HANGZHOU, Oct. 26
The discrepancy between rich and poor and serious social injustice are among the major issues facing China today. In fact, we could say the country is divided into three Chinas at present.
The first is the rich China, which consists of officials at different levels, who enjoy privileges and who suddenly became wealthy as a result of the opening-up policy. They hold most of the economic and social resources, can afford to buy the best things in the world, and enjoy a life of high luxury.
The second is the middle-class China, which is made up of ordinary civil servants, most intellectuals, white-collar workers in companies and owners of some small and medium-sized enterprises. They possess houses or apartments, have decent jobs, and do not need to worry about what to eat or wear. They can easily live a good life as long as they work.
The third sector of China, the bottom China, includes a huge proportion of the population. These people cannot live a good life no matter how hard they work. Those at the bottom of the social order strongly resent the rich, while the dissolute members of high society ignore and disdain the bottom sector. Meanwhile, the middle-class sector is not really developing, is very dependent on the other two, and cannot play a balancing role in society.
These three Chinas are separate from one another, and the gaps between them will increase as time goes by and social injustice increases. China's Gini coefficient has long passed the warning line; thus problems can occur at any time. Many of the rich people hold foreign passports. It is very common for them to send their children and transfer their money overseas. They have perfect plans; even if disaster strikes someday they need not worry, for they have a safe place to go while leaving a ruined and empty China behind.
A survey published by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company shows that the number of rich people in China is increasing rapidly. The number of people with an annual income of over US$50,000 is increasing by 15 percent each year. The total number of people in that group is over 1.5 million now. And these statistics definitely do not include the invisible income of officials.
The image of the rich group is not good in the eyes of the general public. In August, China Youth Daily conducted a survey with Sina.com. They asked people to choose the words that best describe China's rich people. A total of 7,916 people responded; the top three words they chose were luxurious, greedy and corrupt.
Some say that China's rich people are following the lifestyle of Xi Menqing (a character in a classical novel who represents luxury and sexual indulgence). In times of rampant corruption, after accumulating huge amounts of illegal wealth, it seems natural for the rich to pursue sexual and sensual satisfaction. Rich people live for and act according to their instincts. Their ideal lifestyle is to live and die following their desires.
The professional morals of officials have come under serious discussion in the media. It can be said that the last G-string has been pulled off, and there is no need to be shy or to hide any more. For those who are rich and powerful and belong to the rich China sector, it is actually strange not to have mistresses. Their tacit value criterion has probably became "the more mistresses, the more glory." But having more people like the character Xi Menqing means that the rich and powerful actually feel empty inside. They lack hope or a sense of security; that's why they grasp at every indulgence.
Every society has its moral criteria. When one set of criteria loses effect, another set will replace it. The Xi Menqing lifestyle results in moral degeneration and a reversal of values. Instinct, desire and personal benefit become the only rules dominating people's lives. People pursue things without shame and live in luxury. This lifestyle releases the worst elements within human beings and allows them to spread beyond control.
Another current phenomenon is the "pet" trend. Many stars and intellectuals are willing to become the pets of the rich and powerful. Once they become "super pets," receiving grace from those in political power, they will be adored by the media and admired and followed by the ignorant public. This is their green light to fame and glory.
This trend is the result of high political pressure. The long period of political oppression has distorted many people's mentality. People try by every means to adapt themselves to their environment. As time goes by, the pet mentality seems to get into their genes. These people are like animals without bones. All they can do is be obedient and sing the praises of their owners.
(To be continued)
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(Fu Guoyong is an independent writer and civil scholar. His articles on modern China have been widely published within and outside the country. His special interest is the history of public opinion over the past 100 years and issues related to China's intellectuals. This article is edited and translated from the Chinese by UPI Asia Online; the original may be found at http://fuguoyong.vip.bokee.com. ©Copyright Fu Guoyong.)
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