Hiding in Words

“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.

Signs of Political Reform Since 1970’s

This is an interesting article introducing the signs of political reform since 1970’s. Here’s a brief introduction.

Original Title: 政治规则确立的30年 (in Chinese)
Original URI: http://www.douban.com/group/topic/4219342/

The 30 years since Reform and Opening Up has created a new political order in China. Several decisions and political arrangements made in these 30 years will influence this country in the 50 or 100 years to come.

To a single person, 30 years is too long a time that brings half a life away. Yet it is very short time for the political system to have a significant transition.

As our current political system does not have a constitutional ground, these unwritten rules shall be accepted as a conventional way of politics to ensure a peaceful development of this country.

In these 3 decades, the following rules has been or is being established and accepted:

1. Bottom line of political struggle: the loser won’t lose their life.
2. Civil officials shall govern, military power exits political spectrum.
3. Maximum tenure of political leadership is 10 years.
4. Rule of choosing a successor is set.
5. The power of Premier is on the rise.

No. 1: Bottom line of political struggle: the loser won’t lose their life.

This rule is set when the Gang of Four was crushed. In the history of political struggle of Communist Party, usually the underdog would lose their life. Some lucky people could keep their life on exile or banishment (e.g. Lin Biao, Liu Shaoqi, etc.) However, the Gang of Four were all Politburo Standing Committee members, and they were only sentenced to jail instead of being killed after they’d totally lost the political combat.

This doesn’t seem a significant change, but it is really important for the political system. This gives a message that political struggle no longer matters that much as before, it is no longer something so important as to be linked to one’s life. Such message was confirmed on the 40’s anniversary of the foundation of China PR (1989). It was yet again clarified that you won’t lose your life even if you made a severe “political mistake”. (People did die in 1989 on the Square, however political figures [e.g. Zhao Ziyang] was put in house arrest instead of killed.)

Therefore the armed clashes or assassination that was previously possible is no longer a regular strategy. Politics no longer means blood, war or coup d’état. This is a foundation of peaceful transfer of political power.

No. 2 Civil officials shall govern, military power exits political spectrum.

Army controled by State government is the next step. For now, it is more important to contain its power by any means. Currently there is no army presence in Politburo, and the Army is controlled military committee of Communist Party. In retrospect, the Communist Party used to boast it’s a “regime of guns”, power of military forces used to be beyond the Party itself. An army under control of civil officials (though from Communist Party) is a remarkable development per se.

No. 3 Maximum tenure of political leadership is 10 years.

So there wouldn’t be another dictator like Mao.

No. 4 Rules of choosing successor is set.

Hu Jintao was appointed as a successor of Jiang Zemin by Deng Xiaoping when he was alive. And Xi Jinping, who is expected to be the next president (and party boss), is believed to be a result of compromise between factions in the Communist Party.

In short, the 3rd leader would have been decided in the time of the 1st leader, and 4th would have been decided in the time of the 2nd leader. If this were in US, Barack Obama would have been chosen during Bill Clinton’s Administration, and G. W. Bush would have been appointed during his father’s presidency. Well, this is far from anything like democracy, but at least there won’t be coup d’état or assassination or another cultural revolution any more.

No. 5 The power of Premier is on the rise.

China’s Constitution defines Premier as the leader of Administration (State Council), and President is only a symbolic position. Now, the Premier Wen Jiabao is more and more exposed to the public and appears to be much more powerful than before. It is expected that Premier be more influential and powerful in the coming years.

Lian Yue: Pessimism is Immoral (a hasty trans)

Lian Yue is a Chinese blogger, columnist, writer, especially a liberal opinion leader. On the evening of Nov. 16, some of the participants in Cnbloggercon met in Tophour (凸凹酒吧, owned by another widely read columnist Beifeng北风). Beifeng invited Lian Yue to give a surprise, and Lian Yue did gave a good short speech.

I found the video clip of Lian Yue talking on YouTube. And I made a haste (and somewhat inaccurate) translation by taking down quick notes (think of this as a quick interpretation). It was only after I have finished this translation when I found a Chinese transcript on Tophour’s blog (you can also read this on Cnbloggercon blog). Please read my not-that-complete-or-accurate translation:

I attended a forum held by Southern Urban News (南方都市报), in which I discussed a lot with other two professors for 3 hours.

I feel the themes of this forum is quite similar with this Blogger Conference, as both focuses on the formation of civil society. And what blogging does is to foster civil society.

There are pessimistic sentiments that everything is just insignificant and meaningless. Yet, as this senior chief said to me this afternoon, in the current stage of China, pessimism is something immoral. Why don’t we hide our possible pessimism in our heart instead of talking sadly about it?

In the very early stage of social change, when the Internet first came into being, when you first began blogging, people might very easily get frustrated and believe those efforts are just meaningless, stupid and vain. If you press hard on those efforts and say there’s no point, such negative attitude might kill civil society in its infancy.

That is why I believe pessimism is immoral at this time in China.

Why all of us blog and attend this Chinese Blogger Conference where we can have a better communication? That is because we believe the power that we have and we can change the society. So please believe in yourself.

In the beginning you really don’t have power and influence, you would wonder how much power the several dozens of us have and how we can change this society. Frankly speaking nothing, for the time being.

And what is the value in it? Think you are a neutron, keep going and one year later, you would have influenced dozens of people, and one more year later, you would have influenced thousands of people.

There are some common negative attitudes that we might have. One is to say to your self, no one would listen to what I say or act like I propose anyway, and think there is in fact no point in going on.

Please remember social transformation is by no means a quick task.

In a democracy like America, very person has one and only one vote. B. Obama has one vote, G. W. Bush one; and a rich man one vote, a poor guy also one vote. If you have a blog and keep writing on it, express your opinion, that is your social responsibility and civic duty being done. Even if there are only 2 readers, your are making quite a move. A civil society would come into being by such gradual influence. Please be optimistic.

I used to say no one can save China, and whatever effort you make, that is meaningless. But after 2007, I would never say that again. We need to encourage the people who act. We shall not give them pressure. If you think a blog cannot influence very many readers or make real change, and even if you sometimes would think it is just some effort in vain, please do not say, just conceal it in your heart. If you are a pessimist by nature, and I believe quiet of few among us are, please conceal pessimism in the heart. Don’t say it.

We shall not fall victim to the delusion of persecution either. I guess quite a few among us might be somewhat persecuted. We need to learn how to keep a normal happy life.

Last year I panicked from time to time if someone is wiretapping on me. Later I began to think, it won’t be possible for the public power not to deny what it has done and listen on one’s phone who criticize the government. OK, we allow the public power such bad behavior. Don’t let it mess up your temper and ruin your day. Move on with your life.

Even if you feel oppressed or persecuted, move on with your life, be happy and keep blogging. Try your best not to be affected by oppression or fall victim of the delusion of being oppressed.

Thank you!

Here comes the video: more »