For the first time since the 1989 democracy protests blossomed out of dissent on the Beijing University campus, one of its most senior professors has made a public call for sweeping reforms to the political system.
Professor Shang Dewen, who has written 20 books in a 40-year career teaching economics at China's top university, is making public a plan for a staged transition to democracy.
He fears President Jiang Zemin's effort to transform the state sector with a form of privatisation will fail.
'If there is no change to the political system, I fear the attempt at the 15th Party Congress will be doomed,' Professor Shang told the South China Morning Post.
'Jiang said it was necessary to continue political reforms so I think the time is now ripe to push for changes,' he said.
He first drew up his proposal for a programme seven or eight years ago but is only now distributing it to domestic and international media.
'People have warned me it is dangerous to say such things but this is important. Someone must say this openly,' he said.
