The Soul of China

Corruption is a big problem in China; corruption is a problem in every society but especially for governments like the PRC that are not as accountable as democratic governments. Then, corruption is a two-fold problem: the corruption itself and the further illegitimacy that it causes the government in the eyes of the people. Throughout history corruption has been a big problem in China because throughout history China has never had an accountable government.

Mr. Wang Yi, who has contributed so much to this site and helped me so much in my continuing education on China, sent me the following which he translated himself. I reprint also Mr. Yi’s email accompanying the translation. In the email Mr. Yi discusses China’s historical technological achievements and how these achievements were not followed up on. He is right that it is mystifying to Western historians (and Western bloggers). China’s historical lack of exploration of the world is, to me, one of the seminal facts about the civilization. There is a sense in which China just stopped at a certain point: in exploring, in following up on technological advances; it just stopped and retreated behind its walls, physical and psychological. When Lord Macartney “knocked on China’s door” representing King George III  in 1793 and proposed  trade with the Celestial Kingdom, his Celestial Majesty, the Emperor Qianlong replied by letter “As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your country's manufactures” (George III had a bad quarter century). That of course was the beginning of the end of traditional China. Among other things England and the Europeans possessed modern gunships and they would not take no for an answer.

 Hi, Ben:

Recently someone has "unearthed" a historical story and it has been circulated
online. It drives home the issue of today's corruption in China. I translated it
for you to read. See attachment.


Also I have read an article discussing metal engineering in ancient China.
It mentioned that even in 221 BC, China's metal engineering reached a shockingly
high level. However, since the Han Dynasty in which Confucianism was officially
established as the only acceptable ideology, its conservative nature has hampered
Chinese creativity so much that as a society, China's level of metal use has
stayed the same over around 2,000 years till Europeans came to knock on China's
door in 1840 with their gunships. Maybe that why to Western historians it is
inexplicable why so many innovative discoveries and inventions in China's
history have never pushed it into industrialization and scientific development.
Maybe Confucianism was a God's gift to Europeans. Otherwise, China would have
been too advanced to overthrow its world domination in history.

On Corrupted Officials

A Conversation Between An Emperor and His Right-Hand Man

In the 6th century there was a usurper named Yü Wentai who eventually founded the short-lived North Zhou Dynasty (557-581 AD) with Xi’an as its capital. Before he took over the power, Yü asked Su Cuo, who later became his prime minister, how his future kingdom should be run. They talked for three days and nights. The following is a synopsis of their conversation:

Yü:          How should I run my kingdom?

Su:          You have to rely on officials.

Yü:          How should I handle my officials?

Su:          You have to rely on corrupted officials and then punish them.

Yü:          How could I rely on corrupted officials?

Su:          To an emperor, the most important thing is the loyalty of your officials. When they are

               loyal to you, you are safe and, of course, the kingdom will be safe, too. However,

              officials will not be loyal if they can’t make money. Since you don’t have enough

              money for so many officials, you know you have a problem?

Yü:          Truly. Please tell me, what can I do?

Su:          If you give them power with which they are allowed to get rich, officials will be happy.

Yü:          I believe they would be happy when they get rich, but what do I get?

Su:          Officials’ wealth comes from the power in their hands. Since wealth and power go hand

               in hand, they would have to be loyal to you. There are numerous people with their eyes

               on your throne. Your kingdom is safe only when officials work conscientiously for you.

Yü:          (with a sigh) That’s good! However, if corrupted officials are so useful, why should I

                punish them?

Su:          You must use corrupted officials and then punish them. That is the trick of

                politics.

Yü:          (moving a little closer to Su and asking humbly) Please explain, master!

Su:          (laughing) First of all, there are no officials who could resist corruption. Actually it is

              nothing to fear. What you should fear is betrayal. He who is not loyal to you is your

              enemy. So if you punish him in name of clearing corruption, you could sleep peacefully.

              Besides, you earn a good reputation among your subjects. Why not? Secondly, when an

              official is corrupted, you are sure to know. When he knows you know, he has concerns.

              His concerns will force him to be loyal to you. Keep punishing the corrupted officials is

              the key to handling your officials. If there is no corruption, where can you find corrupted

              officials to punish? That is why I said you need to use them and then punish them. If

              there is no corruption, the people will be happy, but you would be in danger.

Yü:          Why?

Su:          Because incorruptible officials are, most probably, strongly opinionated. They would

               bluntly insist on their ideas believing they are honest. If you want to get rid of them,

               what kind of excuses could you have? If you punish honest officials, the people won’t be

               happy. If they are not happy, they complain. Then your kingdom will be in danger. That

               is why you can’t afford to have too many honest officials.

…

Su:          (sternly) Any more questions, Your Highness?

Yü:          (shocked) What other questions could I have?

Su:          (sternly again) If you use too many corrupted officials and the people are as angry as

              boiling water, what are you going to do?

Yü felt at a loss. He moved up and bowed to Su in request for an answer.

Su:          (laughing) You castigate them for being corrupted and call them a big disappointment

              for the chaos they have caused so that all your subjects know that you are a good ruler

              and that the corrupted officials are the ones who have messed up the government. It’s

              not your fault and it is those bad apples who are to blame. Therefore, you let the

              people vent their anger.

Yü:          If the corruption is so serious that the people become intolerably furious, then what?

Su:          You kill the corrupted officials. Search their houses and confiscate their properties, the

               people’s frustration will subside. Won’t it be nice that you are able to pocket their

               wealth and are, at the same time, hailed as a hero? (Su continued to explain) You first

               help yourself to the loyalty of the corrupted officials. Then you punish them to shut the

               mouth of your enemy. Finally you kill them to smooth out people’s anger by

               confiscating their wealth for your own use. That is the trick of all the kings and

               emperors in history.