China's Communist Party and Lost Legitimacy

BEIJING — China’s new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on Internet use and electronic publishing following a spate of embarrassing online reports about official abuses. The measures suggest China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, and others who took power in November share their predecessors’ anxiety about the Internet’s potential to spread opposition to one-party rule and their insistence on controlling information despite promises of more economic reforms.

VANCOUVER — Frank Huang was a Chinese communist. He joined the Communist Party of China voluntarily in 1991 after being assigned a government job in Guangdong that had him arranging visits and tours for Chinese expatriates. Mr. Huang is now the B.C. NDP candidate in Richmond Centre, a suburban Vancouver riding with a large Asian population. He says he decided to compete in the B.C. election to better serve his adopted country and province. “I love Canada,” says the 49-year-old.

IN 1793 a British envoy, Lord Macartney, arrived at the court of the Chinese emperor, hoping to open an embassy. He brought with him a selection of gifts from his newly industrialising nation.

During Hu Jintao's speech at the 18th Party Congress it was evident that the leaders were aware of growing public anger at the excesses of the Communist Party and the large income inequality. 

BEIJING — A well-known editor of an influential Communist Party journal said Monday that he had been suspended after writing an article for a British newspaper saying that China should abandon its ally North Korea.

If you follow Chinese politics at all, you'll have heard of a word that's become synonymous with corruption and privilege — "princeling".