ABSTRACT
Editors' Introduction: This essay, appearing in a journal largely designed for foreign consumption, makes the argument that it was the excesses of the Cultural Revolution which brought forward the reform movement in China. Yan's view that the Cultural Revolution was a product of traditional ideas of absolute power in the guise of a "modern" socialist state means that fundamental changes in China's political system must be introduced in order to counteract the influence of tradition. In contrast, others may blame Mao or more transient factors for the Cultural Revolution, and therefore argue that fundamental political changes are not really necessary. Unfortunately, the current Chinese leadership seems to subscribe to this later view.
