Despite calls for his ouster, it seems Zhou Yongkang won’t be leaving the Politburo Standing Committee anytime soon. He is believed to be a lone supporter of ousted Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai. Rumors that Bo and Zhou were plotting a coup spread on Weibo in March; as apparent punishment, the central government forced Sina and Tencent Weibo to suspend the comment function for three days in late March.
As Secretary of the Central Political and Legislative Committee, Zhou oversees a broad range of public security apparatuses, from police enforcement to labor re-education. This year’s national public security budget surpasses that of defense spending.
Zhou was in charge of the “Clean the Web Campaign” (清网行动) to scour the Internet for criminal suspects between May and December 2011. He alluded to that campaign this April:
SouthernMetropolisDaily: Zhou Yongkang: Public Security Maintains Conformity with the Party center from Beginning to End: During an April 6 discussion of the “Clean the Web Campaign,” Zhou Yongkang expressed that public security is a blameless shield for the country. “The Party and the people thank you.” He stressed that “what the masses most abhor, we will attack; what the masses most loudly make known, we will tame.” In addition, public security must “maintain conformity with the Party center from beginning to end.” People’s Daily
南方都市报：【周永康：公安始终同党中央保持一致】周永康6日在“清网行动”座谈时表示，公安无愧为共和国之盾，“党和人民感谢你们”。他强调，公安要做到 “群众对什么最痛恨，我们就打击什么，群众对什么反映最强烈，我们就整治什么”，而且要“始终同党中央保持高度一致”。人民日报
When this screenshot was taken in April, the post on Southern Metropolis Daily’s Weibo account had been forwarded 2,179 times and commented on 1,254 times. As of June 13, there are 2,917 forwards, but only 11 comments. From the selection of comments below, it’s easy to see why so many disappeared. Still, a few telling remarks been left, such as this one from May 31:
TravelingDoctor: Supposing the masses most abhor the central government, what will Public Security do? “What the masses most abhor, we will attack” or “maintain conformity with the Party center from beginning to end?” Please respond!
云游郎中微博达人：假如群众对中央最痛恨时，公安是要做到“群众对什么最痛恨，我们就打击什么”，还是要“始终同中央保持高度一致”呢？请回答！
You can read more comments from CDT Chinese. Translated by Deng Bolun.
JadeMama: Recently, it seems like in every piece of news you see this sentence: Maintain conformity with the Party.
璇子的妈：最近好像在各种新闻上都能看到这句：跟党保持一致
HuaiRiverEastBarbarian: Do the Party and the people include me? I don’t have a f*cking vote, and I can’t open my own mouth. Like f*ck I’ve been represented by you.
淮水东夷：党和人民包括我吗？尼玛老子既没有选票，也发不出自己的声音，就特麽被你们代表了
xuyichao: You carry guns everyday. Do the masses dare say what they abhor?
xuyichao: 你们天天带着枪，群众敢说痛恨什么吗
_QiJY: What if we abhorred the Party?
_赵JY：如果痛恨党中央咋办？
LoveVienna: Just like a bunch of gangsters.
最爱维也娜：真像黑帮大会
MiTuLiuJingWen: Why keep stressing conformity these days? Haven’t things always conformed?
米秃刘敬文：最近为啥老强调一致啊？不是从来就一致吗?
Charlescc0574: Before there was one rumor after another. These days you are suddenly so animated. Is it that the more you try to hide, the more you expose?
Charlescc0574：之前传言纷纷，这些天马上就见你特别活跃，这不是欲盖弥彰吗？
HappyYilan: Is it the Party or the masses [that matter] after all? Don’t you think you’re contradicting yourself? Shouting a slogan, can’t you put a little effort into thinking about this?
快乐的依澜：倒底是党中央还是群众？不觉得自己自相茅盾吗？喊个口号你们都不能花心思想点
Lxion-Lixi: Attention all departments, attention all departments. Everyone please line up in order. Stand properly. There will be meat.
Lxion-李昕：各部门注意，各部门注意，请大家按秩序站队，站好队，将来有肉吃~~
SouthSeaGuest: Last month Chongqing’s municipal government said the same thing. Wasn’t it said in vain? Chinese society now—whether Chongqing’s government, the Ministry of Public Security or even the whole national system from top to bottom—must without a doubt maintain conformity with the central government. Need this be said? Once you’ve said it, won’t other people think you have ulterior motives?!
南海客人：上个月重庆市委市政府也是这样说，但都不是“白说”么？现在中国社会，不管是重庆市委市政府，还是全国公安，甚至全国上上下下的政府机关，肯定要与中央保持一致的，这还用说吗？没说则罢，说了别人还以为你心中有鬼呢？！
SeanAzureSky: The masses most abhor corrupt officials and public servants who misbehave. And we most abhor the police officers—they’re shadier than the mob. Take a look and do what you see fit.
SeanAzureSky：群众最痛恨贪官和公务员不作为，最痛恨比黑社会还黑的警务人员。你们看着办吧。
DunWeiqing: This is great material for textual analysis. Since that which represents the Party also represents the people, the thank “you” (Public Security) is immediately followed by maintaining conformity between the Party and that which represents “us” (Public Security). This is a power play: I am not only myself, I am also you. The identity transforms so quickly, it’s breathtaking.
郭巍青：这是做文本分析的很好素材。既代表党，又代表人民，感谢“你们”（公安），紧接着就代表“我们”（公安）与党保持一致。这是一种权力技术：我不但是我，我还是你。身份变化之贼快，叹为观止。
TangBiqing: Later, the name will be changed to “Party Security.”
唐必青：以后改名叫“党安”
CantFindHunger: Not allowing Weibo comments is what the masses abhor most.
找不到饿的感觉：群众最痛恨不让微博评论
