王立軍自白 & China's future

Dr. Yuk-Ching Hon

2 May 2012

The problem with following China mainly through western journalists' reports is most of them are Sinophobians. How many of them have anything positive to say about China?

It isn't easy to pick out the truth. Only believe something when the government denies it! This saying applies all over the world but particularly in the case of today's China. China is, I'd say, suffering from `truth deficit' which stretches from government to food safety, from pyramid schemes to the controlled media. It has worsen by the onrush of social change.

The Bo Xilai affair is a distinct case of `truth deficit', it will heighten cynicism among people. How the leadership handles it in the coming months will be crucial.

Hu Jintao & Wen Jiabao's administration has certainly bailed out the economy but unfortunately has shied away from major structural reforms. It'll be interesting to see what the new brooms like 習近平、李克強 can do.

They would have to decide what the role of the Communist Party is, whether to be a monopoly political movement that delivers only economic progress or something more. I hope they can strength the rule of law, start some reforms of land ownership, the labour market, capital markets and central provincial fiscal policies.

And of course, do something about the dreadful pollution.

However, the problem is, even though all these reforms may not directly involve politics, they have distinct political overtones. For example, the rule of law would mean the party would put itself under independent judiciary which seems most unlikely at this time when Chinese judges are obliged to swear a loyalty oath to the party.

I've been reading an interesting book by a gwailo - Jonathan Fenby's Tiger Head, Snake Tails.