Urgent reform is needed to prevent a repeat of the “historical tragedy” of the cultural revolution, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao says. He is either being ironic or it is a sea-change, analysts say.
At his annual press briefing at the end of the yearly session of China’s parliament, the leader warned that political reforms are neccessary with “the consciousness, the support, the enthusiasm and creativity of our people”.
Although Mr Wen is perceived by some as an advocate of political reform, his latest calls for change are the most direct made yet by the premier, who retires next year along with President Hu Jintao.
It is also the first time that he has referred to the Cultural Revolution – a period of history regarded as one of China’s darkest – to urge reform. The era saw the deaths of hundreds of thousands and an estimated 36 million persecuted under former ruler, Mao Zedong, over 10 years from 1966. The brutality unleashed continues to haunt older generations and was intended to bring down what former Chairman Mao perceived to be “capitalist” forces.
Mr Wen said: “We must press ahead with both economic reform and political structural reform, especially reform in the leadership system of our party and country.
“Reform has reached a critical stage. Without successful political structural reform, it is impossible for us to fully institute economic structural reform and the gains we have made in this area may be lost.
“The new problems that have cropped up in China’s society will not be fundamentally resolved, and such historical tragedies as the Cultural Revolution may happen again. Each party member and cadre should feel a sense of urgency.”
Amid economic turmoil in the European Union and the US, the Chinese economy has suffered, Mr Wen said. He opened the parliamentary session over a week ago by announcing a cut to China’s economic growth target to 7.5 per cent this year, compared with 8 per cent in the previous eight years.
But his comments, while being seen as a veiled swipe at potential rival, Bo Xilai, have provoked a range of opinions. Some say that Mr Wen has a genuine and deepfelt desire for reform which he is only able to express in his outgoing year in attempt to leave a legacy, while others have dismissed the statement as “horrendously ironic”.
“Historical tragedies such as the Cultural Revolution may happen again.” Wen Jiabao
Mr Bo, whom many believe is angling for a place on the leader’s nine-member standing committee, is the head of the southwestern city of Chongqing. Liberals are said to be concerned by his attempts to bring about an apparently Maoist revival, including singing historical revolutionary campaign songs.
Professor Christopher Hughes, of the London School of Economic’s department of international relations, told Channel 4 News: “This is not the first time Chinese leaders have threatened that the cultural revolution could happen again. But in the past it was to say ‘if we have democracy or liberalisation we will go back to a cultural revolution’.
“But he is saying something different. He is saying ‘if we don’t reform the political system, then some kind of extremism is going to come to the surface’. I think they are really worried that there is so much anger and frustration in China over corruption and inequality. And they have seen what happened under the Arab Spring. Some people are saying these extremist voices on the left and the right will get bigger and bigger.”
But Mr Wen’s comments have been read with incredulity by others. Many in China point towards allegations of corruption among Mr Wen’s close family, including his wife and son. Some have dismissed Mr Wen’s comments as not only shameless but horrendously ironic, pointing out that the Cultural Revolution was in part an attempt to remove corrupt ‘capitalist sympathisers’. But they agree that without reform, the risk of another such revolution remains high.
Others have referred to his comments on political reform as “a joke”.