“Why don’t those ordinary people disclose their financial condition?”
Written by Caijing (财经) correspondent Wang Heyan (王和岩). Originally in Chinese “为什么老百姓不公布财产？” from Caijing’s website.
CPPCC members from Communist Party stay in Beijing’s Friendship Hotel during the period of Two-Congresses (National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference). Most of them are former or incumbent provincial CPPCC chairmen. All of them have rich political experience and some might even be so care-free as to tell some truth. If I can interview with these guys, I’m gonna get a scoop.
I was wrong. Although less stately, their pride of government official kept me miles away like a hot summer’s sun.
But luckily, not everyone is like that. I waited for two days in the hotel until I finally caught a great figure. I followed him from the entrance of dining hall as this friendly and amicable man walked out. I seized the chance and asked “Mr. Chairman, what’s your opinion on the financial disclosure measures?”
He answered, grinning, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a clue on this.”
I continued, “Altay, Xinjiang and Cixi, Zhejiang are carrying out financial disclosure measures on officials. Will your province have similar move?”
He answered “I’ve no idea.”
“Have you had discussions on this issue recently?” I asked again.
He said, walking, “No. We didn’t discuss that issue among Communist Party members.”
I wouldn’t let it go, “Will you propose any suggestion or motion in this regard?”
He looked in my eyes and asked me, “No. If this is the case, why don’t those ordinary people disclose their financial condition? And why don’t those entrepreneurs tell the workers how much they profit?”
“Why ordinary people don’t disclose their financial condition,” I couldn’t believe what I’ve just heard, and asked to confirm “By entrepreneurs, do you mean the executives of state-owned enterprises?”
Clearly he answered, “No. I meant bosses of private businesses.”
And I was too astonished to say anything.
“I lowered the ethic standard. I thought I was only an ordinary person.” This is what a corrupt official would say when convicted. It seems that on the matter of financial disclosure statement, some officials thought they were only ordinary people too.
