Last week, Chen Liangyu (
The Chinese government has a track record of launching short-lived, tokenistic crackdown campaigns that inevitably prove ineffective at dealing with the root of the kind of crime being targeted.
One prime example is Beijing's annual show of cracking down on pirated DVDs and knock-off designer bags. China's high-profile theatrics include launching anti-piracy slogans, parading banners and burning piles of confiscated counterfeit goods. Last year it even tore down Shanghai's famous Xiangyang market, leaving a lasting impression that it meant business.
But China continues to be a haven for pirated goods. Beijing's "efforts" have yet to do more than scratch the surface of the illegal industry.
Similarly, this is hardly the first time the Chinese government has sworn its unwavering determination to exterminate corruption from the face of the Central Kingdom, putting on a Peking Opera complete with the demise of top officials.
Only a few weeks ago, Zheng Xiaoyu (
Beijing's eagerness to quickly convict and execute Zheng was also a demonstration of the regime's priorities: A good scapegoat is worth more than due process.
The number of officials targeted in anti-corruption campaigns has perhaps increased, and Chen was the highest-ranking official to be expelled from the CCP in the past decade, but the show has apparently not succeeded in convincing Chinese citizens that their government is sincere in its desire to turn a new leaf and give up its corrupt ways.
Nevertheless, there are two indicators that Beijing has been scared into taking public discontent over corruption a little more seriously this time. Two weeks before Zheng's execution, the People's Supreme Court and the People's Supreme Prosecution Yuan, the country's top judicial and prosecutorial organs, jointly issued a paper outlining 10 types of corruption.
About a month earlier, on May 30th, the CCP issued a set of regulations called the "eight prohibitions," banning corruption by party members.
Legal experts believe that both of these texts are intended to supplement existing criminal law on corruption and bribery. The current definitions of corruption and bribery in Chinese law have long been panned as ambiguous. The issuance of these papers very well may indicate an amendment to the criminal law is under way.
But in a country that flatly ignores the rule of law, Beijing's sincerity cannot be judged based on high-speed court room theater or how many corruption regulations it can pen in a month. Rather, the sincerity of its latest crackdown must be proven gradually, through respect for rule of law and transparent, fair investigations and trials.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.