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The dark-faced Bao Zheng is a historical 11th century figure, widely known in China as an honest official who earned the nickname “Bao the Upright.” He was known for his devotion to justice, his rare wits and great courage, fearless of the powerful and the evil. Both within officialdom and among the common folk he was considered the incarnation of wisdom and uprightness.
There are many reasons for the wide popularity of the program featuring this historical figure. One reason is the undeniable fact that corruption has extended to all corners of life in China, which undermines social morality, bogs down orders from the central government, dirties the image of the Chinese Communist Party, and endangers the security of the state.
Although China has repeatedly issued regulations, principles and laws to prevent corruption, some officials simply ignore the warnings from the Central Committee. In the face of bribery and the promise of lucrative profits, they forget their identity and responsibility as Communist Party members and government officials. They forget that their authority comes from the people and that they should try their best to serve the people. Instead they try every means to steal the state’s and the people’s property.
These irresponsible officials, as well as managers of state businesses, remain ignorant of proper order in society. As early as the 18th century, French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote in “The Social Contract” that the legitimacy of a government depends on the will of the people.
The government represents justice and equality, and exists as a result of a social contract with the people. However, many unqualified modern officials have forgotten this simple idea. In the pursuit of personal gain and fame, they resemble big rats, taking whatever they want from the people and the social institutions.
The phenomenon of corruption has become a real cancer in Chinese society, especially prevalent among top officials from the ministerial to the provincial level; in the state bureaucracy, banks and state-owned enterprises; within business circles and the educational field.
Corruption has even been found in the army, in sports, and in the courts, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges. In some places gangsters have conspired with officials for mutual benefit, causing serious harm to the people’s lives and livelihoods. The scenario sometimes becomes so fearsome that ordinary people dare not open their mouths to express their dissatisfaction.
The Chinese leaders are well aware of this cancer and that it endangers their governance. Therefore they feel no hesitation in trying to curb and attack corruption in an effort to protect the people’s interests, resolve conflicts and provide a safer environment.
Therefore China’s top leaders have warned that regardless of people’s positions, the extent of their authority and the range of their influence and relationships, they will not be protected if they are found guilty of corruption. As President Hu Jintao has vowed to make stronger efforts to wipe out corruption, more severe punishment can be expected for those found guilty of abusing their positions for personal gain.
This is not only rhetoric, as shown by the example of the southwestern city of Chongqing. Since last July, an anticorruption campaign in the city has netted a number of highly placed officials, including the head of the justice department and the former deputy head of the Public Security Bureau, who have been arrested and charged with collusion with gangsters and accepting enormous bribes.
Among others currently in detention is Huang Guangyu, the former chairman of electronics company Gome Group, once the richest businessman in China. Huang is charged with stock market manipulation. A handful of officials at the Ministry of Commerce were also netted in relation to Huang's case, particularly Zheng Shaodong, director of the Ministry of Public Security's Economic Criminal Investigation Bureau.
No wonder people acclaim Lord Bao; many who feel helpless or hopeless in the current situation wish that such a man as “Bao the Upright” would emerge and cure the current social ills.
Even so, it is unlikely that such a figure alone could remedy the situation. China is no longer a feudal society; even a man of great personal prestige and wisdom would not be able to significantly impact the reality of modern China.
Respect for law and a willingness to abide by social norms must be infused in the country’s officials and its people. This is the only way to uproot the cancer. Everyone is equal before the law; therefore anyone who breaks the law should be punished without exception. Officials at all levels must be supervised and held accountable for their actions.
On the other hand, moral teachings are also important. In a society that stresses material gain, morality should not be left out. After all, people are social beings. The key to the development of society is to raise people’s consciousness to the point where they willingly uphold moral and social norms. Only when this is accomplished will our world become harmonious and order will be kept.
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(Dr. Zhang Quanyi is associate professor at Zhejiang Wanli University in Ningbo, China, and a guest researcher at the Center for the Study of Non-traditional Security and Peaceful Development at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. His research interest revolves around the creation of a world state. He can be contacted at qyzhangupi@gmail.com. ©Copyright Zhang Quanyi.)
