Posted on 09/28/2022 2:12:14 PM PDT by FarCenter
At 105, Song Ping is the Chinese Communist Party's oldest retired official. Famous for once pressing former President Jiang Zemin to fully retire, Song has recently appeared in public for the first time in years.
Due to his advanced age, it was only a video message. But it has caused a stir in Chinese political circles ahead of the party's once-every-five-years national congress that begins on Oct. 16.
In a congratulatory message for an event on Sept. 12, the centenarian said that the policy of reform and opening-up "has been the only path to the development and progress of contemporary China and the only path to the realization of the Chinese dream."
These are words that President Xi Jinping himself spoke nearly five years ago. Song cleverly used Xi's own words to send a message to the top leader.
Xi originally made the remark during his New Year's address that was released on Dec. 31, 2017, marking the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the reform and opening-up policy by former leader Deng Xiaoping. But Xi has rarely repeated the remark.
More recently, Xi has switched to his own economic policies, such as "common prosperity" and "the prevention of the disorderly expansion of capital."
Entering his third term, Xi wants to show that he has overtaken Deng in terms of achievements. It is crucial to pave the way for a fourth term and possibly being leader for life.
Song has raised a red flag. Born in 1917, even before the Chinese Communist Party was established, the centenarian has signaled that Deng's reform and opening-up policy is to be defended at all costs.
It is an undaunted and politically dangerous move.
Song served as a Politburo Standing Committee member under Deng after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. He also served as a secretary to former Premier Zhou Enlai.
He is well-versed in the finer points of intraparty struggles.
Song's message began to circulate on Chinese social media in mid September, when Xi embarked on his first overseas trip since the start of the pandemic -- to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Hopefully the Chinese won’t be smart enough to listen to him. Xi, like Putin, has been God’s gift to the United States.
Care to elaborate?
Xi’ reply: What’s he know? He’s old. He doesn’t know how to have fun!
How so? Song Ping is warning Xi about his ham-fisted behavior. If Xi takes China over an economic cliff the rest of the world will go with it.
Not saying we shouldn’t decouple, it’s just for now corporate management is still sucking on the Chinese teat.
Good thing Sing Song is so old
When he dies suddenly no one will give it a second thought
I guess he doesn’t care about making it to 106.
How so?
Has Xi been seen in person yet???
Who would they send the bill for the bullet to?
Irrelevent from a western perspective, as it won’t change China to a multiparty democracy or changed the CCP total control or change the CCP use of the economy for its own purposes, and its pretense that it’s control, its global expansion is about “Chinese nationalism” when it is all about expansion of the global influence of the CCP.
True native Chinese nationalism was crushed by the CPP and hijacked into enslavement under perpetuating and advancing the CCP.
Sing Song should be careful about what he says or a blue van will pull up to his front door.
“It is an undaunted and politically dangerous move.”
It’s pretty easy to be politically courageous when you are 105 years old. Any “F”s you had left to give are long gone.
The problem is that his ham-fisted approach begins to interfere with market so much that it drives growth down, possibly to the point of negative growth.
Our current regime has been trying the same thing to cement itself in power, but we have enough of a free market that the consequences are fairly obvious more quickly.
The West doesn’t care about multiparty democracy. The West is perfectly happy with one party democracies so long as they are sufficiently obsequious to “Western values”, “the rule of law”, and the “rules based world order”.
After reading the entire article, I realize that some really important information was not included in the intro.
“Entering his third term, Xi wants to show that he has overtaken Deng [Xioping] in terms of achievements. It is crucial to pave the way for a fourth term and possibly being leader for life.”
“Song has raised a red flag. Born in 1917, even before the Chinese Communist Party was established, the centenarian has signaled that Deng’s reform and opening-up policy is to be defended at all costs. It is an undaunted and politically dangerous move.”
Recent efforts were made to shut Song up, but the Gansu Daily, organ of that province made a point of printing Song’s recent statements in favor of reform and an opening-up policy. As a former head of Gansu Province, Song favors several younger men for future leadership.
“According to an intellectual born in Gansu and familiar with local politics, Song Ping is a good judge of character and elevated former President Hu Jintao, 79, and former Premier Wen Jiabao, 80, to posts in Beijing after both men had served in the province.”
Song’s current “message is to warn Xi against going too far with his policies and personnel changes and instead promote a younger leader who defends the reform and opening-up policy to the Politburo Standing Committee. Among the current candidates, only one fits the model: Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, 59,” formerly of Gansu Province.
“Xi took his time before making a public appearance after returning from his trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He should have been busy with preparations for his final showdown with his political foes.”
“Song’s message, which reflects the structure of the current power struggle in China, is undoubtedly a big headache for Xi.” Other important recommendations by Song have been ignored for a while, but eventually implemented. It will be well worth watching to see how this power struggle develops.
All the chinese communist leaders are mass murderers.
“The Revolution devours its children.” —Jacques Mallet du Pan
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