Teaching Comparative

Elite recruitment

Here's the Xinhua version of a plan to promote political involvement.

Could your students recognize similarities and differences with other political recruitment schemes?

China grooms "new social stratum" for political arena

"Wherever Zhang Lianqi goes, he's always sure to take two things with him -- a photo of his son and his laptop...

"As a partner of the Beijing-based China Rightson Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd., which employs 1,000 professionals and has several branches in different cities, Zhang loses count of the number of business trips he makes every year.

"Another important thing 43-year-old Zhang needs to do whenever he finds time is to "write suggestions in my laptop regarding solving thorny economic issues for the government and the Party," he says.

"Another important thing 43-year-old Zhang needs to do whenever he finds time is to "write suggestions in my laptop regarding solving thorny economic issues for the government and the Party," he says.

"A 'liaison person' of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhang takes advantage of his job, learning from customers, colleagues and economists on how to properly develop his profession and the country's economy.

"'Recently, I wrote two reports for the UFWD. One was a warning of economic overheating, suggesting a variety of policies to reduce liquidity and better control credit flows. Another was about a possible stock market bubble,' Zhang says.

"'The two topics are a little bit big for me, but I think they are crucial. I spent several months on them, collecting materials, talking to economists and using my own knowledge to analyze, and finally complete my reports,' says Zhang, who earned a doctorate in economics from Peking University...

"Zhang has more than ten years of working experience in a private accounting firm, and earned a decent income, and yet often felt "disconnected from society" until he attended a "theoretical research class" in 2006, which was designed specifically for China's "new social stratum" and sponsored by the UFWD...

"The concept of a 'new social stratum' officially emerged in former Party leader and Chinese President Jiang Zemin's speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in 2001.

"He said that since the reform and opening-up began in China in the late 1970s, a 'new social stratum' had emerged and many of its members contributed greatly to society through honest work and lawful business.

"They were also the builders of China's socialist cause along with workers, farmers, intellectuals, cadres and the members of People's Liberation Army, said Jiang...

"The annual 'theoretical research class' was launched in 2004. Every class has about 50 members mainly from private firms, managerial-level staff of foreign-funded companies, self-employed professionals and intermediate organizations.

"Lin Zhimin, vice secretary-general of the UFWD, says the class is intended 'to further connect with and unite the representatives of the "new social stratum".'

"'Through the class, we inform and publicize the new policies and guidelines of the CPC to the new social stratum, learn their thinking, and discover, train and select candidates to form a talent contingent outside the CPC,' Lin says.

"The UFWD has established a new social stratum talent reserve and a large number of candidates are graduates of the theoretical class. "Currently, we are establishing an evaluation system to recommend people from the reserve to some important government posts."

"The 'new social stratum' includes private entrepreneurs, technicians and managerial-level staff in private or foreign-funded companies, the self-employed and employees in intermediate organizations.

"It is estimated that the 'new social stratum' consists of 50 million such professionals, who possess or manage capital totaling10 trillion yuan (1.3 trillion U.S. dollars), according to the UFWD...

"More than 9,000 members of the 'new social stratum' have been elected deputies of people's congresses of the county level or above, while 30,000 others were recommended as members of political advisory bodies of the county level or above...

"'Uniting and guiding the 'new social stratum' to participate in politics is necessary for building a socialist harmonious society and for extending the Party's ruling foundation,' says Lin..."

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Labels: China, concepts, leadership, participation

posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:33 AM