CONCENTRATE OUR EFFORTS ON WINNING THE TRUST OF THE PEOPLE THROUGH SEVERAL MEASURES1
JULY 22, 1989
To win the trust of the people by doing good things, we must have a plan and implement it step by step. Don’t go attacking in all directions, and don’t try to punch with both fists at one time. If our efforts are merely disruptive and unnerve the people, it will be hard to do a good job. Each thing done is a job accomplished, so do it soundly.
Measures to Win Public Trust
We must first concentrate our efforts on cracking down on major cases of corruption and bribery. If we focus on this and do it properly, the effect will definitely be very good and there will be nothing to carp about afterward.
Second, the people detest “official profiteering,” so we have to investigate signs of corruption at certain companies and shut down some of them. This must also be done one step at a time: first deal with those companies that have been corrupted, and make this known to the public. There’s profiteering in the circulation of goods: you mark up and I mark up, prices are increased dozens of times, and this does no good whatsoever for production. Identify who is doing this and shut down those companies, but we mustn’t ruin the production and circulation of goods in the process. This issue needs to be studied very carefully.
As for consulting firms, industry associations, such-and-such academic societies—they have a lot of problems, but we won’t touch them for the time being. They can still play some positive roles right now, and their problems are of a different nature. Their issues should be addressed through policy research—don’t be too anxious to solve them. The problem of holding a second position at a company applies mainly to retired cadres. We must also be careful about this: on the one hand, we must have a single policy, but we must also execute it stroke by stroke. Get a clear picture and act step by step.
Participating in a cadre-training seminar at the Party School of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, July 22, 1989. On the left, Yan Jiadong, deputy head of the school; on the far right, Zhao Qizheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and director of its organization department. (Photograph by Guo Tianzhong)
Improper tendencies within the Party and problems like using power for personal gain, including improper trends at companies, will also be dealt with at a later time. Some issues are easier to resolve after the entire social climate changes—it’s quite hard to resolve them now. We shouldn’t try to sweep away all undesirable phenomena overnight—we have to do it step by step. Take the crackdown on pornography, for example. We sent out so many people, yet within 48 hours everything was the same as before. For this sort of thing, we not only have to crack down frequently, but must also recognize that it isn’t something that can be eradicated all at once—we must wait until the social climate improves before we can wipe it out completely. An article in today’s Liberation Daily notes that over 1,000 people from our security and commercial departments took to the streets to stop unlicensed operations and to crack down on illegal trading. But another article under that one reports that the Bund has once again been taken over by unlicensed hawkers. However, we mustn’t make light of this—we have to do solid work and institutionalize everything.
At the same time, we must be aware of the enormous difficulty involved in this task and proceed step by step—it won’t do to be too impatient. We must have confidence that the social climate in Shanghai will definitely improve. Some say that given the present climate, what you’re doing in Shanghai will be for naught. If you refrain from feasting, it will have no effect; if you don’t accept gifts, it won’t matter—people will continue to throw banquets and offer gifts. That’s wrong. The larger climate is formed by smaller climates, and if everyone helps create smaller climates, a larger climate will take shape. No matter what others do, we ourselves must do the right thing. The most important thing is for leading cadres to take the lead. The 506 bureau-level cadres I have referred to in the past are from the city government; when you add the Municipal Party Committee and some other bureau-level cadres, they number over 2,000. These 2,000-plus people are the true elite of Shanghai, its “backbone.” They must all be able to walk straight and sit firm, they must have no shit on their asses, they must not throw banquets or offer gifts, and they must not use public funds for extravagant living or to build houses for themselves.
If they don’t do such things, an atmosphere of integrity can definitely take shape in Shanghai. There are 20,000 section-level cadres in Shanghai. If the 2,000-plus bureau-level cadres can toe the line, then those 20,000 will also do so. You have to admit that the atmosphere in Shanghai has improved over the past year. Of course we must not exaggerate, but it’s acceptable to say it has improved. During the past year, our bureau-level cadres basically toed the line. Although there were still some cases and quite a few reports of rule-breaking, they basically toed the line. After another year, the 20,000 will be able to toe the line and things will be easier.
The atmosphere in Shanghai can be changed if we continue in this manner for another three to five years, but we must not let up. I know this is hard, and I myself haven’t been 100% perfect. It is indeed very hard, but provided we all have the determination to resist improper trends, the atmosphere in Shanghai can be changed—we must all have this confidence. I’m willing to work with you to bring about this atmosphere, to bring about a good pattern of behavior for 12-plus million people. And when that happens, gambling and pornography will be easier to deal with. Thus we must continue to relentlessly crack down on these scourges, though it won’t be so easy to clean them up in short order.
Also Focus on the Conduct of Cadres
I sincerely hope that cadres at all levels can be more solidly grounded in the way they work and do more concrete things that are closely connected to the people’s interests. I’ve previously raised three expectations of cadres.2 I want to again stress that our bureau-level cadres must be more solidly grounded in their work, must be able to act according to the intent of the Municipal Party Committee and government, and must do some practical things for the people at the grass roots. Solve some of their problems, motivate them, and do good work in the entire city.
At the moment, we are once again having problems with vegetables. What is brought to market is over 30% less than in the same period last year. However, quantity is not the problem—it’s mainly variety. Those of you at the Municipal Agricultural Commission must pay more attention to this as it’s very worrying: Shanghai relies mainly on the “vegetable basket” to win the hearts of the people. If you cannot maintain the “vegetable basket,” we will collapse. Focus hard on this, pay attention to these early signs, and nip the problem in the bud. As for districts and counties, I’m still of the opinion that to do good work in Shanghai, powers and responsibilities must be clearly delineated, and each level must assume its own responsibilities. Shanghai is run at two levels, the city and the district or county level—this must be clear and there can be no wavering. If there’s a flaw, we’ll fix that flaw but the principle remains unchanged—that’s our method.
Things can’t be done well if everything depends on me alone. I hope the 12 district Party secretaries and 12 district heads, the 9 county Party secretaries and 9 county heads will all be more proactive than me. After all, you’re younger than I am. You should go to the grass roots and to the ordinary people more often—care about their hardships and solve their problems. I hope you’ll become district Party secretaries, district heads, county Party secretaries, and county heads whom they love and support.
To manage Shanghai, we need legal institutions plus an iron fist. Without such a spirit, don’t even think of trying to manage Shanghai. Of course we always hope that leaders at all levels will be with the people, go through thick and thin with them, move them with feelings and enlighten them with reason—then they will be more understanding about your iron fist. But if you yourself are high and mighty, if you wine and dine and take gifts, if you build housing for yourself without paying for it, if you use personal relationships, if you don’t lead by example, how much “iron” can there be in your fist?
1. This is part of Zhu Rongji’s speech at a symposium with attendees at the first round of study sessions for key bureau-level Party and government leaders. The sessions were sponsored by the organization and publicity departments of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and its Party school for attendees to study documents from the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee.
2. See chapter 19, “Three Expectations of All City Officials at the Bureau Level and Above.”