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Study trip looks like free holiday
By Wang Yong |
November 25, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WANT your city to become "world-class?" No problem, just pay your officials to work temporarily in the United States.
On Monday, the Dongcheng District of Beijing announced it will pay 50 million yuan (US$7.5 million) a year to send some of its officials on a "study trip" to work temporarily in the United States governments and learn from their "advanced experiences."
The United States surely has a lot to offer Chinese officials, but, why America, and not, say, India? A signed commentary published on Xinhua.net yesterday rightly argued that Beijing should learn from India on how to treat poor citizens in a humane way.
Indeed, hasn't Beijing treated poor street vendors like underdogs? Haven't most Chinese cities copied too many things Western - for example conspicuous consumption and obsession with urbanization - to the detriment of traditional Chinese values?
A "world-class" city is by no means an "Americanized" city. Beijing's taxpayers have every reason to believe the Dongcheng District's plan will come to nothing but a big waste of money so some officials can have an all-expenses paid vacation.
Overseas study tours are useful, so long as they are well designed to serve the best interests of the people, not the privileged few.
Apart from India, China has a lot to learn from countries in Africa and Latin America on how to treat nature nicely. The United States has many merits, but it's not even close to being a good example of how to lead a low-carbon life, a life China now claims to pursue.
If you really want to embrace a low-carbon life, send those officials to Africa, Latin America, India or one of those islands in the south Pacific.
Fire compensation package is fair
It's heartening that every victim in the tragic November 15 Shanghai high-rise fire will be handsomely compensated.
On Tuesday, the municipal government announced families who lost relatives in the blaze will receive 960,000 yuan per victim, and that every damaged home would be compensated based on market prices.
The package is timely and generous indeed. As one of Shanghai's taxpayers, I fully support the government's use of public funds to help those in need. But taxpayers' money isn't enough - the corrupt officials responsible for the accident that killed at least 58 people should pay their part of the debt our society owes to those who perished.
The accident would not have been so horrific had it not been for bureaucratic corruption that led to the illegal use of unlicensed welders and flammable materials at the construction site.
It's time Shanghai investigated such individuals to see how many illegal assets they may have accumulated from years and years of corrupt construction projects.
Auction a small part of such illegally acquired assets, such as an apartment received through a bribe, and you get more revenue to comfort the survivors, their family and a society longing for justice.
On Monday, the Dongcheng District of Beijing announced it will pay 50 million yuan (US$7.5 million) a year to send some of its officials on a "study trip" to work temporarily in the United States governments and learn from their "advanced experiences."
The United States surely has a lot to offer Chinese officials, but, why America, and not, say, India? A signed commentary published on Xinhua.net yesterday rightly argued that Beijing should learn from India on how to treat poor citizens in a humane way.
Indeed, hasn't Beijing treated poor street vendors like underdogs? Haven't most Chinese cities copied too many things Western - for example conspicuous consumption and obsession with urbanization - to the detriment of traditional Chinese values?
A "world-class" city is by no means an "Americanized" city. Beijing's taxpayers have every reason to believe the Dongcheng District's plan will come to nothing but a big waste of money so some officials can have an all-expenses paid vacation.
Overseas study tours are useful, so long as they are well designed to serve the best interests of the people, not the privileged few.
Apart from India, China has a lot to learn from countries in Africa and Latin America on how to treat nature nicely. The United States has many merits, but it's not even close to being a good example of how to lead a low-carbon life, a life China now claims to pursue.
If you really want to embrace a low-carbon life, send those officials to Africa, Latin America, India or one of those islands in the south Pacific.
Fire compensation package is fair
It's heartening that every victim in the tragic November 15 Shanghai high-rise fire will be handsomely compensated.
On Tuesday, the municipal government announced families who lost relatives in the blaze will receive 960,000 yuan per victim, and that every damaged home would be compensated based on market prices.
The package is timely and generous indeed. As one of Shanghai's taxpayers, I fully support the government's use of public funds to help those in need. But taxpayers' money isn't enough - the corrupt officials responsible for the accident that killed at least 58 people should pay their part of the debt our society owes to those who perished.
The accident would not have been so horrific had it not been for bureaucratic corruption that led to the illegal use of unlicensed welders and flammable materials at the construction site.
It's time Shanghai investigated such individuals to see how many illegal assets they may have accumulated from years and years of corrupt construction projects.
Auction a small part of such illegally acquired assets, such as an apartment received through a bribe, and you get more revenue to comfort the survivors, their family and a society longing for justice.
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