Yet China’s leaders also recognized that they ignored popular demands at great peril. The government thus made an implicit deal with its citizens: political dissent would not be tolerated, but, in exchange, the state would guarantee economic growth.
中国从1989年学到了一点：国家稳定高于一切；不过中国领导人也意识到：忽略民众的需求，将会带来很大的风险。于是，政府与公民之间达成了一种默契：政治异议人士不会得到宽容；但反过来，国家将确保经济的增长。只要日渐繁荣的情况仍在继续，政府的合法性便不容置疑。