Xu Qiyao 徐其耀

On October 8th, 2000, head of the Jiangsu Provincial Construction Department, Xu Qiyao (徐其耀) was arrested for graft and taking bribes calculated at over 20 million RMB (Xu was sentenced to death with a two－year reprieve). During the investigation and search of evidence, police discovered diaries kept by Xu and his 146 lovers, including a letter Xu had written to his son about what he had learned in politics. His straightforward and unabashed words and descriptions about the intricate workings of the political world had been hailed as “the golden rule” of politicians, and Chinese netizens thought that it should be included in textbooks as an exemplifying work of contemporary essay writing. The following is the letter and the translation of its text in full:

Son:

I've received your letter and am very pleased with your progress in college; you must keep up with your good work. Since you've chosen politics as your path to go, you need to heed my following warnings and take it from someone who knows:

1. Don't ever try to go after the truth and never ask about uncovering the reality of things

Leave going after the truth to the intellectuals, it's their nature to try and uncover the reality of things. Remember this motto and never forget it: if it is beneficial to self, then it is correct and true. And if you are unsure of something, then try this motto: what the higher administrators had named as priority is correct and true.

2. Not only do you need to learn to speak lies, you need to learn double-speak

You need to make a habit of speaking lies; no, you must treat it like a career, learn to speak lies that will even dupe yourself. Hookers and politicians are alike, it is just that politicians sell their mouths in their trade. Remember, when you're a politician your mouth doesn't just belong to you; you need to speak according to situation.

3. You need your diploma but you don't need real knowledge, knowledge is harmful

Once you have knowledge you'd be able to think independently, and thinking independently is a definite no-no in politics. It may seem like that those higher up in administration are all masters and doctors, but they're all fake. Some people, as soon as they get their doctorates, immediately turn around and apply to become civil servants; then you can be sure they did not aim to learn when studying for their doctor’s degree. Remember, real doctors will never be politicians.

4. What is the goal of being a politician? It's to have benefits

You need to exhaust every means and channel to have all the benefits you can get with your position. Some people call it corruption and graft, but you need to make it your top priority in being an official and politician; it is your only real goal. Your administrators will promote you because you bring them benefits; your subordinates will obey you because you bring them benefits; your colleagues will take care of you because they know you're able to provide them benefits. Even if you don't want any of the treasure yourself, you must remember to give others what is due to them. Remember, if you can't get a faster grasp on getting benefits for yourself and others close to you, then you will no sooner fail and fall from your position.

5. You need to handle your relationships first, then you can learn to do your job

What I mean by being able to handle relationships and learning to do your job should be taken to mean exactly that – handle your relationship first and then do your job as you're told. Handling your relationships boils down to weaving yourself into a tightly knitted network of “guanxi”, placing your friends all around you, top, bottom, left and right. Doing your job is negligible if you're successful with handling “guanxi”. Remember, those that are said to do their jobs very well aren't being praised for his true ability to do his job; he's being praised for having the acumen to handle his relationships well. Haha, those that think doing their jobs well is what counts, look where they end up and the good it did them.

6. It doesn't matter how our society looks from the outside and how much it's changed, we're still all farmers at heart

Those that know how farmers think and what they want will have unimpeded success as politicians. Those people around us, no matter how they may appear, are all farmers at heart. Farmers are known to be short-sighted, caring only for immediate benefits, thus that's how you should handle yourself and your job – narrow down your target and get them the immediate benefits and results; once you look beyond that immediate, limited scope of things, then you've alienated yourself from the majority – the results of which can only be devastating. You need to re-learn the ways of the old feudal society.

7. You need to know that kissing ass is an intricate art

Don't think that kissing ass is just about throwing out your pride. There are many women that throw away their pride for benefit, but there are only a few that successfully procure a secure place for themselves with important and successful men; many are just prostitutes at best. It is the same with kissing ass; we kiss ass in order to get our bosses to like us. And in a society that is ruled and overrun with “guanxi” networks, your only way to climb higher is through your administrator, so getting them to like you is of vital importance; all other things are just formalities.

8. All the laws, rules, and policies aren't set in stone, we can manipulate them to how we see fit

Those that make the laws, rules, and policies are all about using them to limit and govern others; it is never about setting their own rules on themselves. But you need to know that not everyone can manipulate and are allowed to break the rules and policies; sometimes you've got to decidedly uphold all regulations and laws; sometimes you can make little holes and breaks with the formal rules. Who's entitled to break the rules, when and how must be gauged according to different situations; there's no definite rule as to when you should strictly uphold the law or are allowed to deviate and how much.

What I've listed above are the very rules of how a politician operates. You need to digest what I've told you and give it some real thought. If you think you can follow everything that I've set out above, then I can promise that you'll be unimpeded in your success as a politician; otherwise, if you think that you can't handle it all, it is best that you have a change of heart and quickly decide on another career.

Source: gcpnews.com

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