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RFA: What Did Wang Qishan Want to Tell People?

Radio Free Asia published a commentary on Wang Qishan’s meeting with three foreign scholars on April 23. The scholars were the renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama, economist Masahiko Aoki, and former Citic Securities manager Tatsuhito Tokuchi. Wang was talking most of the time. Afterwards, Tatsuhito Tokuchi, Wang’s long-time friend, published Wang’s speech on the Internet. Chinese media did not publish it.

"A key message that Wang passed on in this meeting was that his anticorruption campaign faces severe difficulties." People being targeted as well as a large number of officials are against this "selective" anticorruption and the rapid expansion of Wang’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Now the campaign has reached a stalemate. If Wang stops, the public will be disappointed and the result may be social turmoil. If he proceeds, some cliques will fight back and even fight to the death.

"Another key message in this talk was that Wang promised his opponents that he does not seek a complete systematic reform that will fundamentally prevent corruption."

"It is rare for a politburo standing committee member to have a discussion with visiting foreign scholars. Wang’s high-profile meeting with them and the posting of his talk through an official channel is a big taboo for high-ranking Party officials. This, on the one hand, reflected that he could not easily find friends in the Party. On the other hand, it showed that he does not need to be bound by the rules since Xi Jinping relies on him so heavily."

Source: RFA Online, May 15, 2015
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/commentaries/hushaojiang_com-05152015083428.html