A WeChat posting calling for an “Emergency Enlarged Meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Politburo” was spreading widely in China. The meeting is to “discuss whether Xi Jinping is suitable to continue to be the President of the country, the CCP’s General Secretary, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.”
The article listed many topics to discuss, which all challenge the current administration’s policies:
- As China has recently made enemies with many countries, should it return to Deng Xiaoping’s policy of “maintaining a low profile”?
- Is the CCP higher or is the law higher? Can the ruling party be above the Constitution?
- Should private companies be the main economic force in China or the state-owned enterprises?
- Should citizen’s rights be sacrificed for the government’s stability maintenance?
- Can the private sector run media?
- Should the judicial system be independent (from the CCP)?
- Can citizens criticize the government?
- Is there a need to let the public monitor the government?
- Should the CCP and state power be separated?
- Should officials report their assets?
- Is it important to reunify Taiwan under China or to keep regional peace?
- Is Hong Kong’s prosperity more important or the central government’s authority (over Hong Kong) more important?
- Can Hong Kong have its own local elections?
The article suggested the formation a three-person group with Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, and Wang Qishan to organize the meeting.
Some media used the screenshot of a repost of the article by Chen Ping, the founder of Sun TV who lives in Hong Kong. Chen said that he just received the article and felt it rational and thus reposted it. He did not know who wrote it.
Chen also said that the article reflected many people’s thoughts. “Now eventually it needs a (solution to fix the current policy) and it cannot always be this way. It is not good for China if the current policies continue.”
Chen is a princeling. Media have also linked this article to another criticizing-Xi article by Ren Zhiqiang, another princeling (see Chinascope posting: Public Opinion: Ren Zhiqiang’s Article: “A Clown Who Stripped Naked and Insisted on Continuing to Be an Emperor”).
Related postings on Chinascope:
- Public Opinion: Ren Zhiqiang’s Article: “A Clown Who Stripped Naked and Insisted on Continuing to Be an Emperor”
- Leadership: Beijing May Hold “Lianghui” (“The Two Conferences”) in Late April or Early May
- Leadership – Xi Jinping’s Fake Wuhan Show
- Leadership: Political Signs of Xi Jinping’s Visiting to Wuhan
- Leadership: The CCP Was Forced to Reverse the “Be Grateful to the CCP” Education
1. Excerpt in Chinese:
一封呼吁“紧急召开中共政治局扩大会议”的建议书在网络飞传，这封标明由阳光卫视集团主席陈平微信转发的公开信说，鉴于面临新冠疫情、中国经济与国际关系形势严峻，要求召开中共政治局紧急扩大会议，“讨论习近平是否适合继续担任国家主席、共产党总书记及军委主席的职务的议题”。
建议书列举政治局扩大会议讨论的议题包括面对国际上四面树敌的局面，是否应该明确回到邓小平主张的韬光养晦路线；政治上是否明确党大还是法大，执政党能否超越宪法？在经济方面，究竟应该“国进民退”，还是“民进国退”？为了维稳是否可以牺牲公民基本权利；是否允许民间办媒体？司法是否应该独立，公民是否能够批评政府，舆论监督有无必要，党政是否应该分开，官员财产是否应该公开？在对台关系上，到底是统一重要还是和平重要？在香港问题上，香港的繁荣重要，还是中央的权威重要，是否允许香港实行完全的地方选举？
建议书称：会议期间，建议由李克强、汪洋、王岐山三人组成政治局扩大会议领导小组，负责会议的各项工作。建议书称这一会议的重要性不亚于打到四人帮，对习近平执政路线的评价，其意义应高高于十一届三中全会的历史定位。
有分析认为建议书一定程度上呼应了署名任志强的批评习近平“剥光衣服也要坚持当皇帝的小丑”那篇文章。任志强目前下落不明，据传已被“留置”。
但是，这封怀疑与红二代有关联的建议书并未署名，从审查极严的微信发出也令人感到惊讶。但有人指出，定居香港的陈平应该是海外手机号注册的微信，所以海外的人能看到，中国境内用户看不到。陈平是阳光传媒集团董事长，据指也是红二代出身，被视为自由派。
Source: Radio France International, March 22, 2020
http://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20200322-谁在呼吁召开紧急政治局扩大会议讨论习近平问题
2. Excerpt in Chinese:
一些国际中文媒体和海外社交媒体时评人引用了阳光卫视创办人陈平转发的微信截图。本身也是红二代成员的媒体人陈平发微信表示，他只是转发了上述建议中共政治局召开紧急扩大会议的匿名文章，并不知道提出建议者的身份。
陈平写道：“昨日我微信群中收到，感觉尚属温和理性，便顺手转发。然不知出之何人之笔。此匿名信网路上转发者众多，媒体、自媒体借炒作我转发而发酵，无非要牵强附会扯上王歧山、任志强。言论、新闻不自由，必然谣言登大雅之堂。可悲！”
不过，陈平表示，这份建议反映当前很多人、尤其是体制内人士的想法。
“我觉得这可能是很多人、尤其是体制内的人的想法吧。这特殊之处是现在总是到了要有一个（解决办法），不能老处在这么一个状态。这样下去你中国肯定是不太好办啊。那么，这可能是一条路吧。但是专门炒作我转发，无非是我跟这两个人认识嘛。”陈平说，并且强调并不知道谁是建议书的作者。
Source: VOA, March 23, 2020
https://www.voachinese.com/a/anonymous-letter-demanding-xi-removal-is-widely-spread-online/5340451.html