Sincerity doubted as officials show frugality
Print Edition
High-ranking officials have hit the headlines with their frugality attempts, but are these real improvements to work styles, or simple posturing?
In one case, a TV journalist came across Wu Tianjun, Communist Party chief of Zhengzhou City, taking the subway to his office on Monday after a meeting.
Xu Jin with Zhengzhou TV said yesterday he watched Wu queue to buy a ticket then followed him as he boarded the train. Some passengers recognized Wu and chatted with him on the subway.
Wu told Xu his office was near a subway station, so he took the subway back.
In another case, Fu Zhenghua, vice minister of Public Security and head of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, was seen patrolling with other officers on a busy commercial street in the capital on Wednesday evening.
He was recognized by pedestrians and this is not the first time he has been seen on patrol in downtown Beijing.
“He often visit police stations and meets patrolling police officers without informing them in advance,” said a Beijing officer who declined to be identified.
When they come to light, such “incognito” trips usually become a focus for discussion among netizens. Some say Wu’s story is too coincidental to be true and claim he did it simply for show.
Others expressed support for Wu and expect more officials to follow suit, not as a cost cutting measure, but as a way to hear what the public really thinks.
Xu insists it was not a stage-managed event, adding he had been reporting on the opening of the new subway line when he spotted Wu.
“Party members and officials, while servants of the public, are also members of the public. Leading officials should mingle with the masses more often, without advance notification, and listen to their voices to know the true situation,” said Wang Shushan, Communist Party chief of Xuchang City, Henan.
This is one of the better traditions of our Party and we should adhere to it, he said.
Police chief Fu is not known as an official who stays cooped up in his office, he often joins the patrols, according to his officers. First, it showcases the importance of the capital’s security work. Second, it can lead other senior officials to change their work styles, they say.
The Chinese leadership last year launched a “mass line” education campaign to further ties between Party members and the people, and clean up undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucratization, hedonism and extravagance.
Such trips are normal and should be encouraged as the Party works to build closer ties with the people, said Fang Ning of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Officials should make use of every means to strengthen their relations with the public, he added.
“Undoubtedly, officials should serve the people,” said Yan Jirong, professor of politics at Peking University.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
