CPIFC Briefing Series* Dec. 30, 2018
Concerns of Some CCP Members
(Disclaimer: This open letter by A Group of CCP Members does not represent the views of CPIFC. But we believe it meaningful to provide a platform for dissent voices even from within the CCP, especially at the time when even high ranking CCP officials dare not to say anything differing from Xi Jinping’s views. In March of this year, as a response to Xi Jinping’s move to make himself president for life, this same group of CCP members entrusted CPIFC to publish their “Plan for China’s Peaceful Transition to Democracy”. http://www.yibaochina.com/Article/Display?articleId=7538 )
Our Concerns by A Group of CCP Members
December 18, 2018Today is the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up. It should be a day of celebration, and an opportunity for China to further deepen its reform. Unfortunately, some practices of the Party and of the government since the 18th National Congress of the CCP have been moving towards the opposite direction of reform in many aspects.
Economically, China’s most dynamic sector—private enterprises—has been experiencing an unprecedented hardship, mostly caused by political factors, rather than economic ones like changes of the international economic environment. Over the past six years since the 18th National Congress of the CCP, the party’s constant emphasis on Party’s dominance and control over all walks of life has caused more resources to be tilted toward inefficient state-owned enterprises, and the fairness of the development environment has significantly regressed. Meanwhile, the argument that the private economy should retreat from the market and the re-emphasizing class struggle often hits the headlines in official media. Therefore, the confidence of private enterprises has been deeply hurt by these extreme speeches in such a degenerated political environment.
Politically, many of Deng Xiaoping’s legacies have been abandoned, such as collective leadership, intra-party democracy, and presidential term limits. The party’s dictatorship has reached its “peak” to the extent that even the leaders at the provincial level or above cannot “discuss party policy openly” (“wangyi zhongyang” in Chinese). This has seriously undermined the party’s image and damaged the party’s solidarity and cohesiveness. We are particularly concerned about the serious consequences of the abolishment of presidential terms. Without institutional transfer of power, it is very difficult to guarantee the long-term stability of the country.
In addition, personality cult is getting worse. Although the people of insight at the top of the party realized the seriousness of this problem and attempted to limit it, it didn’t work. The problem hasn’t been fundamentally resolved so far. As presidential terms are extended and the power of the president is expanding, this issue will become more prominent. In the past, our party has made serious mistakes in personality cult and caused enormous tragic consequences. We must not repeat the same mistakes.
In society, the degree of freedom is now greatly reduced. It is true that China is huge in scale and difficult to govern, so it needs to impose moderate restrictions on various freedoms. However, the key to the issue is moderation. The bottom line is not to damage the vitality and innovation capacity of the society. Therefore, it is necessary to give people a certain degree of freedom of expression and venting channels. However, in the past six years, the certain degree of freedom of the society has been greatly repressed, especially since the Internet has been under unprecedented control. This is also contrary to the concept of Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening up. Social freedom should have more room than political freedom.
To conclude, at the time of commemorating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, we call for inheritance of the essence of Deng Xiaoping’s Theory and innovation in the right direction. At present, China’s great rejuvenation has reached its final stage and must not fall short.
Appendix: Letter to Dr. Jianli Yang from the Author of This Article — A Group of CCP Members
December 18, 2018
Dear Dr. Yang Jianli: Greetings!
In March of this year, we entrusted Citizen Power Initiatives for China (CPIFC) to publish our “Plan for China’s Peaceful Transition to Democracy” in the name of “the Revolutionary Committee of Chinese Communist Party” (the CCP Revolutionary Committee):(http://www.yibaochina.com/Article/Display?articleId=7538).Due to the increased political pressure and risk in China, we have decided to suspend the use of our organization’s name “the CCP Revolutionary Committee,” which we now loosely call “A Group of Members of the Chinese Communist Party”.
Your colleagues in China have already conveyed you and your colleagues’ comments on the “Plan for China’s Peaceful Transition to Democracy,” especially your views on ethnic, religious and regional issues, which we value enormously.
Given the opportunity of your Taiwan visit, we entrust Mr. XXX, who will also visit Taiwan at the same time as you, to present to you an open letter titled “Our Concerns,” and hope that CPIFC will publish it at the end of this year.
Sincerely,
A Group of CCP Members
* Citizen Power Initiatives for China’s research arm Citizen Power Institute publishes CPIFC Briefing Series and CPIFC Monograph Series. The former are short essays or succinct scholarly articles that spontaneously reflect the realities of China while the latter are research reports on China’s politics, economics, culture, ethnicity, religion, civil society, human rights and strategies for its transition to democracy.
公民力量简报* 2018年12月30日
一批中共党员的忧虑
（这是一批中共党员委托公民力量平台在今年年底发表的文章。公民力量特别声明，此文章表述的观点不代表我们的立场，但是我们认为在习近平严控下完全噤声的中共政治生态下，为中共党内的不同声音提供一个发声的渠道是有特别意义的。今年三月份，作为对习近平修宪废除国家主席任期制的回应，这批中共党员曾委托公民力量平台发表了他们的“中国和平民主转型方案” http://www.yibaochina.com/Article/Display?articleId=7538。—-公民力量 谨识）
我们的忧虑
今天是改革开放40周年纪念日，这本应是值得庆贺的日子，更应是中国进一步深化改革的契机，然而十八大以来党和政府的一些做法，正在许多方面背离改革的方向。
经济上，中国最有活力的民营企业遇到前所未有的苦难，这不仅仅是经济因素所致–比如同期国际环境的变化，更主要的原因是在政治上。十八大后的六年来，由于党只强调党领导一切，更多的资源向低效率的国有企业倾斜，发展环境的公平性相比以前明显大大退步。官媒也经常发出私营经济退场的声音，甚至重提阶级斗争主张。这都是目前恶质化的政治环境下产生的极端言论，伤害了民营企业的信心。
政治上，小平同志的许多遗产被抛弃，如集体领导、党内民主、任期制等。党的专权到了连省部级以上的干部领导都不能“妄议中央”（亦即讨论政策问题）的地步。这严重破坏了党的形象，损坏了党内的团结和党的凝聚力。我们特别忧虑取消任期制可能酿成的严重后果，没有制度性的权力交接，国家的长治久安是很难保障的。
另外，个人崇拜越演越烈。虽然党内高层的有识之士也意识到这个问题的严重性也尝试加以限制，但是没能起到有效作用，问题没有从根本上得到解决。随着领导人任期的延长，权力越来越膨胀，这个问题会更加突出。我党在个人崇拜上犯过严重错误，也造成过巨大的悲剧后果，我们绝不能重蹈覆辙。
社会上，自由度大大降低。虽然中国规模巨大，治理难度高，需要对各种自由做适度限制，但是问题的关键是是适度，以不损害这个社会的活力和创新能力为底线，要给百姓一定程度的发言权和发泄渠道。然而，这六年来，社会自由度大大压缩，尤其是网络受到前所未有的控制， 这也是违背小平同志改革开放的理念的。社会自由应该比政治自由拥有更大空间。
为此，我们呼吁，纪念改革开放40周年，首先是要继承邓小平理论的精髓，其次是在正确的方向上创新。目前，中国的伟大复兴已到最后关头，绝不能功亏一篑。
一批共产党员2018年12月18日
附：作者“一批共产党员”给公民力量创办人楊建利博士的信：
楊建利博士：
您好。
今年三月，我们以“中国共产党革命委员会” 【中共（革）】的名义委托公民力量的平台推出“中国和平民主转型方案”(http://www.yibaochina.com/Article/Display?articleId=7538)。
由于众所周知的政治高压和风险，我们暂停使用中共（革）的组织性名称，改用“一批共产党员”的松散名称。
您在国内的同事已经转达了您和您的同道对“中国和平民主转型方案”的评议，特别是您有关民族、宗教和地域等问题的不同主张，我们充分重视您和您同道的意见。
趁您访台，我们委托同期访台的XXX同志给您捎去一封公开信“我们的忧虑”，期待公民力量的平台在年终予以发表。
致诚挚谢意。
一批共产党员
2018年12月18日
*公民力量研究所不定期发表中英文双语“公民力量简报“（CPIFC Briefing Series）和“公民力量研究报告”(CPIFC Monograph Series)。前者是简明准确反映中国现实的叙述式或学术简报式的短篇文章，后者则是公民力量研究所有关中国的政治、经济、社会、文化、历史、宗教、国际关系、人权改善、民主变革战略等议题的学术性分析预测文章。