The Communist Party of China has always sought to reinvent itself. Its leaders have contributed to the evolution of the Party, making it more adaptive to the changing times. Every time the Party leadership perceives a chasm between the leadership and the people, it makes successful interventions, strengthening its credentials as the benevolent Party working to improve the lives of the people.

The reform and opening-up launched by the Party under the pragmatic leadership of Deng Xiaoping almost four decades ago have to be seen in this context.