Surprising Amount of Free Speech in Chinese Newspapers---May Face Setback

[nodular]

(crossnam “China’s Reporters Face a Backlash OverInvestigationss,” Wall Street Journal, 12/21/06, p. A1 (front page)

“…When a wealthy socialite struck and killed a farmer with her BMW in northeastern China three years ago---and then got off with a slap on the wrist---it was Mr. Lui, an investigative reporter from out of town, who dugdeepp into the case. Local reporters who had been hushed up by government officials passed him information on irregularities in the way prosecutors handled the trial…

“…Today, China’s government is waging a media crackdown on such hard-hitting reports. Some officials fear that investigative reporting feeds public discontent over social ills such as rampant pollution, a growing wealth gap, and especially corruption. Prominent editors at publications around the country have lost their jobs. A law under review in China’s legislature could make it much more difficult for reporters like Mr. Liu to investigate emergencies and dig up wrongdoing in distant towns andvillagess…

“…Mr. Liu’s journalistic successes and the pressure he and his peers now face reflect the Chinese leadership’s deep ambivalence toward the press. Journalists have become an effective tool for rooting out corruption, one of China’s most intractable problems. They also unnerve Communist Party rulers fearful of unrest and any challenge to their authority…

“…Last summer, China’s legislature began debating a proposed law that would make yidi jiandu harder, by enabling heavy fines against journalists who report news without the authorization of local governments. But in a surprising show of defiance, some newspapers and magazines condemned the draft law almost immediately after lawmakers began considering it in June. The proposal remains under discussion.”

Interesting article recommended to anyone with access. I see this as part and parcel of the continuing evolution of China toward a more free society, albeit with setbacks along the way. Once the central government of China opened the door to capitalism, they opened the door to corruption on a massive scale (because the government is so involved with enterprises at this stage).

They are utilizing a classic tool to fight corruption---a free, or rather partially free, press. But it gets out of control and threatens the power of the government, so they partially reign it in. Yet I sense a real movement in the direction of freedom here: change that is occurring on many levels of society. Toothpaste cannot be put back into the tube.

The choice to bring in capitalism was a fateful one---especially because it was massively successful. China went from being one of the poor nations of the world to being the world’s fourth largest economy in a short time. No way they can reverse course in that regard. Yet capitalism is dynamic and can never stay still. It forces change. Change sometimes results in reaction and steps backward. But the free flow of information is essential to capitalism. It moves China toward freedom in general, and the central government is being pulled along in this process.