Beijing’s Difficulty In Translating ‘Democracy’ - Richard McGregor
From The Financial Times:
What does the theory of the “scientific outlook on development” have to do with the creative spark that produces great novels and uplifting theatre? I should have known better than to ask this of Tie Ning, head of the official Chinese Writers Association, on the sidelines of the Communist party congress.
The “scientific outlook on development” was the centrepiece of a 150-minute speech by Hu Jintao, who is head both of the party and of state, at the opening of the congress in Beijing last week. By the end of the week-long meeting it had been enshrined in the party’s constitution, giving Hu a place in the pantheon alongside other Chinese leaders.
Naturally, as head of a group under “the guidance” of the party, Ms Tie believes Mr Hu’s theory is essential for fiction writers. “‘Scientific development’ is, of course, highly relevant, because one of its important meanings is to ‘put people first’,” Ms Tie told me. (The latter slogan is another one of Mr Hu’s favourites.) [Full Text]
