In spite of their country's near-masochistic obsession with the past, a surprisingly large number of cadres and intellectuals are already talking with gusto about the 16th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress to be held in 2002.
It is perhaps unfair to belittle the achievements of the 15th congress, just ended. But the initial euphoria over the five-yearly conclave has given way to doubts about whether the new team it selected will prove equal to the task of fulfilling the promises it made.
After all, the 15th congress' 'agenda for the 21st century' included tall orders such as transforming more than 300,000 state-owned enterprises (SOEs). On political reform, it pledged to 'run the country according to law'.
Reform is not a dinner party. By enshrining Deng Xiaoping thought in the party charter, the leadership of President Jiang Zemin has signalled it will be 'waging' reform much along the lines set down by the 'new helmsman'.
Nineteen years after the patriarch launched the open-door policy, China-watchers have distilled the essence of Deng-style liberalisation: relaxing state control over the economy while preserving CCP suzerainty; and ensuring reform does not alienate vested interests.
Still, it is obvious the 'easy reforms' - those that satisfy Deng's criteria about not upsetting the apple-cart with Chinese characteristics - have already been introduced.