GUANGDONG HUMANISTIC ASSOCIATION BEGINS PRIVATE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 018191 SIPDIS C O N F I D E N T I A L SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/16 TAGS: PHUM PGOV ECON SOCI CH SUBJECT: GUANGDONG HUMANISTIC ASSOCIATION BEGINS PRIVATE, POLITICAL MAGAZINE REF: (A) GUANGZHOU 5378; (B) 05 GUANGZHOU 32674 ¶1. (U) Classified by Consul General Edward Dong. Reason 1.4 (d). ¶2. (C) Summary. China's first-ever privately-funded magazine has recently been launched in Guangdong Province. According to its publisher, Hao Yuanwen, the monthly magazine, entitled Citizen ("Shimin"),was designed to lay the foundations for political change in China. Originally focused on educating "the people" about the need for political change, Citizen has evolved into a medium through which Chinese intellectuals can communicate and exchange ideas. End summary. Guangdong Humanistic Association - a New Political Party? -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) On June 13, Poloff and Econ/Pol intern met with Hao Yuanwen and Yao Yuanguang (please protect) from the magazine Citizen. Hao is the president of the magazine and Yao is a special assistant. The two men represented the Guangdong Humanistic Association ("Guangdong renwen xuehui") (see septel on the association). The Guangdong Humanistic Association (GHA) consists of about 1,000 members from "all walks of life," including government officials, students, professors, and intellectuals. According to Yao, the long-term ambition of the GHA was to "be prepared" for the first political party alternative to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). ¶4. (C) Both Hao and Yao have had respected careers in the Chinese bureaucracy, which have given them contacts to support their magazine. In fact, the GHA has registered as a legal organization under the Guangdong Civil Affairs Bureau. Hao served more than 30 years in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and claimed to have highly placed friends in both the provincial and federal governments. Hao's family also has a wealth of CCP credibility. He claims his parents were important founding members of the People's Republic of China. Despite this status, Hao explained that sympathizers within the government would be unable to give much assistance to the GHA should it run into trouble. Yao, to a lesser degree, is also respected as a professor of international relations at South China Normal University. Citizen - a Medium for Exchange of Political Ideas -------------- -- ¶5. (C) Yao indicated that the GHA's broad goal is to lay the groundwork for political change in China by educating its people: "Our primary mission is to promote political reform in China. For us the starting point is to educate modern citizens. We want to let the Chinese people have a basic understanding of human rights." Hao added that the Chinese people are influenced by a long history of feudalism and authoritarianism; people are "numb" after years of dictatorship. A further frustration for Yao is the self-centered nature of contemporary Chinese who protect their own interests at the expense of "the future of this nation." ¶6. (C) Citizen was originally founded by the Guangxi Normal University Press. However, because of low circulation and an unclear focus, it nearly went bankrupt. Hao bought the magazine and hired a new set of editors (currently ten). Because of a crackdown on progressive journalism in South China, some journalists have become attracted to Citizen. For example, two editors from the "Nanfang Chuang" (Southern Wind Window) magazine (refs A and B),as well as a number of freelance writers, have recently joined the staff. By purchasing a magazine that already existed, Hao was able to bypass many of the regulations required to start a periodical in China. In addition, Hao was able to take advantage of distribution channels that the former owner used, facilitating the magazine's availability in major cities around China, such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Xi'an. Will it Survive? -------------- ¶7. (C) The first issue of Citizen under its present editors was published in February 2006. However, the magazine has thus far relied mainly on the financial contributions from the GHA's members, who "gave their savings" so the magazine could exist. Citizen therefore has funds for only eleven issues. According to Yao, advertisers are reluctant to purchase space in a magazine that is politically oriented, GUANGZHOU 00018191 002 OF 002 and Citizen is currently the only privately-funded magazine in China. At present, Citizen's circulation is 20,000, though Hao said his goal is 100,000. ¶8. (C) Although running a magazine of this nature naturally carries many risks, Hao explained that he and the members of the GHA were willing to "sacrifice for the nation." Hao expressed a willingness to face any problems from the government that may arise, stating "If we want to avoid trouble, we can't have this magazine. We're determined to face the trouble," and claimed "The progress of change cannot be stopped by anyone." ¶9. (C) In an editorial from the May issue of Citizen entitled "'Citizen' Past and Present," the editors seek to explain the function of a responsible member of civil society by distinguishing between "citizen" (shimin) and "subject" (chenmin). They draw implicit but clear parallels between feudal and contemporary China. In feudal China, they write, people were subjects: they relied on the government for safety and order, but sacrificed freedom and dignity. Citizens, on the other hand, enjoy freedom, equality, and democracy; the government answers to them, not the other way around. It is the responsibility of all the inhabitants in a city, country, and the entire world to be citizens instead of subjects. Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Despite Citizen's circulation of 20,000, it remains unclear how many people the magazine actually reaches. Hao and Yao claim the magazine can be found in Guangzhou's best bookstores; however, based on an informal survey, street newsstands in the city do not carry it. The Guangzhou- based correspondent for the South China Morning Post had also never heard of the magazine. Nevertheless, the existence of such a magazine may be a sign that South China, once a hub for progressive journalism, is undergoing a resurgence in bold political writing. In the future, Post will provide selected translations of important articles as a barometer of intellectual debate in South China. In the meantime, the ambitions of Citizen's publisher seem broad and somewhat abstract, and its circulation appears to be within a relatively small circle of intellectuals. The question remains: What exactly do these activists hope to accomplish with their magazine? End Comment. DONG