A small town official’s diary provides a unique view of political reform

From China Elections & Governance, prepared by Manfred Elfstrom:

A writer who dubs himself Xiang Tianxiao (“Laughing at Heaven”) has written a very personal account of grassroots democracy entitled A Township Cadre’s Journal of Appealing to the Government. The account, written, as the title suggests, in the form of a diary, revolves around elections held in the author’s hometown, where he works as a low- ranking official. It reflects both the new pressures faced by township administrations and old, persistent patterns of corruption.

The atmosphere in rural China is tense, at least for officials, in Xiang Tianxiao’s journal. In the past, being a cadre meant enjoying a certain level of respect, plenty of eating and drinking, and the occasional bribe. Now, the ranks of officialdom are being reduced as a result of financial constraints imposed by the central government’s rollback of onerous peasant taxes (a main source of revenue for local governments). For those officials who stay on, someone is always looking over their shoulders, criticizing their mistakes and lowering their salaries. Elections for various offices are a part of this heightened supervision.

Categories :

Tags :,

CDT EBOOKS

Subscribe to CDT

SUPPORT CDT

Browsers Unbounded by Lantern

Now, you can combat internet censorship in a new way: by toggling the switch below while browsing China Digital Times, you can provide a secure "bridge" for people who want to freely access information. This open-source project is powered by Lantern, know more about this project.

Google Ads 1

Giving Assistant

Google Ads 2

Anti-censorship Tools

Life Without Walls

Click on the image to download Firefly for circumvention

Open popup
X

Welcome back!

CDT is a non-profit media site, and we need your support. Your contribution will help us provide more translations, breaking news, and other content you love.