New leadership to push China forward

From Beijing to Guangzhou, China's new leadership has stated its commitment to deepen reform, reduce formality and combat corruption, all within the first month of being in office. Experts say these policy directives represent more than just a change in form.

The frontline of reform and opening-up, Guangdong is the first place China's new party chief has visited outside of Beijing. CPC General Secretary, Xi Jinping, laid a wreath at a statue honouring the late leader, Deng Xiaoping, at Lotus Hill in Shenzhen.

Experts believe that the General Secretary's visit to Shenzhen shows the leadership's intention to make "reform" a priority.

Professor Huang Zongliang, Dept. of Int'l Relations, Peking Univ., said, "Shenzhen is a place where the open-door policy was first initiated, and a place where a market economy was first developed in China. Xi Jinping's visit signifies the intention of the new leaders to push forward with reform and opening up policy. "

In meeting with business leaders in Guangzhou, Xi has called for an acceleration in economic restructuring and the advancement of innovation.

Xi's trip to Guangzhou caused no disruption to traffic flow, as his convoy drove along with the regular traffic. His approachable style is popular with the public. The CPC General Secretary has been the first to pare down official excesses according to the Party's eight new guidelines.

The new guidelines are issued to cut bureaucracy and extravagance, so as to connect better with the public.

Politburo Standing Committee members Li Keqiang and Wang Qishan have both asked officials to skip the pleasantries, get to the point, and be ready to answer questions.

Dai Yanjun, deputy head of the Party-building section of the Central Party School, believes such regulations represent a top-down commitment to improve party image and governance.

Dai said, "The eight measures are designed to instruct officials from the Politburo. It asks them to set examples. Second, all of the eight points are related to the public interest; And third, the directives are specific and to the point, not merely rhetoric. "

And twice in a week since he was elected as the CPC General Secretary, Xi Jinping has urged Party leaders, in particular high-ranking officials, to build a clean government, maintain self-discipline and professional conduct and keep their houses in order.

About twenty officials have been detained or sacked on charges of corruption since the 18th Party Congress. Li Chuncheng, former deputy party secretary of Sichuan, has become the first deputy ministerial level official and the first alternate member of the new Central Committee to fall from grace because of corruption allegations.

Ma Huaide says the message is clear that there's no slackening in the fight against corruption.

Ma said, "The message from the top is that in further combating corruption, the CPC will put more emphasis on system building to stop corruption at the very biginning; Secondly, loopholes in existing laws and regulations will be closed; And thirdly, a long-term strategy will be established, rather than relying on sporadic action. "

Down south in Guangdong, a pilot project is to be launched requiring all Party and government officials to declare their assets, in the latest move to curb corruption.

China's new leadership has shown its determination to reform and clean up governance. Their easy and down-to-earth style has generated positive feedback from both scholars and the public. It'a good start, but it also means greater responsibilities ahead.