Indeed, political modernization faces massive opposition from the Chinese Communist Party, which has no interest in surrendering its monopoly of power. Moreover, the transition to a pluralist system that channels, rather than suppresses, political conflict would indeed be risky, though the risk will grow the longer one-party rule (and the endemic corruption that accompanies it) persists.
自1970年代以来一直为中国崛起打下基础的“四个现代化”（工业、农业，军事和科学技术）政策并不能为此提供答案，因为“第五个现代化”——民主的崛起以及法治——依然处于缺失状态。事实上，政治现代化进程遭到了中国共产党的极力反对，因为他们根本没兴趣放弃自身对权力的独家垄断。此外，向一个疏导（而非压制）政治冲突的多党制体系的转型也充满风险，即便该风险必将随着一党制统治（以及相伴而生的地方性腐败）的继续延续而不断增大。