Economic Development
China's GDP jumped from 67.9 billion yuan in 1952 to 8,940 billion yuan last year. The country now ranks seventh in the world in terms of economic capacity.

Economic Reform
Reformers ranging from Zhao Ziyang to Zhu Rongji have consolidated market mechanisms that include the quasi-privatization of state-owned enterprises and listing firms on the stock markets. China is poised to join the World Trade Organization soon.

Improving the Quality of Party Members and Cadres
20.5% of the CCP's 64.5 million members, many of whom are government officials, are college educated. More young people, women and members of ethnic minorities have been promoted to senior party and government positions.

National Reunification
Beijing achieved the relative smooth resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macau in respectively 1997 and 1999 under Deng Xiaoping's epoch-making "one country, two systems" model. Taiwan, however, has yet to join the fold.

Military Might
With both domestically produced and imported hardware such as intercontinental missiles and stealth submarines, the 2.5 million-strong People's Liberation Army is fast becoming a world-class force.

International Clout
Beijing has, since the late 1990s, been able to participate in world affairs pretty much on the same footing as big powers and blocs such as the U.S., Japan, the European Union and Russia. Relations with neighbors including Japan, India and Vietnam have improved.

Social Welfare and Medical Benefits
Except for an estimated 60 million who are under the poverty line, the CCP has achieved its goal of feeding and clothing 1.3 billion Chinese. With the exception of AIDS, diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy have practically been wiped out.

Education
Free education for nine years is the norm except in poor, hilly regions. The number of college students per 10,000 population grew from 8.9 in 1978 to 32.8 in 1999.

Science and Technology
While no Chinese have won the Nobel prize, Chinese scientists have achieved world-class standards in cutting-edge areas ranging from mapping of the human genome to space technology.

Sports
China has become a sports power, garnering 28 gold in the Sydney Olympics. Beijing is the frontrunner to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Freeze on Political Reform
Political reform has been frozen since the Tiananmen Square massacre. The CCP has refused to consider "Western-style" reforms such as universal-suffrage elections or instituting checks and balances within the system.

Human and Religious Rights
The CCP administration remains an international bete noire for violation of human rights. Worst offences include harassing and imprisoning dissidents and other prisoners of conscience; members of the underground churches; and quasi-religious groups such as the Falun Gong.

Control over the Media
No non-party or non-governmental newspaper or TV stations are permitted. The state employs more than 100,000 cyberpolice to maintain a tight control over the Internet.

Rights of Workers and Farmers
While workers are theoretically termed “owners of the state and country,” unemployment rate remains high and they are deprived of rights such as forming non-official trade unions. Excessive taxes on farmers, together with low produce prices, have spawned thousands of peasant riots the past year.

Ethnic Minorities
Despite Beijing’s claims of having maintained equality and peace among the nation’s 56 ethnic groups, it has failed to promote reconciliation with secessionist elements in Tibet and Xinjiang.

<Decline of Morality
In the wake of the death of Communism -- and the CCP's effort to stifle "decadent Western values," -- many Chinese have taken to worshipping money. Fake products -- from rice and wine to college degrees -- are the order of the day.

Corruption
Most foreign executives rate corruption as the most severe hindrance to doing business in China. The Communist party has refused to set up an independent organ to fight graft.

Rule of Law
Despite an ambitious program of law-making since the late 1980s, the law courts and legal interpretation are under the ironclad control of secretive CCP committees.

Environmental despoliation
At least 11 provinces in northern China, including Beijing, suffer from chronic drought. Most of the western and northwestern areas are hit by deforestation and atrocious air and water pollution.

Blight in Culture and the Arts
With the possible exception of films, New China has failed to produce world-class literary or artistic works. The 2000 Nobel laureate in literature, Gao Xingjian, was a dissident who sought French citizenship in the 1980s.