more rights. While on the other hand, the public's outlook on wealth needs to be changed. A GDP-dominant growth mode reflects social eagerness for quick money. China's economic development is restrained by limited resources, and a consumption-driven economy of an American type is not possible in our country.

With increasing calls to break up monopolies, just how will this be done?

Zhou: After almost 30 years of reform and opening up, China is facing a strategic task to further reform the factor market, in hopes of building a healthier and more complete market system. The country's commodity market has been fully developed over the past three decades, while the potential of the factor market awaits to be tapped. The fledgling market economy is struggling to get rid of the influence of decades-old centralized planning. As a result of state control, the market economy cannot play its due role in resource allocation. This situation not only damages efficiency, but also leads to power-money deals, commercial bribery and unfair wealth distribution, undermining the emerging market economy.

It's the right time to launch a factor market reform process starting with reform of the government's working style. The administrative intervention should totally withdraw from the factor market's operation and be replaced by more market-oriented mechanisms. For this purpose, there must be codified protection of property rights. As owners of social wealth and factors, ordinary people are expected to get more involved in market activities to sustain its development.

Mao: China's reform is a multi-dimensional process, in which government reform is of extreme importance.

At present, China's market economy is troubled by bureaucracy due to historical reasons. The decision-making bodies should be more accessible to the public for more frequent exchanges.

What does people's rising awareness of their rights mean to China?

Zhen: The high speed of economic development has helped raise people's awareness of personal rights and democracy, as well as their willingness to participate in state affairs. But how to inspire more people to take part in the facilitation of political reform is a major concern. On the one hand, democracy should be strengthened through the enhancement of the legal system. While on the other hand, the people's congress system needs to be improved in terms of implementation of deputies' rights and electoral procedures. The representativity of the country's multi-party cooperation and political consultation system should also be expanded. The composition of democratic parties should be constantly adjusted to conform to the emergence of new social classes, so as to give these people legitimate and institutionalized channels to voice their political appeals.

The objective of developing political democracy is to benefit social welfare and this process must be in tune with the country's achievements in economic, cultural and social development. China needs to promote the development of political democracy in a way that is adaptable to its reality, rather than a simple copy of the Western formula.

Mao: Chinese characteristics are evident in almost all fields of the country's development. Technically, China's progress in legislation, market economy and modern politics have resulted in an operating system in conformity with its actual situation, despite room for further improvement.