SOUTHWEST CHINA: CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL COMMUNIST PARTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000249

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/CM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2033
TAGS: PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SOUTHWEST CHINA: CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL COMMUNIST PARTY
MEMBERS

CHENGDU 00000249 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate
General, Chengdu.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary: During recent discussions with ConGenOff in the
Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, several Communist Party
members shared their frustrations about local Party
organizations. The head of a state enterprise complained of the
emptiness of the Party's concept of "democracy" and the
difficulty of implementing reforms in China because of a lack of
rule of law. A physician involved in earthquake relief remarked
on continued official distrust and skepticism of the work of
NGOs. A common vent appeared to be on the Party's enthusiasm
for collecting membership dues. End Summary.

The State Enterprise Party Secretary
--------------


2. (C) The General Manager and Party Secretary of a state
enterprise that builds communications infrastructure in Sichuan
told ConGenOff he is responsible for leading senior party
members at the monthly "Party Democratic Life" meetings where
work self-criticisms are conducted. He remarked that people are
afraid to say anything significant lest they be among those
included in the "next layoffs." Meeting discussions are highly
abstract and distant from reality. When ConGenOff mentioned the
"people's democratic dictatorship" principle that enshrines the
leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the Party Secretary
stated that democracy has no real meaning in that context
although the word is much used.


3. (C) According to the Party Secretary, although China tries to
import advanced practices and new ideas from the United States
and other countries, without the rule of law that is part of the
foreign package, deep reforms cannot take hold. He is
frustrated many of his colleagues and employees oppose
significant change to the current system. As an aside, he also
commented that he "loves" Tibetan culture and believes Tibetans
to be peaceful and the most spiritually developed of any people
in the world.

The Physician
--------------


4. (C) A doctor at a large Chengdu hospital who also runs an NGO
involved in earthquake relief complained to ConGenOff of his
frustration that provincial authorities remain skeptical of
NGOs. Sichuan officials prefer to work with government
sponsored "NGOs" (GONGOs) rather than citizen founded and
organized groups. When ConGenOff mentioned that, according to a
recent local newspaper, the Standing Committee of the Sichuan
People's Congress has agreed to support some NGO health
activities, the physician asserted, "That is only for the
GONGOs, not for us." ConGenOff asked the physician if his
hospital's Party Secretary might be able to give him advice on
how to get government offices to work better with his NGO and
perhaps facilitate introductions. The physician smiled, and
said, "If our Party secretaries were like that, China would be a
much more democratic country!" He added that the Party
organization he reports to only cares that he pays his dues and
noted he joined the Party like many of his former fellow
students while he was in medical school without giving it much
thought.

The Retired Ideological Minder
--------------


5. (C) A recently retired member of the Sichuan Academy of
Social Sciences (SASS) told ConGenOff he used to be responsible
on behalf of the Communist Party for watching over the political
views of his colleagues. He said the basic problem of Chinese
politics is that officials in each of the many layers of
government and Party are very worried about what higher
authorities think about them, but do not feel responsible to the
lower layers. This in turn breeds great "passivity."

The Tour Guide
--------------


6. (C) A tour guide complained to ConGenOff about the large
contributions his Party organization demanded from all members
after the Sichuan earthquake. All Party members were ordered to
contribute several hundred RMB to earthquake relief. The tour
guide said he has wanted to leave the Party for some time, but
that, "The Party is easy to enter but hard to leave." "If you
want to leave the Party," he said, "they will keep asking you
why, why, why. It is hard to leave."

CHENGDU 00000249 002.2 OF 002




7. (C) Comment: While it is of course difficult to assert to
what extent the comments of the four individuals who were
willing to talk with ConGenOff are reflective of the views of
others, these were nevertheless interesting and refreshingly
open encounters with local Communist Party members.
BOUGHNER