Revising Reform: China's New Leaders and the Challenge of Governance

With new leaders about to come to power in China, the ruling Communist Party is making significant changes to its development model. This article looks at three key trends: the promotion of "national champions" and "indigenous innovation" to create distinctive Chinese brands that can compete in foreign markets; an emphasis on more domestic consumption and less reliance on exports and infrastructure spending as the engine of growth; and experiments with various political reforms at the local level that are designed to help the Party govern better. Together, these changes constitute important differences from what has come to be known as the "China Model". What challenges does the Party face in this transition? What will be the political implications of these changes?