ABSTRACT
The impetus for China's dramatic rise to its position as an economic powerhouse derived from government policy and the Beijing leadership, which unleashed the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit and allowed millions of Chinese to pursue lifestyles unthinkable for an earlier generation. China witnessed the peaceful transfer of power from President Jiang Zemin to his successor, Hu Jintao. The close alliance between Hu and Wen Jiabao was marked by their very public commitment to ongoing reforms in the government and Party as well as maintaining the stability necessary to China's continuing economic expansion. Under President Hu, a growing number of the highest officials held advanced degrees, and recruitment of Party members from the growing middle and entrepreneurial classes increased the average level of education among both Party and government officials. China's astonishing economic growth was both a validation of the policies of the reform era as well as a testament to the work ethic and entrepreneurial skills of China's people.
