechanisms to counter the vices associated
with socialist market reform has prompted the Party to turn its attention to the
People's Congresses. Consequently, a Leninist party-state system has been
transformed into a new system in which the Party is allied simultaneously with
the executive and the legislative branches. A preliminary and limited balance of
power is now emerging in which the Party is not totally immune. The newly
accrued legislative powers have not only redefined the tenets of Party leadership,
but also rewritten its relations with the executive branch. Although the PCs are
still often barred from vital decision-making, new devices such as pingyi and zhifa
jiancha are forcing some local officials to have second thoughts before straying
too far from legal boundaries.
