Political reform the only way to curb corruption

On the question of what consensus Chinese society needs most, different people have different priority. As one of political scholars who pay close attention to the contemporary Chinese governance, Yu Keping shares his own view during an interview with People's Daily newspaper. The following are a few highlights of his viewpoints.

Three consensuses should be reached among Chinese people.

First, there is need of a consensus on reform. China's development is faced with serious challenges. Only by deepening reform efforts can China overcome such challenges. Any denial of reformist ideas or practices is wrong. However, we need to keep in mind that reform needs to be deepened in comprehensive manner. We should pay more attention to social fairness and justice, and maintain an emphasis on building democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Second, consensus must be found on what road and model China will take. The success of China's reform is largely because the country has chosen a path that suits its own national condition. The road we call it socialism with Chinese characteristics, which is different from both traditional Soviet-style socialism and Western-style capitalism. China should not and cannot copy the development models of other countries. Of course, China's developing road and model haven't been fully achieved. There are still many challenges ahead.

Third, consensus must be had regarding social stability. China is undergoing a huge social transformation. For China, stability is of particular importance. However, we must change our concept of stability from obstruction to channeling. From a long-term point of view, the promotion of democracy and the rule of law, and the expansion of rights of participation are not only conducive to the interests of the people, but also to long-term peace and social stability.

In order to promote mutual understanding, China should start listening to different voices and coordinating the interests of all parties.

Differentiation of community interests will inevitably result in a diverse number of views, or even a conflict of views. With the correct guidance, this conflict can be turned into a driving force for social change.

Through the process of reform and opening up, Chinese citizens' rights to freedom of choice have been greatly increased. It has also rapidly increased people's material interests and political rights. At the same time, polarization of interest has appeared. Chinese people, each with their unique values, desire to participate in the decision-making process from their respective points of view. In this case, any individual or group has no right to monopolize the truth.

When faced with a major problem, different interest groups often put forward different views from different standpoints. However, a small number of people in China have no suitable channel to vent their legitimate demands. Therefore, China should focus on improving mechanisms that allow for more expression. The clashes of ideas and collisions in different voices will help to formulate a social consensus. To this end, China needs to improve its coordination mechanism of interest, narrow interest gaps, and distribute social wealth responsibly. As long as the public interest is maximized, social consensus will be broadened.

In addition to improving mechanisms for increased coordination and expression, China also needs to establish integrity. A lack of the public integrity has undermined the governments' credibility. People refuse to trust the government no matter what the government does. And there is simmering resentment of the rich.

No trust, no consensus. In order to rebuild social credibility, the Party and the government should play an exemplary role, and increase public integrity through rule of law and rule by virtue.

A rational social atmosphere should be advocated to prevent extremism. Extreme emotions are natural enemies of a social consensus. They are more likely to develop in the period of social transformation and development. And officials should further emancipate their minds. When faced with new ideas and practices, they should ask whether it is conducive to the interests of the people, to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and whether it is conducive to social and political progress.