Among the issues that Deng Xiaoping discussed with me were his plans to initiate economic reforms and encourage free and open elections within the small villages of China. The People’s National Congress adopted a constitutional amendment in 1982, and a basic law was passed in 1987 to outline the principles by which this goal could be reached. The vice premier made it plain to me that small villages were not part of the overall communist party system, but he thought it would be beneficial to their own citizens and to higher governments to permit locally elected officials to manage their own affairs. Mr. Peng Zhen, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s National Congress, would repeatedly say that village elections were a seminar on democracy that all Chinese rural residents should experience. It was an important step for China on the eventual path to achieve full democracy.

　　Six years ago, the Carter Center was invited to assess progress in meeting Deng Xiaoping’s original goals and to provide assistance and advice in standardizing electoral and governance procedures. Since then, the Carter Center has enjoyed a strong relationship with our partners at the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National People’s Congress. The electoral law was revised in November 1998, and we have continued to observe this intriguing process. We also have been invited to observe the process of choosing National People’s Congress representatives of township

　　and countries. In the summer, our Center sponsored a conference on the recent elections of district National People’s Congress deputoes in Shenzhen. Chinese leaders also have come to the United States, as our guests, to witness the conduct of our electoral process. There is no doubt that we have learned from each other.

　　The Carter Center has never presumed to step beyond the bounds of our role, acting strictly as observers, making comments only when specifically requested to do so. It is not up to us to interfere in basic governmental decisions of your sovereign nation.