China's top leaders have announced plans for changes to the constitution intended to promote economic development, making public a process analysts hope will give private businesses the same legal rights as state enterprises.
State media said yesterday (12 August) that the Communist party's politburo had decided that "appropriate" changes to the constitution were "essential" to meet the needs of economic and social development.
The amendments, to be confirmed by a session of the party's wider standing committee in October, will also include references to the "Three Represents" theory espoused by former president Jiang Zemin, according to some Chinese analysts.
The politburo's decision followed a review by a secret committee of senior party officials reported by the FT in June.
