Non-communist Officials - What a Joke

Boy this type of article really pisses me off...I simply do not understand this: "China to opt for more non-Communist officials." [1]

The article begins by stating, "More eligible non-Communists are expected to become high-ranking officials in China following last year's appointments of two non-Communist ministers, said a spokesman of the forthcoming annual political advisory session. Many non-Communist personages have taken up posts at government departments and judicial bodies since China started its reform and opening up (toward the late 1970s), said Mr Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Mr Wan Gang, of the China Zhi Gong Dang (Party for Public Interest), was appointed minister of science and technology last April as the first non-Communist party cabinet minister since the late 1970s. Two months later, Mr Chen Zhu, non-party member, became minister of health. Their appointments represented major moves of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in enhancing socialist democracy and pushing forward multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, Wu said at a press conference on the eve of the annual political advisory session."

Sorry folks, that is what is known as propaganda and I have a real problem with it - the same type of irk I recall when reading about the labor unions in WalMart that were headed by communist party members. Here's what bothers me so much. It's the way that the central communist party believes that things are really different in this dynasty. They're not. The power structure is still in tact - strong central monarchy backed by a unifying military and pervasive dissidents throughout the provinces with growing wealth. The only difference this time around is that Beijing has to deal with the whole outside world, and not just 'the old barbarians at the gate.'

Now we get this...two minsiters appointed from without the ranks. Can they defy the party? Can they provide some basis for checks and balances? Can they survive by taking a position of dissent? Let's ask Zhao Ziyang how that worked out for him. That's like an all-star game in basketball - you know, the type of game where everybody is really on the same team, nobody's fouling, nobody's playing defense, and the outcome is really just nominal. That's my microcosm for these appointments. The message is clear: Life is quite good in the political spheres of China these days.

[1] 3 March 2008 The Statesman The Financial Times Limited. Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. All material subject to copyright. (c) 2008 All rights reserved