Wen Jiabao says no democracy in PRC for 100 years

China's have no plans to allow democracy in the near future because they must focus on economic development before political reform, Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) said yesterday.

In a wide ranging speech published in the Chinese Communist Party's People's Daily, he also said China needs peace to continue its economic development and the nation's rise was of no threat to the rest of the world.

Democracy emerge once a "mature socialist system" develops but that might not happen for up to 100 years, Wen wrote.

For now, China must focus on ``sustained rapid growth of productive forces ... to finally secure fairness and social justice that lies within the essence of socialism,'' he wrote.

The premier said the country is "still far from advancing out of the primary stage of socialism. We must adhere to the party's basic guidelines of the primary stage of socialism for 100 years."

Wen China would develop its own democratic policies and that a socialist system did not contradict those policies.

"A highly developed democracy and a complete legal system are inherent requirements of the socialist system and important symbols of a mature socialist system," Wen wrote.

He said economic reforms and changes to the legal system so far are still "not perfect enough."

He said that while economic development was the central task, that had to be done while building a harmonious society -- the catchphrase used to describe efforts to help the hundreds of millions who have not benefited from China's rapid economic growth.

Wen that China would never engage in a military arms race, seek to dominate global politics or impose its will on other nations.

"In foreign policy we will uphold the standard of peace, development and cooperation," he wrote.

"Although our national strength is increasing and our global status is higher and the international community is expecting more and more from us ... there is no reason to change our guiding principles," he wrote.

"We will maintain a defensive [military] policy and will not engage in a military arms race or an expansion of the military ... we will oppose hegemonism and power politics," he wrote.