Dawn of ‘new era’ in China
CHINA’S
new leaders struck a populist tone on Sunday as they got down to the
painstaking work of governing, promising cleaner government, less red
tape and more fairness to enlarge a still small middle class and help
struggling private businesses. In appearances that mark the completion
of a months-long, orchestrated leadership transition, President Xi
Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang stressed the urgency of reining in
runaway official corruption to restore the Communist Party’s frayed
public credibility. Li made specific pledges to slash official perks and
government extravagance to free up money for social welfare programmes
at a time of slower economic growth. He said a ban will be put on
building new government offices, government payrolls will be reduced, as
will spending on banquets, travel and cars—behaviour that has fueled
public anger and protests. “If the people are to live a good life, their
government must be put on a tight budget,” Li said in his first news
conference as premier after the end of the annual session of the
national legislature. Earlier, in addressing the nearly 3,000
legislative deputies in the Great Hall of the People, Xi promised to
root out “corruption and other misconduct in all manifestations.” He
said people’s own aspirations must be part of “the Chinese dream”—a
signature phrase he has used to invoke national greatness. “Each of us
must have broad space to diligently realize our own dreams,” he said.
The legislature’s close— and their appearances—also brought a concerted
push to burnish the leaders’ image before a public that has grown more
demanding as it has become more prosperous and better connected by the
Internet and cellphones. Expectations have run high in recent months
that the new leadership would address social sore-spots: close a wide
wealth gap, curb the often capricious use of official power and clean up
an environment degraded by the headlong pursuit of growth. Both Xi’s
speech and Li’s news conference were nationally televised. In them, they
showed personality differences with their predecessors. Xi appeared
more commanding and comfortable with his authority than his predecessor,
Hu Jintao. Li was more direct and plainly spoken if less sympathetic
than the grandfatherly Wen Jiabao, who larded his news conferences with
references to classical pœtry. Li also gave a hint of his fluency in
English. At one point he corrected a translator for saying “thank you”
at the end of a translation when Li had not said it. LEADERSHIP
TRANSITION
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