Could 1989 Have Led to Democracy in China?

If the Communist Party of China (CPC) had decided to start loosening the reins after Tiananmen Square, its leaders would have made sure that they—and the Party—were well provided for the future. The first baby steps to democracy would likely have involved China’s eight officially recognized non-Communist “democratic” parties. China’s so-called democratic parties have no real power or influence, but they do have several hundred thousand members who might have formed the nuclei for early experiments with democracy.

Source: nationalinterest.org