China tightens ideological screws

By Ching Cheong Senior Writer  www.straitstimes.com

CHINA is once again tightening the screws of ideological control by barring universities and the media from discussing or writing about seven "dangerous" topics.

These are: universal values, press freedom, civil society, civil rights, errors of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), crony capitalism and judicial independence.

Such "dangerous Western influences" are detrimental to the ruling status of the CCP and hence "every cadre should fight earnestly against them", according to a party document.

The May 13 document, entitled Report on the Current Situation of the Ideological Front, summarises the main conclusions of a meeting of the National Conference of Chiefs of Propaganda Departments in January.

It would have been the first national propaganda meeting since Mr Xi Jinping took over as CCP chief last November and should bear his personal imprints.

According to the document, democracy and constitutionalism as promoted by liberals are intended to overthrow the CCP and to end socialism. It also said the promotion of universal values would undermine the CCP leadership and force it to make concessions.

Similarly, the real aim of bringing about civil society is to nurture and develop new political forces outside of CCP-led grass- roots organisations so as to compete with the CCP for influence.

And Western concepts such as press freedom and media openness go against the CCP's view, which is that the media should come under the party's control and act as its mouthpiece.

Regarding historical issues, discussions on the CCP's past errors would nullify its legitimacy and undermine its ruling position.

Those who allege that the "China model" is nothing but crony capitalism are trying to diminish the achievements of the CCP's reform and open-door policies, and to support claims that without political reform China's economic reform is doomed to failure.

On economic issues, neo-liberalists who advocate greater reliance on market mechanisms are undermining the CCP's policies that place great emphasis on macroeconomic control.

To maintain ideological purity, the document urges propaganda departments across the country to mount a campaign against those whose writings are "anti-party, anti-country and anti-nation" and to resolutely remove those who refuse to change their stance.

Propaganda officials at all levels are also instructed to tighten media control to ensure proper enforcement of the seven no-nos, or "forbidden turfs".

The CCP document sent ripples through university campuses and media newsrooms alike. Most people were taken aback by President Xi's apparent leftist shift.

Well-known dissident blogger Yefu noted that even as Mr Xi was putting the hearts of party elders at ease, he was burying China's future. Mr Yao Jianfu, formerly with the Rural Policy Centre of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, said it was a big shock as many people had placed their hopes in Mr Xi to launch badly needed political reform.

Professor Hu Xingdou of the Beijing University of Science and Technology called the seven no-nos draconian in ideological "wei wen" (maintaining stability). He said it reflected the CCP's extreme lack of confidence in maintaining its grip on power. He doubted if they could be implemented at all.

Historian Zhang Lifan said that by identifying the seven no-nos, the CCP is reminding the people that these are the basic flaws of the current political system.

Mr Bao Tong, former secretary to the late CCP chief Zhao Ziyang, said that by reinstating these ideological controls, Mr Xi has taken China back to the days before the 1911 rebellion, which overthrew centuries of dynastic rule.

Leftists welcomed Mr Xi's move. All the major leftist websites carried Professor Zhang Hongliang's May 15 article, "Present-day China is like Soviet Union on the eve of its breakup".

Nicknamed the Red Tank, Prof Zhang at Minzu University of China in Beijing is well known for his extreme Maoist views. He has argued that the imminent danger of the CCP breaking up like the Soviet Union calls for tightening up ideological controls.