The author while setting out the agenda for China under the new leadership for a consumer-led economy has conspicuously side-stepped the crucial issue of freedom and liberty to its citizenry. In the absence of fundamental rights that guarantee implicit liberty, no society can become consumerist because the omission of this option or choice militates against offer of a plethora of choices the consumer culture embodies. If development and grandeur were to be secured at the suppression of basic rights, then no society can look forward to future with high hopes. China's place in the comity of nations needs to be natural and should not be born out of the fear of its economic success or military might when political rights to its millions of people remain a pipe-dream even to this day. It is high time the new leadership followed the daring path of Deng when he launched economic reform through market model for progress and prosperity by going in for democratic paradigm of governance so that the rest of the world would feel that a nation with guaranteed political rights to its millions would dare not draw swords with its neighbours or opponents. This is so because any misadventure or foolhardiness on the part of the Chinese authorities should bring immense miseries to its people who might not like to invite trouble when they enjoy the bliss of consumerist economy and the ironical and unique model of Marxist- market developmental model . G.Srinivasan, Journalist, new delhi, inde