The Chinese Premier, Mr Wen Jiabao is ecpected to make a rare push for political reform at the opening session of parliament on Friday in a sign the new leadership is willing to take steps to enhance checks on Communist rule.
But analysts said any reforms would fall far short of Western-style democracy and would aim to bolster the party's right to govern.
"We should actively and safely promote reform of the political system and develop socialist democracy," he will tell lawmakers in a speech to be delivered at the annual National People's Congress in Beijing.
"Only as long as the people supervise the government will the government not be slack and lazy."
Wen's statements will perpetuate speculation that China's populist new leadership under President Hu Jintao may eventually take strides to liberalise China's one-party structure.
It comes as the congress is poised to enshrine the first ever mention of human rights in the country's constitution. In his speech, Wen alludes to already existing grass-roots mechanisms like elections of village and community representatives, criticised by many as empty shows of democracy.
But the unmasked reference to political reform represents a departure from previous years, when the premier's work report has often stuck to the party's stock exhortation to strengthen or develop "socialist democracy".