The question is whether the Chinese experiment with party-controlled, authoritarian capitalism is likely in the long run to be more stable than Russia's stumbling democracy.

China's leaders aspire to have the same sort of authoritarian capitalism as Thailand, Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Finally, in the 1980's the pragmatism of Deng Xiaoping brought authoritarian capitalism.

Some Chinese technocrats, citing the authoritarian capitalism of South Korea and other neighbors, say yes: that's the East Asian way.

It stands in contrast to authoritarian capitalism by limiting the influence of special interest groups, including corporate lobbyists, on politics.

He could reap the rewards that his authoritarian capitalism has brought Russia, though he once said he was not a businessman by temperament.

Call it market socialism or authoritarian capitalism, but whatever the name the pace and scale of economic, social transformation has been mind-boggling.

They've seen authoritarian capitalism and the way it works.

Instead, the rise of authoritarian capitalism as an alternative to democratic market economies is probably the latest ideological, intellectual and moral battle that we face.

That authoritarian capitalism may not evolve gently into the democratic and responsible capitalism we enjoy today in Europe and the West.