Letters and Blogs

Hu's early return sends new signals

Comment on "President Hu shortens visit to Italy and goes back home" (China Daily website)

I think President Hu Jintao has made the right and wise decision to quit the G8 meeting to return to China during this critical moment of the separatist-motivated rioting, arson, and killing of innocents by mobs in Xinjiang.

There is one big question confronting the Chinese leadership. It should examine the role of the US government in providing a safe haven on American soil for these terrorists to operate from, under the terrorist chief, Rebiya Kadeer. She's no ordinary woman or "refugee"! China should find out the truth of this deadly riot orchestrated and instigated by these terrorists.

Truth

on China Daily website

'Daxia' not excuse for corruption

Mu Xincheng, a former Deputy Attorney General and Head of Anti Corruption Bureau of Fanzhi county, Shanxi province, is reportedly in possession of property worth a hundred million yuan. Some people call him "Daxia", a title bestowed on heroes in kungfu fiction, only because of his "active participation" in charities and making the rich part with their money.

In a society with diverse values, it is difficult to draw a clear boundary between right and wrong, good and evil. The point is proved by history's assessment of some great men, as their character is often marked often by both heroic and undesirable traits. Under the circumstances, we should be more cautious and be reasonable in the measure we have of public figures, lest we get confused by our exaggerated perceptions and lose the ability to recognize the real Daxia.

How should we view Mu's conduct , suspected of "racketeering the rich and powerful officials" while, at the same time, assisting the disadvantaged and the needy? What should be considered the non-negotiable criterion in social action? Relying on the unspoken rule in officialdom, Mu was able to defalcate and extort money. His conduct as pinching the rich or other corrupted officials should be viewed as conflict between violators of justice and the fairness.

The phenomenon of applauding public benefactors even if they are men of dubious credentials is not unfamiliar nowadays. Yang Jia, who raided a police station in Shanghai last year, was also called "Daxia". A modern society should be a civil society with respect to the rule of law, not a "Jianghu", in which people resort to sword and fist to achieve their goals. Under the rule of law, superficial benefaction would not be considered an excuse for forgiving the malfeasant. We need to treat the support for the so-called Daxia as an alarm bell in our imperfect social system, rather than make it excuse for justifying the existence of corruption.

Shan Shibing

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_476ffe1a0100dpnv.html

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(China Daily 07/10/2009 page8)