SUN WUKONG 'Secrets' may push press to come of age By Wu Zhong, China Editor
HONG KONG - Despite efforts to open up the country's economy, in today's China
nearly all details about the Communist Party and state leaders are still
carefully guarded as "state secrets". This includes specific information as to
their health, whereabouts, new job appointment, promotion or retirement.
Chinese media across the country can only reprint news reports about leaders'
activities as dispatched by authorized agencies - in most cases, the state-run
Xinhua News Agency.
Against such a background it is inspiring to see two newspapers in Guangdong,
the booming province in south China neighboring
Hong Kong, have recently ventured to report about high-ranking party member Xi
Jinping's appointment to oversee Hong Kong and Macau affairs, and about Vice
Premier Wu Yi's upcoming retirement - two pieces of news unofficially released
for overseas audiences.
On November 9, Chen Zuo'er, deputy director of the State Council's Hong Kong
and Macau Affairs Office, was approached by a group of Hong Kong journalists
after attending a function at Peking University. Smiling, he said, "I'm glad to
tell all of you that Comrade Xi Jinping has already taken over the post as the
head of the central leading group in coordinating Hong Kong and Macau affairs."
His words confirmed speculation from Hong Kong media since the Communist
Party's 17th National Congress in early October. In the meeting of the party
elites, Xi was elected one of the nine members of the Standing Committee of the
Politburo, replacing retiring Vice President Zeng Qinghong. It had been widely
guessed that Xi would also succeed Zeng to head the ad hoc group overseeing
Hong Kong and Macau affairs, which was set up shortly after half a million Hong
Kong residents took to the streets on July 1, 2003 to protest a proposed
anti-sedition law, Article 23. It is also expected that Xin will replace Zeng
as vice president in the National People's Congress (NPC) meeting in March when
the latter gives up his last post.
The China News Service, an official news agency set up in 1952 mainly to
provide news on China for overseas media, dispatched a brief the same day. That
evening, Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News, one of the major official
newspapers in Guangdong, carried a similar report on its front page. No other
major official media have carried the report.
On November 23, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, known as China's "Iron Lady" for
her tenacity in trade negotiations, said that she would retire from government
in March 2008.
"When the new Chinese administration takes office next March, I will retire and
won't hold any positions," Wu, 69, said in a speech to the American Chamber of
Commerce in China. "I would like to take this opportunity to bid you farewell
and to thank you for supporting my work all along."
This was the first time a senior Chinese leader had ever publicly talked about
a political career move, though to an audience of mainly foreigners. It is
still part of party discipline that an official should refrain from talking
anything about his or her political careers - either promotion or retirement,
which should be left to the "decision of the organization".
For example, Zeng's retirement from his party posts at the 17th Party Congress
had been kept secret until the last minute. It was only on the eve of the
election of the new Central Committee that several deputies were allowed to
"reveal" to overseas reporters that Zeng's name was not on the list of
candidates.
However, as a compulsory retirement system has been established in which an
official, no matter how senior he or she is, must retire when reaching a
certain age, it becomes obvious when an official would retire. In other words,
such information can no longer be a "state secret". Under such circumstances,
it becomes awkward to continue banning officials from talking about their
retirement. The discipline becomes outdated and redundant.
Wu was not re-elected into the Politburo in the 17th Party Congress because of
her age. And as such everybody can predict she will also resign as vice premier
in the NPC meeting in March. Hence what she said is simply something that is
bound to happen. But given the party discipline, it still took some courage for
Wu to speak the truth. Some analysts attribute this to her outspokenness.
If so, it took ever greater courage from the Yangcheng Evening News and its
sister publication, New Express News, to immediately report on their own about
Wu's remarks on her impending retirement, even before foreign news agencies
dispatched their stories. This time, even the China News Service kept silent.
The two newspapers have won wide public support for daring to break a
long-standing taboo in reporting Wu's retirement. So far thousands of readers
have posted their appraisals on various official websites.
For example, a post on cpc.people.com.cn, a special site for news about the
Communist Party run by the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the party,
said, "Such a high-ranking official as Vice Premier Wu Yi is regarded as a
state leader. According to adopted practice, news about any change in her job
title or her retirement must be released through an official channel after the
NPC meeting. In the past, domestic media and officials concerned have always
cautiously remained silent, in fear of getting into trouble. This time some
domestic media dared to break down the adopted practice, which is certainly
worth being paid attention to."
Readers also praised Wu's frankness, saying her remarks show she is a candid
person. Although many regret her retirement, they say this is evidence that the
compulsory retirement system has been institutionalized. "Wu Yi's talks about
her retirement reflect the normalization of China's political environment,
which must be more appreciated," the same post said.
In fact, the Chinese public reacted positively to the moves of Wu and the two
newspapers. As such, the Communist Party should consider reforms to increase
the transparency of its operation and its personnel. China has often blamed
foreign media for starting and spreading rumors about official reshuffles. In
the absence of official news, rumors naturally fly.
In China's case, the best way to reduce inevitable rumors is to largely expand
official news channels so that the public can know what is happening. In this
regard, Wu Yi and the Yangcheng Evening News have set a good precedent. It is
hoped more will follow.
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