The statement that China is passing through an unprecedent-edrevolution has almost become a platitude， but its very obviousnessin no way diminishes its truth. The changes which this huge andvenerable country experienced in the past are negligible whencompared with the developments of the last decade. The reason forthis difference in degree-which amounts to a qualitative change-isthat developments in the past hardly influenced fundamentals, ifthey ever did so at all, whereas the present transformation deeplyaffects them. It is even consciously aimed at changing the socialstructure and all that this entails.
