Chinese Leaders Give Social Ills a Spot On National Agenda
BEIJING -- The top leaders of China's Communist Party wrapped up a four-day annual meeting yesterday by charting a course to repair some of the social and environmental damage left by more than two decades of go-for-broke economic growth.
The gathering of the 347 members of the party's central committee, which includes China's top politicians and military leaders, agreed to elevate President Hu Jintao's initiative of building a "harmonious society" to a "more prominent position," according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The term is Mr. Hu's catchphrase for tackling China's growing gap between the rich and largely rural poor.
This marks the first time since China's early experiments with capitalism nearly three decades ago that social ills have been placed alongside politics and economics on the national agenda, a point stressed by Xinhua.
The statement underscores how worried China's leaders are about rising social unrest stemming from the widening income gap, rising environmental problems and a perceived breakdown of ethics.
"There are quite many contradictions and issues that impair social harmony," a communiqué released after the meeting said, according to Xinhua.
The state-run news agency said the Communist Party laid out goals for the next 15 years, including improving the "democratic legal system" and human rights, as well as increasing employment, improving the government and protecting the environment.
The communiqué addressed what some observers say is a growing moral vacuum in China's often vicious capitalism. "[Constructing] a socialist core value system will be essential to cultural harmony in the country," Xinhua quoted the communiqué as saying.
Absent in the communique was any indication of possible changes in China's top leadership. While this week's meeting was primarily a policy forum, observers paid close attention to any signs that Mr. Hu, who is also the leader of the Communist Party, would take further steps to consolidate his power in the wake of a corruption scandal that toppled Shanghai's party secretary in the highest level purge in a decade.
A Politburo member, Chen Liangyu has been accused of misusing pensions funds in China's leading commercial city. He was seen as a protege of Mr. Hu's predecessor as president, Jiang Zemin, who stepped down in 2002 but has continued to exert influence through his appointees.
The next important meeting in China will be a major party congress. Xinhua said the 17th Party Congress will be held in the second half of 2007, "at a crucial period of China's economic and social development."
中共领导人将社会问题提上重要议事日程
中国共产党的高级干部们周三结束了为期四天的年会，会议提出一系列建设“和谐社会”的目标措施，以弥补过去20多年全力以赴推动经济增长给社会和环境造成的损害。
包括国家领导人和军方高级将领在内的347名中共中央委员和候补中央委员出席了会议，据官方通讯社新华社的报导说，会议同意将胡锦涛主席提出的建设“和谐社会”这一理念提升到“更加突出的位置”。胡锦涛是为解决中国不断加大的城乡贫富差距而提出这个口号的。
这标志着中国自20多年前开始市场化经济改革以来，社会问题第一次在国家议事日程上与经济和政治问题占据了同等重要位置。
会后发表的公报突出表明，中国领导人对收入差距不断扩大、环境问题日益加剧以及社会道德持续滑坡导致的社会不稳定因素不断增多是多么担忧。
公报说：“存在不少影响社会和谐的矛盾和问题。”
新华社的报导说，此次中共中央全会制定了未来15年的社会发展目标，包括加强民主和法制建设，切实尊重和保障人民的权益，增加就业，改进政府服务以及保护环境等。
公报也触及了一些人士眼中市场经济条件下中国的道德真空不断加大这一问题。新华社引述公报的原话说：“社会主义核心价值体系是建设和谐文化的根本。”
公报中没有任何显示中国领导层有可能发生变动的迹象。虽然此次中央全会主要讨论的是大政方针问题，但观察人士却在密切关注身为中共总书记的胡锦涛在上海市委书记陈良宇因腐败问题而被撤职后是否会采取进一步措施来巩固自己的权力。陈良宇在10年来被撤职的中国官员中是职位最高的，他被指控挪用了上海市的社保基金。
中国下一次重要会议将是定于2007年下半年召开的中国共产党第十七次全国代表大会，新华社说，这将是在“中国经济社会发展进入关键阶段”召开的一次会议。
Shai Oster
