Editor’s note: this article was translated and edited from a post by popular blogger Zhen Heping that appeared on Ifeng.com. Zhen looks at the case of Liu Zhijun, former Head of the now-defunct Ministry of Railways, who is currently on trial for numerous charges involving corruption. Liu also gained further notoriety when he slept with the entire female cast of TV show “The Dream of the Red Chamber” in a recent bribery scandal. Zhen goes on to look at the corruption situation as a whole and questions whether sentencing Liu to death will be of any help or significance in the fight against corruption in China.

Xinhua news reported on April 10 that former Head of the now-defunct Ministry of Railways Liu Zhijun was being tried in Beijing for his crimes of taking bribes from party secretaries and abusing power. The court also stated that as a worker for the state, Liu used his position to gain benefits for himself and others, illegally accepted property from others, and caused great losses to the state and the people. Liu Zhijun was also charged with bribery cases that extended to four cadres inside the Ministry of Railways, which in turn saw him amass a large collection of paintings from famous modern artists.

How many other Liu Zhijun’s are out there?

This news garnered a lot of attention from Chinese netizens, prompting many to speculate about the type of sentence such a high ranking official would get. There have been a lot of rumors circulating online about the strong possibility that Liu Zhijun would receive the death sentence due to the severity of his crimes. When the real verdict comes of course, all speculation will be thrown out the window; but sometimes it’s difficult for us to ignore these rumors as we know from previous similar cases that speculation created by ordinary citizens does in fact often come true. The possibility of Liu Zhijun actually being sentenced to death is actually quite high, especially given Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang’s recent vows to crack down on corruption. In light of this, we could say that Liu Zhijun was unlucky with his timing (regarding the current political climate.)

On the issue of Liu and his promiscuous behaviour—he was recently involved in a scandal where he slept with the whole female cast of TV series “Dream of the Red Chamber” in exchange for a political favor with Shanxi businesswoman Ding Shumiao)—this type of crime is endemic among officials across the nation. In fact the real question is: how many male officials are there in China who don’t use their power to sexually exploit women? Such behavior is all too common among officials like Liu and under normal circumstances would not lead to the death sentence on its own. However, from a political point of view, if officials plan to make an example out of Liu Zhijun, then it is likely that he’ll get the death sentence.

Blame society and the political system

But why is there such widespread corruption among Chinese officials today? The answer is simple: no one monitors their behavior. Such officials are able to hold the fate of ordinary citizens in the palms of their hands, while the citizens are helpless to the results of their actions. This increases officials’ courage and arrogance over time, resulting in a reckless group of leaders who think they are above everyone else and end up running wild in their lawlessness and their quests to expand their power. Many ordinary Chinese who enter the field of politics are likely to become corrupt. But, despite the many who end up blaming individual officials for the extended corruption, it is in fact the political environment of China that is to blame, as once a person enters the game, corruption is the only way to properly progress.    

When looking at China’s political field and society in general however, officials aren’t the only ones in hot pursuit of materialistic gains and debauchery. In fact, the entire society and its people are after the same thing. The social climate of China is such that any attempts at urging the people to let go of their materialistic goals and pursue a more spiritual life will be unsuccessful.

Of course, Liu Zhujun’s behaviour is certainly something that can be classified as very shameful, yet why did so many people collude with him? This can be put down to the benefits that can be achieved through knowing the right people. If we look at the example of Shanxi businesswoman Ding Shumiao, the concept of doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals regardless of the actions is something often present in such situations. Ding used her connections with the TV show to bribe Liu (in the form of letting him sleep with the entire cast of the show) so that she could secure 800 million RMB for a railway project. Profiteers involved in the scandal also gained the favor of corrupt official Liu, while the status of Ding Shumiao rose significantly. If Ding hadn’t used these dirty tricks of the trade, would she have become one of Shanxi’s richest women? It seems that such behavior is the only way to pave your way in society these days. Reaching the top through honest means seems to be a thing of the past.

Corruption cases shouldn’t be dealt with as “exceptions”

Many ordinary citizens hold a strong hatred towards corrupt officials like Liu Zhijun, with many hoping that such officials get the death sentence. But will sentencing Liu to death really help rid China of corruption? Officials such as Liu, whose corruption case began around the time of the tragic Wenzhou train crash in 2011, are often presented as exceptions to the norm. But if China’s current anti-corruption stance only tackles such “exceptions” without the increased level of supervision and attention of normal citizens, there will always be many who opt to walk the road of corruption just as Liu did.

The predicament of whether Liu Zhijun should be given the death penalty or not isn’t actually that important, because his death will only represent the righteous fall of a bad guy in the eyes of the public. What’s important is that authorities must find the many other Liu Zhijun’s who are present in China’s officialdom today and begin to fix the root of the problem. But who will rise to this task?
 

Source: Blog.Ifeng.com
 

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Keywords: combating corruption corruption in China Liu Zhijun