HONG KONG -- When the Soviet Union imploded in 1991, the Communist Party of China became obsessed with understanding why. The government think tanks entrusted with this task heaped plenty of blame on Mikhail Gorbachev, the reformist leader who was simply not ruthless enough to hold the Soviet Union together. But Chinese leaders also highlighted other important factors, not all of which China's leaders seem to be heeding today.
To be sure, the CPC has undoubtedly taken to heart the first key lesson: Strong economic performance is essential to political legitimacy. And the CPC's single-minded focus on spurring GDP growth over the last few decades has delivered an "economic miracle," with nominal per capita income skyrocketing from $333 in 1991 to $7,329 last year. This is the single most important reason why the CPC has retained power.
