US embassy cable - 03BEIJING13394

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BEIJING 013394 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, CH 
SUBJECT: SCHOLAR ON CHALLENGES TO HU-WEN "OPENNESS" 
INITIATIVES 
 
REF: A. BEIJING 11231 
     B. BEIJING 11465 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Minister Counselor Kin Moy. 
Reason. 1.5 (b), (d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (C) The new "Hu-Wen" government is attempting to 
push openness in a number of areas, both to 
demonstrate its closeness to the people and as an 
antidote to corruption, according to Beijing 
University Institute of Political Development and 
Governance Director Xie Qingkun.  That agenda has 
suffered setbacks recently with the tightening of 
media controls and the Politburo Standing Committee's 
rejection of an initiative to require financial 
disclosure statements from officials.  Xie tied the 
media tightening to caution in advance of the Party 
Plenum and also recent criticism of Jiang Zemin.  He 
opined that initiatives aimed at curbing corruption 
are being hampered by vested interests.  End summary. 
 
2.  (C) In a wide-ranging discussion of the current 
political scene with poloff September 19, director of 
Beijing University's Institute of Political 
Development and Governance Xie Qingkun echoed the 
views of other contacts here that both President and 
Party General Secretary Hu Jintao and Premier Wen 
Jiabao (referred to as the "Hu-Wen government") are 
pushing for greater openness in government and party 
operations in order to promote closeness to the people 
and as an antidote to corruption.  Xie noted that the 
SARS crisis had helped them push this agenda, but that 
recent attempts to push transparency have encountered 
setbacks. 
 
Media Clampdown 
--------------- 
 
3.  (C) While Hu had taken some small steps to make 
the media more "relevant" after assuming office, Xie 
stated that media controls have now been tightened, 
referring to a recent party directive to avoid 
discussions of political reform (refs).  He believes 
this is directly tied to a perceived need to show 
unity in advance of the October Party Plenum by 
limiting public debate.  Xie also believes that Party 
authorities are concerned about criticism of Jiang 
Zemin in newspapers, and especially on some web sites, 
in advance of the decision to include the Three 
Represents in the Chinese constitution is an 
additional factor behind the tightening. 
 
Financial Disclosures Rejected 
------------------------------ 
 
4.  (C) Xie also reported that an initiative of the 
"Hu-Wen government" to require financial disclosure 
statements from high-level government officials and 
their families was rejected by the Politburo Standing 
Committee, with only Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao voting 
in support of the measure.  Xie noted that this shows 
that Hu has not consolidated power in the Politburo, 
and that its members remain wedded to opacity where 
their own sources of income are concerned.  Such a 
measure would particularly threaten the children of 
high-level leaders, Xie said. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
5.  (C) Reforms in China rarely proceed in a 
straightforward manner.  While Hu effectively used 
greater media openness during the SARS epidemic to 
forestall criticism against the Party, such moves are 
certain to cause concern among those who fear that 
more open discourse will "get out of hand" and spark 
widespread anger against the Party itself.  Similarly, 
financial disclosure is not a new concept in China; 
various initiatives have been announced over the 
years.  What is most interesting in Xie's comments is 
the strong belief, shared by many of our contacts, 
that Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao form a team, and that 
this team is pressing for systemic change within the 
system against resistance within the Party.  Such 
sentiments are the basis of the growing popular 
support for Hu Jintao, in particular. 
 
MARINE