Keeping the faith
Milk powder tainted with an industrial chemical - just a year after lead paint was found in children's toys, and poison was discovered in pet food and toothpaste. So how do people feel about a government that has again failed in its promise to keep products safe?
"I think the government is doing a good job so far," says Dong Zhen Sheng who took his two year-old daughter to hospital be checked for kidney stones, "After news of the scandal was broken by the media, the government reacted quite quickly. And they've allowed us to have free hospital checks for our children."
For all the parents' anger then, you still come across a bedrock faith in this country's top leaders - and in their ability to make things right. As I've written here before, this faith dates back to the time of the emperors. Traditionally, when things go wrong in China, you blame corrupt lower-level officials, and you look to a benevolent leader in the capital to come to the rescue.
So, in recent days, Chinese state TV has followed this ancient model closely. It's reported openly on the failure of lower-level officials - the resignation of the chief quality regulator and the sacking of a number of provincial officials. And it's shown the benevolent leader coming in to make things right - in this case, the Premier Wen Jiabao visiting hospitals and promising to reform the dairy industry.
Mr Wen represents a system that's built on trust not scepticism - on the belief that you should put your faith in wise leaders to keep you safe. In this system - inherited from imperial times - there's no room for any meaningful checks and balances.
The Party doesn't allow the establishment of an independent legal system, a free press, or strong NGOs - the kind of tools that other countries use to keep their officials honest and their food safe. If you dare to challenge the Party in China, your life can get pretty difficult.
A few days ago, in south Beijing, several hundred neighbours decided to break the law. They went to protest against the presence of a rubbish dump near their homes. The police marched next to them. Two officers with white gloves raised banners printed with the words "Do Not Violate Public Order."
"They feel furious - more than angry," one protestor told me (he declined to give me his name).
"Do you hope the government will listen and do something?" I asked.
"I don't think so - unless somebody dies. As you can see with the milk problem, that's the philosophy and without any necessary monitoring from any third party I don't think the government will do anything to curb the feeling that people generate."
After a couple of hours the protestors went home. A little later, a number of them were detained by the police. This is what happens in China when you try to challenge the Party's authority - when you try to suggest that there should be more independent regulation and oversight. But this week, the irony of how China is run may be pretty clear. You're still meant to trust the Party even if you can no longer trust the food it allows you to buy in the shops.
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James,
You said:
You're still meant to trust the Party even if you can no longer trust the food it allows you to buy in the shops.
That's the exact power of brain wash. Oh, my mistake, we called it "re-education," or patriotism education.
The future of we Chinese looks so bright that 1.3 billions of us are seeing things identically as the CCP does. Just 2 weeks ago, a prominent US educated economist Zhang Wuchang declared Chinese Communist system THE best in human history. That's the power of revolutionary education.
How lucky we are!
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Yes, there is no absolutely independent legal system, free press, or strong NGOs in China.
But in terms of food safty, the press is free or becoming free. If this happened 10 years ago, the government probably would not allow it to be reported. That's a progress and that's why many Chinese people still have a faith on the government.
We all know it is far from enough and the party should have done much better. But what other option do we have at the moment? Another revolution to take down the party? Even if a revolution was successful, who could guarantee the new parties would do bring a independent legal system and a free press? Even if they could, who could guarantee China would become US, Europe or Japan but not India?
The faith is not from the time of the emperors. It is just a compromise when there is no other option.
Whatever China's future is, the BBC and people like you are not helping.
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well, I have been the UK studying law for four years. it is extremely hard for me because my parents are farmers who don't have money. I know many chinese students here, most of them are rich because their parents are having business or are officials (they seems to be more welcomed in your country than me). now I am going back to China, I want to give a hand to those people who are as poor as me. I believe I will find a more practical way to improve our lives rather than blame our government only.
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James,
I do understand that you and many other foreign journalists are eager to see Chinese people pointing their figures at either the CCP as a whole or higher ranking leaders like Premier Wen to blame. Or even in a more dramatic way, having a colour revolution in China would definitely lift you up.
But the fact is that Chinese people have much better idea of the whole situation and they know who should be held as responsible. It is nothing to do with your so called traditional faith in emperors. (BTW, I think most of the very few people having such faiths are currently living in a place called the GB. )
Frankly speaking, I admire your imagination and your way of creating a theory to support your distorted ideas. You would do much better as a creative writer than being a journalist.
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This is just funny (and kind of pathetic) how the world gets all excited over a few babies getting a little sick while every single day no less than 20,000 people die from famine, poverty, disease, war, etc. And most of those 20,000 are women and children.
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Hello James,
With your insightful article, only now are we really talking. Any discussion on China without questioning the role of the communist party is nothing but beating around the bush. The heart of the matter is very few people in China really trust the party, not even the party members themselves. I doubt even Mr Hu and Wen trust their own party¨s ability to run the country, but thats a question which will never be verified. What is certain, however, that people´s trust and faith in the party is a long lost one. One may wonder why the hell the party is still in power? The party remains in power for three important factors. Firstly, it has relied on its old belief that political power comes from the barrel of a gun, and this means crack down harshly on any attempt to check its power. Secondly, China´s economic ´boom´ is a ´boom´for the party economically as well as politically. In the process of ´China´s boom´, the party not only made its members millionaires but also their near and dear ones. Finally, the party´s nationalism game which is played out in such a way that it has created domestic or international friends and foe, and survives on nationalism for its ´right´to remain in power as a defender of Chinese interest. The party has been relatively successful in this front given the fact that today any criticism, be domestic or international, taken by many, especially the young generation in China, as an attack on China and Chinese.
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The first batch of tainted product was discovered in New Zealand earlier this year; the first case of kidney stone was reported in early August. There is reason to believe that some local government official is negligent or involved in some kind of cover-up, maybe due to the Olympic. If action was taken earlier, this incident may not blow up to such a scale. Government corruption and lack of freedom-of-press escalated the problem. Many people may have loss their faith on the government. Nevertheless, it is a one-party rule; what choice do the people have?
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Hi James,
Do you read the comments left by your reader? The BBC Blog is supposed to create a dialogue between reporters and news readers, but it seems like you haven't really picked up anything from the comments left here - it seems that here you talk with authority of selft-promoted emperor-letic China, and it seems you even found more evidence to support your theory. Well, what is your aim here? are you saying the Chinese people is at wrong here? are you promoting the Chinese people the throw away these backward thoughts and rise up against the "emperor"?
In hoping you will read my post here, allow me to point out some errors you made in your assertion (some silly, some deliberately cheeky)
First, the official fired this week is the head of the food quality control, it's a ministerial department that oversee the food quality and regulate the food industry in China. So, firing him is pretty much the highest official job you can fire. If anything this shows the improvement of the accountability of Chinese government.
Secondly, you seems to suggest that there is no independent oversight or legal system, and that it is impossible to have one under 1 party rule. Well it's silly to suggest that there is no regulation or oversight in a country of over 1.3 billion people, and I don't think having a two party system will guarantee you an meaningful checks and balances. Democracy doesn't create oversight and a functional legal system, on the contrary, a functioning legal regulations and mature oversight system is a prerequisite of having a proper democracy. And I think China is on the right track - I would not be the first to tell you that the communist party takes no pleasure in these incidents and do not profit from the income of these companies (a sharp contrast to US system where companies contribute to political election found raising). So blaming these directly on the communist party is cheeky of you. Immature product regulation body and overly greed as result of the recent radical materialist shift of the entire country is probably the real evil here.
Thirdly, despite of many commentators here rejecting your notion a all powerful emperor and entire nation at awe, you seems to still put words into the Chinese people's mouth. As many has pointed out, the current administration does enjoyed higher than normal approval from the public but it doesn't mean it has always been the case. The previous administration did not enjoy nearly high regard from the public. And contrary to your believe, China does not run by a single person, it is just not possible. So please stop this silliness!
However many will say that Chinese culture does put more emphasis on collectivism than individualism, which sometimes does mean Chinese would recognise more authority than the western counterpart. But so is most of the Asian culture - Japan is notoriously so - respect the elderly and authority. But this is far from emperor-lectic view you seems to suggest here.
Respect for the authority and the greater good of all allows the Chinese to takes a much longer view than your most western politicians, which is one of the strongest strength of the Chinese government. This of course is in sharp contrast to American election - it's more of a personality contest than an election, which most of Americans don't vote anyway.
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Well said, James.
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Personally i think this is a good system. You keep a few "emperors" on top, who can't be challenged, hence ensuring the stability of the entire system. But since you can punish the lower level officials, and hence created a check-and-balance and accountability. I believe that this is the power of monarch, no matter how much you hate the current administration, there's always the king/queen/mullah you can turn to.
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Quote James wrote:
"For all the parents' anger then, you still come across a bedrock faith in this country's top leaders - and in their ability to make things right. As I've written here before, this faith dates back to the time of the emperors. Traditionally, when things go wrong in China, you blame corrupt lower-level officials, and you look to a benevolent leader in the capital to come to the rescue."
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James,
You need to know why they are like that. The most important point: Many many many times in the past, these people got NO RESCUES AT ALL. NO ONE NO RESUES. BUT NOW THEY DO!
Now not only they are getting rescues, their rescues are better than any of they ever had. You see the difference? That's why they still have faith in their government.
I know what you mean. Chinese people should stand up against their government and they should be responsible for themselves and trust no one, no government nor emperors, well except ..... God, like many of your British do. Right? Is that why you are so interested in Fong Li Gong during the Olympic?
Or what do you want them to do? Organized another party starting anti government protests? Or take over the Tiananmen square once again?
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"The Party doesn't allow the establishment of an independent legal system, a free press, or strong NGOs - the kind of tools that other countries use to keep their officials honest and their food safe."
James, you must be joking here:
Independent legal system: court case can never be completed and lawyers and solocitors make money from both sides.
A free press: you can say whatever you like and if you are clever enough, you can even brain wash people. Look what BBC did when reporting Tibet issues...
Strong NGOs: NGOs basically are pressure group representing different wealthy groups. If they are allowed to exist in China without certain level of regulation, poor will become poorer, rich will become richer.
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James finally managed to link the milk to the ccp, the top leaders, and political system.
1. Profit driven individuals and milk collecting stations mixed water downed milk with chemical to get more money.
2. The companies that usually do not test for the substance got fooled and use the contaminated milk to produce milk powder.
3. The local officials play it down/cover it up to protect local economy.
4. James reynold captured the oppotunity to link the milk scandle to top leaders, ccp, the political system and hoping Chinese people to rock/overthrow the central government.
5. Chinese people believe the government can handle the issue.
6. James Reynold comes to the conclusion that Chinese people are fooled and still live in an imperial system.
7. James tried to balance his view against Chinese public by putting forward and praising the Chinese who protested against a rubbish dump project and tell his audience that they are "detained". Plenty of imaginations can be used here.
8. I wander whether James still continue to enjoy the support he has been getting for his not bad report in the milk scandle.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
"this faith dates back to the time of the emperors"?
Why must everything be linked with the old emperors? Why dun you link it to the United States? or UK?
Look at US, Fed led to the crisis. But people still wow Fed as a hero when it printed "MONEY" for Wall Streets.
Why dun you look for more details in this milk scandal. Many governor haven been off their position due to it, and they are from the central government, rather than the local governments.
The Writer of the article, James Reynolds, please dun always try to use ur limited understanding to explain everything u see. I believe a journalist must be at good learning, to make hime a good one. China also has a Law system as any other country. Why do you say that they follow a way from "the time of the emperors" rather than the laws?
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The root of the milk scandal problem is moral corruption and lack of concern for the welfare of others. The deaths of innocent babies from poisoned milk is terrible and tragic, I hope those who are responsible will be punished severely.
Regarding the issue of faith in government, I saw some posts related to the milk scandal bashing those who try to defend the CCP. I think this is not the right response. Just because many Chinese people are loyal to their government and country doesn't means they are supporting those reponsible for the milk scandal. They would be the ones who are most angry at the people who poisoned the milk because it hurt their beloved country and made their government look bad. I feel that if every single Chinese can be so defensive of China like some of the posters here, then this milk scandal would not even occur because nobody would think about doing anything to harm China.
The Chinese government had taken action to punish those who produce tainted products, it jailed many officials who are corrupt. Chinese people trust top leaders like Hu Jin Tao and Wen Jia Bao because those people have no motive to ruin their own country and they did a lot of good things for the Chinese people. However, there are still some selfish people who just do not care enough and have no respect for their country or the central government. This is a social issue that will take a long time to deal with, there is no quick fix to it.
I understand the concern of the article about the need for an independent, third-party monitoring system. However, I doubt it will work well in China as Chinese society have very a different culture that requires people to work together in harmony, not against each other. If a new monitoring system is created, what can guarantee that it will not become corrupt and inefficient? As for an "independent" press and legal system, which country truly have an unbiased media or a justice system that is perfect? China will develop the necessary political, legal, financial and social systems on its own terms and at its own pace to suit its own people, other countries should not try to impose their systems on it because what may seem to work for one culture does not work for another.
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No matter what the government did, I have my loyalty and faith in my country.
But a change is necessary, as the system produced so many greed inept officials and made us sick.
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the system is still young and it haven't matured enough yet, it took the western style of govt. over 100 years to get to where it is.
nothing wrong with an one party system neither, Japan is doing ok with the same party for most of their democratic history. And they just had another changed in leadership for the 4th or 5th time in the last 2 years.
and just like the people of Japan, the Chinese don't like the unkown and the untested.
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Ah, i think you un-wittingly spotted something that dates back to ancient China too. (good article too btw, credit due where it is deserved).
Back in ancient China, and very much now, life is cheap. (in fact life on average in the world is much cheaper due to massive population growth)
The government uses deaths as a measure of public order, not the risk of deaths. So many innocent people killed themselves in front of courthouses to prove their genuine dissatisfaction at the law.
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another story to prove your previous observations.
I read on some Hong Kong paper that some other Hong Kong media with close relationship with the central government are instructed not to trace responsibilities for this scandal any further. They are told accountability stories should stop at the few officials who got sacked the past week and not any further up in that CCP hierarchy.
It's also been reported that lawyers are told not to follow cases which parents wish to sue the manufacturers for compensations. Otherwise, these lawyers 'will not only lose their jobs'.
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I'm sick of seeing Wen apologising and being emotional scandals after scandals and not seeing any real change in the system. Real free press, independent judicial system are what this country needs.
Yes they sacked a few people but so far I haven't heard of any real change in the system. This was just another disaster waiting to happen and without this fundamental change in CCP's mentality, coal mines will still cave in, fireworks factories will still explode and people will still die from consuming unsafe foods.
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Well done, James. This is a report with insight.
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Hello James
It's my first time commenting here. Please don't mind my visit.
James, although i am in UK now, but as a chinese I can't help reading chinese hot news quite frequently. I've appreciated and agreed with your observation of events happening in china. However, the reason behind this kind of superficial blind faith in government hod by chinese is very complicated from my point of view. Not as simple as the hangover of imperial times governance, even worse, i think. Totalitarianism is very bad.
First of all, i don't think that chinese answering you told you what she really thought. For my knowledge and experience, terror, has been rooted in the majority of chinese by the government.
Secdondly, our judgement generally has to be dependend on the information provied to us. If, the information is wronged and selected, how could you form any wise judgement about the causation behind any social event? Unfortunately, strick press control is the long-term policy even for internet. You know the famous Gold Shield System--currently the most advanced fire wall in the world, don't you?
The people is same in the world although some subtle difference does exiset in terms of culture and history. Evil political system and arrogant government, are the only objectives that deserve to be blamed.
Thank you, Jmaes
Regards
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what's wrong with u? In your logic, after foot-disease broke again and again in Britian, how could u still trust British? Of coursre some r to blame, but why everytime you try to be the smart guy, showing what's people missing, but what u r missing is the main point of the case.
BTW: why my comment seem fine one day and got out and then deleted the other day, and even there is no argue for me?
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I am so happy to know that so many westerners care ONLY about how many people in China are dying and not of those poor black Africans or those have not South Asians and Indians.
It's good to be Chinese, the west will take good care of us in China. They will make changes for us and think for us, may be they will run our country one day.
The west would love China to be one of them, just like another NATO country.
They take good care of the Chinese in the west, in Canada where a Chinese with a Phd can drive a taxi and where the most educated Chinese will never have to worry about losing a good low level job or be forced to take a big risk at being a CEO of a national co..
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BBC CENSORSHIP!!!!
Amazing that the BBC censors others but allows itself to break two of it's own rules.
# Are considered likely to disrupt, provoke, attack or offend others
# Are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable
Stop censoring free speech BBC! Stand up to your own democratic country's ideals and philosophy. Amazing, the BBC is guilty of many of the things that it uses to criticise and demonize China and the Chinese.
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Another westerner thinking they can explain the psyche of the Chinese, you can't, you never can because you are not Chinese. Your views will always be tainted by toxic bias, prejudices and delusions of superiority.
Perhaps if we were to use your line of thought and say that all westerner are belligerent because they all decended from mindless savages. Would that be fair or even correct? According to your system it would be in both respects.
And somehow you have managed to make the connection between one small protest about a rubbish dump into the whole system of governance for the whole country.
Perhaps modern 'terrorisms' in western eyes was caused by that little incident in the 1940s when the British via a western partisan organisation unilaterally divided up the middle east. Also when the British unilaterally divided up South Asia, India, Pakistan etc etc. And you harp on about Tibet.
So once again this is James cherry picking, manipulating, psycho analysing and simplifying the system to give us his toxic view of life in China.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I agree that James has forcibly linked this milk thing up to Chinese emperors and the Communist Party again -- and I don't think that's the issue.
I think it's worse, and I fear pointing it out may cause offence, but nevertheless, here it is.
The Party has channelised the energy of the Chinese people into business and making money, and as the fantastic growth of China shows, Chinese people are good at this.
But I am not sure that a sense of business ethics has been at all promoted. Look at what these people did -- they knowingly poisoned babies. And not one isolated company, but many, including some of the biggest companies. These were decisions taken by highly educated, qualified people. Nobody hesitated, not one employee (many must have known) leaked this to the press or the authorities.
So I think the issue actually is with Chinese society as it is today. It's as if when it comes to making money, anything is justified. Of course, business men are ruthless and greedy everywhere, but this really is a very extreme case.
I don't think the government can really do anything about this -- the solution can only come from within Chinese society.
But yes, where James has a point is, in a case like this, public protest makes a very big difference, and the Chinese people are being strongly discouraged by their rulers from indulging in any kind of public protest, except on nationalist issues. Ultimately, in any society, freedom of expression does play a role -- and it does not necessarily mean taking over Tiananmien Square.
Mostly though, it's related to business culture in Chinese society, not the Party per se. It's unfair to expect the government to regulate everything -- it's not possible in such a huge country. Businesses have to have a stronger ethical sense than what we see here -- that it's OK to kill babies to make money. And as I said, not one company -- many, and many educated people involved.
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#26, good stuff voodohaze.
you said it for me.
I always wanted to say that but didn't know how to put it in words.
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You just can no longer trust the food the party allows you to buy in the shops even if you're still meant to trust the party.
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Exactly, James. I urge those who disagree to think about this question: is there another country, nation or people in the world that shares the same enthusiasm and fever in praising ancient emporors? While Hollywood looks to the future for inspiration, Chinese TV producers have a penchant for dead emporors. There has never been a shortage of such TV series that pay tribute to dictators, Emporors Hanwudi, Tangtaizong, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianglong, to name a few. We Chinese would shed grateful tears for any kind gestures or actions taken by a benevolent leader, now knowing that such gestrues or actions are what government responsibility is about. I hate to use the word "servility" to describe our mindset, but it is the best one to explain our resilience. So far, I haven't heard of any class action against Sanlu from the victims, whose number stands at tens of thousands. And I'm even utterly surprised that such an offender could've survived the scandal. Just think about how things would be if a similar food poising case surfaced in the US.
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Comment #25 -
"It's good to be Chinese, the west will take good care of us in China. They will make changes for us and think for us, may be they will run our country one day." -- I like this comment very much.
They care so much about Chinese 'human rights' that makes me bewildered all the time. It's not like they don't have their own problems to worry about.
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