:: Issue Analyses
The scope of Wen Jiabao’s vision of China’s political reform
Cho Yong-sung Author, Ten Years into China’s Future
f democracy and the rule of law have not been perfected, then “ power has no effective restraint. Some people may exploit the power in their hand to contravene and even trample on law. I Promoting more democratic and scientific decision-making is not only an issue of leadership methods and work style, but also involves the issues of political structural reform and the intensification of the development of democratic politics.”
○● Premier raises his voice over political reform at the end of his term On June 15, after presenting letters of appointment to the new counselors to the State Council in Zhongnanhai, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao made a forceful remark, stressing the necessity of democracy and the rule of law. Earlier in March, at the press conference on the closing day of the National People's Congress (NPC) and The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Sessions, Wen Jibao spoke strongly in
89 Autumn 2012�POSRI Chindia Quarterly support of political reform, saying, “Without the success of political reform, a historical tragedy like the Cultural Revolution may occur again.” Wen Jiabao raised the concern that “As the economy developed, it has caused unfair distribution, corruption, and other issues. To solve these problems, it is necessary to not only enter into economic reform but also political reform.” He added, “Without political reform, not only economic reforms cannot be carried out, but also the results that we have achieved may be lost.” In China, political reform has been a taboo subject for some time. Former general secretary Hu Yaobang pursued political reform and was eventually forced to resign. Another former general secretary, Zhao Ziyang, also had to resign after sympathizing with Tiananmen Square protesters, who called for political reform. Since then, advocacy of political reform has been left to political dissidents or young, high-spirited scholars. Wen Jiabao is the first member of the Politiburo Standing Committee, the highest decision-making organ of the Comminist Party, to advocate political reform since the Tiananmen protests. However, Wen Jiabao has only emphasized the importance of political reform, without proposing when or how reform might play out. Wen Jiabao will retire from the Central Politiburo Standing Committee at the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November. Wen is also set to retire as premier in March of next year. With fewer than four months left in his term, a realist statesman’s comment on political reform seems futile. Wen has neither the time to carry out his convictions, defeating opposition within the Party, nor a strong political influence at present. After all, Wen Jiabao has expressed his sentiments on political reform numerous times since 2010. Looking back, Wen Jiabao’s first public remark on political reform was in August of 2010, during the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. He said that without political reform, the fruits of
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economic reform would be lost. Two months later, in an interview with the USA’s CNN, Wen Jiabao said, “The people's wishes and need for democracy and freedom are irresistible.” Between August and October of 2010, Wen Jiabao brought up the issue of political reform as many as seven times in official meetings. A premier’s mention of political reform may in itself be meaningful. However, there is little real evidence that he has carried the cause forward. Wen Jiabao’s remarks on political reform are limited to the importance of reform; neither specific direction nor means of reform have been suggested. For this reason, young critics have accused him of merely paying lip service to the issue. Some people say that Wen Jiabao’s idea of political reform is different than how it is perceived by the world. When Wen speaks of political reform, the international press and the Chinese people tend to visualize a multi-party system or a direct presidential election system. His comments are often interpreted as allowing for a new party to rival the Communist Party, which comprises the single-party government of China, or for a direct election system for leaders, as in the USA.
○● Premier Wen’s stance on reform does not extend beyond democratization within the Party Wen Jiabao’s idea of political reform in no way prescribes forming a multi-party system or introducing a direct election system. At the 2011 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of New Champions, held in September of 2011, he proposed a direction for China’s political reform, saying, “There must be changes in the Party’s dominance of government affairs, its absolute power, and the over-concentration of power.” He reminded the public, “These are tasks that Deng Xiaoping spoke of 30 years ago.” He said that China must continue to “promote social fairness, safeguard judicial justice, protect the people’s democratic rights, and resolutely combat corruption.” On expanding democracy, he said that China should start “within the Communist
91 Autumn 2012�POSRI Chindia Quarterly Party.” These are Wen’s most specific elaborations on his vision of political reform. In other words, he is proposing political reform as advocated by Deng Xiaoping, and calling for democratization to begin with the expansion of democracy within the Party. Deng Xiaoping proposed clear steps for China's economic development until the year 2050. Before his death, he pleaded for China to not stray from these steps. Deng’s dying wishes are still considered by the Although Wen has limited the scope Communist Party of China to be of political reform to democratization the highest good. within the Party, everyone agrees Deng Xiaoping implored that he has succeeded in creating an image for himself by repeatedly that China adhere to his “One speaking of political reform. Center, Two Basic Points” until 2050. The central focus of his tenet is economic development. Under Mao Zedong, the proletarian revolution was of ultimate importance to the Communist Party. When Deng Xiaoping rose to power, he facilitated a dramatic shift in the Party’s focus, toward economic development. One of the two Basic Points is aggressive market reforms and openness to the outside world as a means of economic development. The second Basic Point is centralized political control (i.e., the Four Cardinal Principles: the socialist path; the people's democratic dictatorship; the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and Marxist-Leninist-Maoist thought). While upholding the Communist Party’s single-party rule, Deng Xiaoping advocated gradual democratization within the Party in order to support the people's democratic dictatorship. The Tiananmen protesters called for the adoption of Western-style democracy, opposing the single-party rule of the Communist Party. This was the reason that, after long consideration, Deng Xiaoping decided on an armed crackdown on the Tiananmen protests. Carrying on single-party rule
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is still the Communist Party’s unwavering goal. Early this year, Bo Xilai, former secretary of the Communist Party's Chongqing branch, was removed from his posts. Some people suggest that his downfall was caused by his coveting of imperial charisma, and his independent leadership that went against the collective leadership of the Communist Party. Ultimately, Wen Jiabao’s political reform does not extend beyond democratization within the confines of the Communist Party’s single-party rule, which Deng Xiaoping supported. In March of 2011, Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, second in command among Communist Party leaders, said that China should “not copy the systems of laws of certain Western countries,” and that “China would unwaveringly keep on the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics.” To the outside world, it seemed that Wen Jiabao was standing on the side of reform, while Wu Bangguo was siding with conservative viewpoints. This was interpreted as a difference of opinion among the Party’s leadership, and the isolation of Wen Jiabao. In truth, however, Wen Jiabao and Wu Bangguo were arguing the same point. One spoke of expanding democratization within the Party, and the other spoke of maintaining the Communist Party’s single-party rule, but the two opinions are connected. The Constitution of the Communist Party of China, which includes the directing points of the Communist Party, clearly states the need for democratization within the Party for the nation’s development.
○● What Premier Wen stands to gain What is Wen Jiabao’s motivation in crying out for political reform? Is he driven by his own conviction? Although Wen has limited the scope of political reform to democratization within the Party, what he truly wants for the nation is perhaps a Western system of democracy. Whatever the reason, everyone agrees that he has succeeded in creating an image for himself by
93 Autumn 2012�POSRI Chindia Quarterly repeatedly speaking of political reform. Among the younger professors in Beijing, there has been speculation that Premier Wen Jiabao wishes to be remembered by the Chinese people as an icon of political reform, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang. The Chinese public thinks highly of Wen Jiabao. He has been the first to run to the sites of earthquakes and floods, and change into work clothes to take part in relief efforts. After a mining accident, he was seen deep in a mine shaft, having lunch with on-duty miners. He visited and shed tears with the victims of the Great Sichuan Earthquake, and held the hands of AIDS patients in a Henan Province hospital. His continuing humanitarian acts have in turn won him the respect and love of the Chinese people. In contrast, intellectuals’ estimation of Wen’s actions is not so generous. They assert that his humanitarian actions are merely image-building tactics, and that Wen lacks initiative, drive, and vision. They also condemn Wen’s cry for political reform for being hollow. During Deng Xiaoping’s reign, former general secretary Hu Yaobang lost his post after advocating partial introduction of Western-style democracy. Although he had been chosen by Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang publicly opposed Deng. In the process, Hu Yaobang gained broad support from young intellectuals. Hu Yaobang’s death was followed by heated student gatherings, which, riding a general wave of mounting grievances, led to the Tiananmen Square protests. In order for Wen Jiabao’s call for political reform to be recognized as earnest and true, Wen needed to follow in Hu Yaobang’s footsteps, leading by example, in addition to raising important questions and sending out big messages. However, Wen Jiabao is about to retire without any record of such efforts. Wen is proficient at image-building. Moreover, he has the know-how to survive in the Communist Party, after years of serving the powerful government agency. Leading up to his retirement, Wen has repeatedly
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introduced the term political reform in front of the international media, exaggerating the expansion of democracy within the Communist Party, which is included in its Constitution, as political reform. Criticism that Wen Jiabao’s rhetoric on political reform is a hollow cry by a crafty politician for the purpose of image-building is not unfounded. Only time will tell what effects Premier Wen Jiabao’s comments will have on Chinese society.
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