Pay attention to the voice of the storm to improve the level of thinking
Due to Hong Kong's huge economic advantages over the mainland, the central government's staff stationed in Hong Kong were often captured by "sugar-coated shells." This is one of the main reasons for the chaos in Hong Kong.
In fact, before 2000, the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency had dual functions, on the one hand, it was a news organization, but more importantly, the Central Working Committee in Hong Kong. It was not until 2000, when the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also known as the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, was established, that this function of the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency came to an end.
Therefore, the director of the Hong Kong bureau of xinhua news agency is actually the highest-ranking official sent by the central government to Hong Kong, the "chief executive." In April 1990, Xu Jiatun, who had just stepped down as the director of the Xinhua bureau, fled the United States.
The incident had a great impact in China at the time. Such a high-level official went abroad, and the last time he was probably Marshal Lin. However, to this day, there are not many people who still know Xu jiatun.
Xu Jiatun wrote a memoir documenting his experiences and observations as xinhua bureau chief. Since it is a memoir, the author will naturally glorify himself and scandalize the opposite. Therefore, the content of it cannot be trusted lightly, and it is necessary to check and compare other historical materials to be sure.
Still, it doesn't matter. Although the author will beautify himself, he will still inadvertently write a lot of real content. The law is: the more the author emphasizes and wants to express his ideas and opinions, the more untrustworthy he is. On the contrary, what he inadvertently writes is often true and believable.
A thick book, the benevolent see the benevolent, the wise see the wise. The key is to see if you will see it or not.
In the book, I saw a clue that the author did not want to express: in the world of flowers and flowers in Hong Kong, an old Communist Party member gradually lost himself, forgot his original intention, was hit by a "sugar-coated shell", and finally made a major wrong choice.
Although he did not tell the truth, Xu Jiatun did not degenerate into a haters of the country. In the more than two decades overseas, he has not made any remarks against the country, has not been used by anti-China forces, and seems to have some remorse later. Continuing to criticize him personally means little.
The purpose of revealing this thread is to help people understand the history of Hong Kong since the 1980s and the unique difficulties and challenges encountered by mainland personnel in Hong Kong – many of whom have failed to overcome. Xu Jiatun is one of them. For Hong Kong, it has not been on track for a long time. The overall situation is quite passive.
This passivity has continued until recently. After the return of 1997, even if they already had sovereignty, the institutions and personnel of the central government in Hong Kong still failed to play their due role and failed to push Hong Kong society onto the right path. This is one of the important reasons for the chaos in Hong Kong in recent years, especially in 2019.
The primary reason for this situation is Hong Kong's huge economic advantage over the mainland. Therefore, they have the opportunity to create "sugar-coated shells".
Today, when mainlanders go to Hong Kong, they will not feel that there are any "sugar-coated shells" in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has lagged behind in many aspects such as economic development, urban construction, residents' lives, and cultural environment. But in Xu Jiatun's time, the economic gap between the mainland and Hong Kong was very large.
Before taking up his post in Hong Kong, Xu Jiatun was the first secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, the first political commissar of the Provincial Military Region, and a member of the Central Committee. The administrative level is so high that it is one of the top dozens of people in the country. It is such a high-ranking official, when they arrive in Hong Kong, they are simply the old people who have ventured into the city.
In previous decades, Xu Jiatun had not worn a suit. In 1983, I just made a set of it, and when I wore it, I found that the material was very thick, it was worn in winter, and it was very ill-fitting. I went to Hong Kong in the summer and couldn't wear it. I had to wear a short-sleeved shirt to Hong Kong, and according to the customs of mainland officials at that time, I wore a pair of black sunglasses.
Xu Jiatun arrived in Hong Kong by train. This painting dressed up on the train was ridiculed by the newspapers, saying that only the underworld wears black sunglasses, the shirt does not fit, the hair is unkempt, and it is ironic that it is a typical co-working dress, in fact, it is said that he is a dirt old man.
Seeing the relevant reports, Xu Jiatun was greatly stimulated. When he arrived in Hong Kong, his first priority was to find someone to teach him a lesson in etiquette and learn advanced capitalist etiquette. And, after learning to use, the next day I rushed to buy a suit and tie. Spent six hundred Hong Kong dollars, Xu felt very expensive, did not expect, once worn out, or ridiculed suit style is old, low-grade material, not in line with the identity.
This matter was also allowed to be studied at the branch meeting. Others said the state paid too little to afford good clothes. Xu deeply agreed. At that time, the state subsidized each person above the vice president of the bureau with a set of clothes per person per year. Xu said in the book that in Hong Kong, people not only wear clothes in the spring, summer, autumn and winter, but also change them every year. This subsidy from the state is too little. So he asked the Ministry of Finance for more money. After several efforts, the treatment was improved. Personnel above the vice president shall be subsidized one more set per year.
Later, Xu Jiatun specially made a new suit with flat glasses. Everybody thinks it's good. Tu Lao Mao is finally not so dirty. Hui Jiatun himself was very happy, saying that my image was finally accepted by the Hong Kong society.
The next step is to use the car. When I first arrived in Hong Kong, the steward asked, what kind of car do you like? Xu said, I am sitting in Jiangsu is a crown, very good, just a crown. The person in charge of the matter brushed his lips, which line is it. Your identity, sitting on the crown, is too cheap. It has to be a Mercedes-Benz, and it has to be black, which is in line with your identity. As a result, Xu Jiatun increased some knowledge of capitalist etiquette.
Over the past few years, someone came to the door and offered to transfer a Rolls-Royce car to Xu Jiatun for the exclusive use of 900,000 Hong Kong dollars, saying that this kind of car is in line with your identity as president. Xu did not dare to accept it. Soon, Li Ka-shing proposed to Xu twice: Your identity, traveling to and from Hong Kong and Beijing, can not take civil aviation, you must have your own special plane. There are that kind of small jets, as stable as the big ones. Got you one?
Although he did not accept it, Xu Jiatun wrote in his memoirs: "Understanding his kindness, there is no urgency for the time being, thank you for his concern."
These accounts are basically credible. Because Hui wrote this, he wanted to say that he worked hard and integrated into Hong Kong society as much as possible, and he wanted to praise himself. But inadvertently, it allows us to see that due to the huge gap in economic level, although as a high-ranking official, xu has no self-confidence in the face of Hong Kong people, and everything is according to the preferences and standards of Hong Kong people - even to the point of pleasing and flattering. For Rolls-Royce cars, private jets and other generous things, although Xu did not dare to use them for the time being, the meaning of his heart yearning for it was also obvious.
Since we have unconsciously greeted and pleased, we have unconsciously done things according to the preferences of Hong Kong people at work.
Kowloon Walled City is a "three-way" area in Hong Kong, which has become a place where pornography, gambling and drugs are rampant, and it is a slum. In accordance with the work requirements of the Communist Party, local cadres must not only not abandon these places, but also vigorously help and support them as the focus of their work, effectively solve difficulties for the masses, and eliminate slums as soon as possible.
According to this work habit, soon after arriving in Hong Kong, Xu Jiatun personally visited the Kowloon Walled City. During the inspection, direct communication was also made with local resident representatives. Hui said that he would make representations to the British government of Hong Kong on relevant issues and ask the British government of Hong Kong to solve the practical problems of residents' lives.
Unexpectedly, after the news of the inspection was reported, the British authorities in Hong Kong were greatly dissatisfied and issued a statement, accusing Xu Jiatun of not informing the Hong Kong government in advance of the inspection and saying that the resident representatives who talked with Xu Jiatun were not registered groups.
What is even more interesting is that within the Xinhua Branch, some people actually reported to the central authorities that Xu Jiatun had acted without authorization, causing dissatisfaction from the British government in Hong Kong.
Dissatisfied with the British government in Hong Kong and the complaints filed against him, Hui Jiatun expressed disdain in his memoirs. It seems that he insisted on his ideas on this matter, but in fact, in the years since then in Hong Kong, Xu has never done such an in-depth visit to the people. It seems that the situation is: disobedience, obedience.
The next step is to get the job done. Xu Jiatun believes that the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency has previously been "closed doors" and lacks contact with Hong Kong society. He intends to change that. The way to change is to invite guests in and communicate more.
This kind of thinking itself is very good, and the central government in Hong Kong should indeed have a deep understanding of Hong Kong society, collect all kinds of information and public opinion, and provide a basis for the central government's decision-making. The problem is that almost all of Hui Jiatun's "guests" are the upper elite or top rich people in Hong Kong society, or at least celebrities. In his memoirs, Xu Jiatun relished his experiences with these "big men."
A wealthy Hong Kong businessman, a key target of the united front, that is, an "old friend," passed away. Xu Jiatun not only attended the funeral, but also personally supported the spirit and was willing to be a "filial piety". Xu thus became the first local communist leader to openly support the capitalists.
Another united front target was also a wealthy businessman, his son got married, Xu Jiatun specially attended, and wrote in his memoirs: "After watching the ceremony, listening to the song, watching the dance, eating the vegetables, and returning home with pleasure."
Other ways to "contact the society and integrate into the society" are: to participate in the opening or anniversary of the company, the opening of the exhibition, the reception banquet, sports competitions, theatrical activities, etc., Xu Du is keen to attend. He attends such events more than five hundred times a year—not once a day. During the New Year's Festival, gifts and greeting cards are also sent to united front targets. Greeting cards are issued in the thousands.
Of course, the daily routine is more of a variety of meals. In order to eat a good meal, Xu Jiatun also formally took participating in the meal and inviting people to dinner as the main working methods at the branch meeting, and formulated the standard for inviting people to eat.
At first, Xu Jiatun was not accustomed to frequent meals, but from frugality to luxury, even if it was difficult, how difficult could it be. Soon, he was in the middle of the meal, enjoying it. After all, every time he eats, he is either the host or the guest. This feeling of crowds crowding around is very good.
Looking back now, one of the main reasons why there are big problems in Hong Kong's work is that we have only taken the line at the lower levels and abandoned the mass line. For Xu Jiatun, he not only did not feel that there was anything wrong with "only going to the upper line", but also regarded this as a manifestation of his hard work, which he wrote in his memoirs beautifully.
For example, in order to win friendship in the performing arts industry, he attended Zhong Zhentao's wedding, arranged Wang Mingquan to be a deputy to the National People's Congress, held a Peking Opera oratorio in Hong Kong, and deeply regretted that he could not meet jackie Chan.
Ironically, Xu Jiatun's activity in Hong Kong's upper class actually caused jealousy among "old friends". The old United Front object complained to him: "Pay attention to the new friend, snubb the old friend."
It is precisely because the Xinhua Branch's long-term work is to "only go to the upper level route", and later when the Hong Kong Basic Law was formulated, the main participants were the middle and upper classes of Hong Kong, and the lower classes of Hong Kong were basically excluded - such a big thing, of course, to let friends rather than strangers participate.
Of course, only going up the upper line is not Xu Jiatun's decision alone. At that time, due to Hong Kong's huge economic advantages over the mainland, maintaining Hong Kong's economic stability became a top priority. The then state leader specifically instructed Xu Jiatun not to let Hong Kong's economy go wrong. If Hong Kong's economy collapses, the burden will be too great for the central authorities to bear.
At that time, the Hong Kong government's annual revenue was 36 billion Hong Kong dollars, and the expenditure was more than 30 billion yuan, which was about 10 billion yuan at the exchange rate at that time. By comparison, Jiangsu province's annual revenue was just over 7 billion yuan a year — one of China's wealthiest provinces. The gap is so large that when the mainland speaks to Hong Kong, it really lacks confidence. The then leader of the State Council clearly said that we should take care of Hong Kong's affairs less, and the less the better. Another central leader even said that it should not be unchanged for fifty years, but for a hundred years or more.
At the policy level, it is required to stabilize Hong Kong's economy and dare not take more care of things; at the personal level, Xu Jiatun deeply feels that he is too poor and too landed, and he cannot stand up straight in the face of Hong Kong's rich people. Under the combined effect of these two factors, the "work" of Xinhua Branch in Hong Kong is basically to engage in various high-level social activities with Hong Kong magnates, rich people, and celebrities from all walks of life. It is estimated that the later Liaison Office of the Central Committee was roughly the same.
In 1986, Li Ka-shing once had a separate conversation with Xu Jiatun, saying that he would invest 10 billion Hong Kong dollars in Hainan Island for development, but on the condition that Xu Jiatun go to Hainan as a leader or serve as the chairman of the development company.
From Li Ka-shing's later investment performance in the mainland, it can be seen that Li Ka-shing is purposefully and systematically building a collusion between officials and businessmen, hoping to turn Hainan Island into Lijia Island. The reason why Xu Jiatun was favored by Li Ka-shing and chose to be an "official" of the collusion between officials and businessmen is obviously because they already have a deep understanding of each other. Xu Jiatun has become the "own person" of Hong Kong's magnates.
Xu Jiatun recounted in his memoirs that he was ostracized, distrusted, and so on in the central government, although from his narrative, the faults were all opposites, but there was reason to doubt the authenticity of these accounts. If you want to become "your own person" in both aspects at the same time, I am afraid it is impossible.
At the end of 1989, the Central Committee decided to dismiss President Xu Jiatun from his post. After receiving the news, Xu was stunned. The magnates also expressed their desire to set up a feast for Xu. Because there were too many people to set up a banquet, there was no time to eat at one table, and finally decided to have a big farewell cocktail party.
In the past, the National Day cocktail party held by the Xinhua Branch in Hong Kong was 3,000 people. The scale of this farewell party is larger than the National Day cocktail party, so it is specially rented a venue that can accommodate four or five thousand people. On the day of the farewell reception, thousands of people were full. Celebrities from all walks of life in Hong Kong gathered together. Hui Jiatun took this as his popular performance in Hong Kong and deliberately wrote it in his memoirs.
In fact, this just exposes the enthusiasm and effectiveness of his friendship with powerful people in Hong Kong in recent years, and it can even be said that he is indeed very qualified to serve as the "white glove" of the Hong Kong elite group - but the central government does not give him this opportunity.
On the evening of April 30, 1990, Xu Jiatun flew to the United States without saying goodbye, and since then, he has never set foot on Chinese soil. Xu Jiatun died in the United States in June 2016.
----- the full text, since you see here, if you think it is good, just click "in the look".
Further reading:
Those who "go to the land of parents" | Li Ziyang China's super national capabilities in epidemic prevention | Li Ziyang The Four Great Inventions of Western Religion | Li Ziyang The deep thinking behind the failure of the abolition of traditional Chinese medicine in the Republic of China | Plum Ziyang
Background: The article was published on the WeChat public account on July 13, 2020 By the Pencil Economic Research Society (Li Ziyang: The Cause of The Chaos in Hong Kong from a Person's Experience), and the Voice of the Wind and Cloud is authorized to reprint.
Editor-in-Charge: Zhu Yang