In China, 'red nobility' trumps egalitarian ideals

[Wehrwolfen]

By Barbara Demick,
March 5, 2013


Xi Jinping, China's new Communist Party secretary, will add the title of president at the end of the annual gathering of the National People's Congress, which opens Tuesday. The corruption trial of his purged rival, Bo Xilai, is expected shortly after.

Even as their fates have diverged sharply, the stories of their famous and powerful families have dominated Chinese political chatter for the last year. They have focused scrutiny on the country's "princelings," the sons and daughters of party or government officials, fostering a potent form of resentment in Chinese society.

Including Xi, six of the seven men tapped in November for the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest ruling body in the Communist Party and thus China, are the sons of such officials.

The phenomenon is not confined to China. The close relatives of past leaders have risen to the top in Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Singapore and both Koreas. But the phenomenon is more jarring in a communist country, where equal opportunity is the bedrock of the ruling ideology.

The fact that there are no free elections leaves the party elders vulnerable to accusations that they have merely perpetuated China's dynastic traditions by handing down power within a "red nobility." The privileges of birth extend to every sector of the economy, be it oil, electric power, insurance or even diamonds.


(Excerpt)

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In China, 'red nobility' trumps egalitarian ideals - latimes.com

Sounds a lot like the Democratic Party dynasties are going through.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - Obama takin' new Chinese president to the woodshed over interweb hackin'...

Xi Jinping Becomes China's President
March 14, 2013 — China's National People's Congress has voted to elect Xi Jinping as the country's next president. The largely ceremonial procedure marks the completion of China’s once in a decade leadership transition that began late last year. Over the past few months, Mr. Xi and China’s new team of leaders have been raising expectations here about the prospects for reform in this tightly ruled country.

In the space of just a few hours - representatives to China’s National People’s Congress voted unswervingly in support of Xi Jinping’s election to the post of president. Only one opposing vote was cast as well as three abstentions. The result of the vote was never in doubt and there was an almost festive mood in China’s Great Hall of the People. Many delegates snapped photos of themselves while they were casting votes. Others sought Xi Jinping's autograph - as well as the autograph of the man tipped to become the country’s next premier Li Keqiang. Li’s vote will be held Friday and there is little doubt of what the outcome of that election will be. What remains unclear though, is how the two will handle China's immense challenges and growing calls for change.

Chinese officials have made it clear throughout the meetings of its National People's Congress that one option was not on the table - political reform. National People's Congress spokeswoman Fu Ying says it is unfair to say that China's style of political reform is not reform whenever it does not follow in the footsteps of other countries. A headline in the English version of China's state-run Global Times was more blunt. It read: “Socialist Path Reaffirmed, Constant Rejection of Western model sets reform tone.” However, China is not rejecting all Western political ideas. In recent weeks there have been numerous reports in Chinese media about renewed interest in the writings of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville. Wang Qishan, one of the seven members of Xi's new core team of leaders has recommend the author's book, the “Old Regime and Revolution,” to his associates.

That has many talking here about whether China is ripe for a revolution. Chinese journalist Cheng Yizhong says the reason Wang Qishan and Xi are interested in the works of Tocqueville is because they want to learn about ruling and how to maintain their hegemonic power and keep threats at bay. Liberals and citizens, however, have a different view, Cheng says. They think China should put an end to its one party rule. They believe that if this does not happen China could undergo another revolution similar to the French Revolution, he says. Some believe true change will not come until political reform is carried out. Social activist and filmmaker Ai Xiaoming says that more than putting one's hopes in the country's leaders, ordinary citizens need to take action to help promote change.

Ai says you cannot just put your faith in [these leaders] who drink water that has been specially provided for them, whose families do not even live in China anymore. Ai says that when China's leaders assemble they just leave all the problems and criticism at the door. They do not allow people to speak up, to assemble, or protest in the streets. China spends more money on public security than it does to fund its massive military. Public distrust in the country's leaders is a big concern, particularly as it relates to the problem of official graft. China's Communist Party leaders have warned that corruption could kill the party and have been talking up the government's willingness to tackle corruption. Xi says that the government will not only target lowly “flies” but higher ranking officials or “tigers” as well.

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Obama, China's Xi Discuss Cyber Security Dispute in Phone Call
March 14, 2013 WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama took mounting U.S. concerns about computer hacking straight to China's president on Thursday in a sign of how seriously the United States takes the threat of cyber attacks emanating from China.

A day after meeting with U.S. corporate CEOs in the White House Situation Room about cyber threats, Obama spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the cyber issue as well as North Korea's nuclear challenge, currency and trade issues. A White House statement said Obama "highlighted the importance of addressing cyber security threats, which represent a shared challenge." Earlier this week, U.S. intelligence leaders said for the first time that cyber attacks and cyber espionage had supplanted terrorism as the top security threat facing the United States.

U.S. businesses are increasingly alarmed about the targeted theft of confidential business information and proprietary technologies through cyber intrusions emanating from China. "The international community cannot afford to tolerate such activity from any country," White House national security adviser Tom Donilon said this week. Obama called Xi to congratulate him on his new position and both agreed on the value of regular high-level discussions. To that end, Obama noted that U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will visit China next week to be followed in coming weeks by Secretary of State John Kerry, a White House statement said.

Lew lacks the international stature of his predecessor, Timothy Geithner, and may use the visit to China to boost his international visibility. Obama welcomed China's commitment to G-20 nations to move toward a more flexible currency exchange rate, a development long sought by the United States to allow U.S. exports to become more competitive in Chinese markets. Administration officials have said China has made progress in valuing its currency, allowing the yuan to appreciate by about 15 percent against the dollar in recent years.

A big drop in China's global trade surplus and a rise in labor costs have also helped make Chinese products less competitive, even as the U.S. economy continues to improve, giving currency concerns less salience. But Lew has said China's yuan remains undervalued, and has pledged to push the country to do more to appreciate its currency. U.S. lawmakers say an artificially low yuan hurts American manufacturers. On top of that, the United States has come under fire from other countries for an aggressive easing of monetary policy critics contend seeks to drive down the dollar, a charge that puts Washington in a tougher spot in criticizing China. Obama and Xi also discussed North Korea's nuclear challenge.

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