China and the United States were able to reach two agreements about the fate of the blind dissident lawyer Chen Guangcheng in less than 48 hours - a feat unthinkable in the era of consensus politics that started after Mao Zedong's demise. That a crack in the old mold shows a leaner power structure, with mandates for individuals to make quick decisions, could emerge as a legacy of President Hu Jintao.
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