Chinese democracy and the crisis of 1989 : Chinese and American reflections / edited by Roger V. Des Forges, Luo Ning, Wu Yen-bo.

"Based on a conference held at the State University of New York at Buffalo in February 1990"--Introd.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The formation and characteristics of China's existing system / Su Shaozhi -- Democracy in Chinese history / Roger V. Des Forges -- Civil society and public sphere in modern Chinese history / David Strand -- Political and ideological origins of the crisis / Xu Luo and Luo Ning -- The social origins and limits of the democratic movement / Mark Selden -- The dilemmas of participation in the political reform of China, 1986-1988 / Wu Guoguang -- A review of China's economic problems : the industrial sector / Wang Xiaodong -- Student organization in the movement / Josephine M.T. Khu -- From a pillar of continuity to a force for change : Chinese workers in the movement / Shaoguang Wang -- Why the People's Army fired on the people / Andrew Scobell -- Democratic transition in China : a comparative examination of a deified idea / Xiaoxing Han.

The rhetoric of River elegy : from cultural criticism to social act / Edward Gunn -- The performance of the Chinese media during the Beijing spring / Michael J. Berlin -- The People's Daily and the epiphany of press reform / Frank Tan -- "Professionalism" in China's press corps / Judy Polumbaum -- Some reasons why the party propaganda failed this time / Xinshu Zhao and Peilu Shen.