The 17th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party ended on 21 October 2007. It is too soon to appreciate its true consequences, particularly for the power struggles between the ‘Shanghai Group’, who believe in growth at any price, and President Hu Jintao, defender of ‘social harmony’ and ‘scientific development’. Yet quite apart from this specific event, Chinese attitudes have changed, and in this article the author sets out to analyse the main features of this change.