The answer is, around 2015. Nevertheless, China has come far since the disasters of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, notably in three important areas. The dissolution of the communes left no local governments and thus led to village elections. Progress has been ragged. Local cadres resist losing privileges, and nonparty members often experience discrimination.
Some assemblies require party membership for candidacy.
There is some probable ballot fraud, and officials decide if voters can choose more than one candidate. Nevertheless, the principle of competitive elections has been established. The concept of rule by law is accepted, with peasants learning about legal procedures and how to protect their rights. Under communism, law is an instrument of politics. Many Chinese now, however, hold that government should observe its own rules.