China's political sleaze factor approaches . . . a Western standard?

ARTICLE: "Lobbyists in China Raise Their Voices: Growth of Interest Groups Amid Societal Shifts Could Mean More Transparency," no author listed, Wall Street Journal 10 March 2006, p. A4.

ARTICLE: "Planning an Event? Is China's Great hall Of the People Free? Mao Gives Way to Motorola, Jackie Chan, 'Riverdance'; Anybody Can Rent It," by Shai Oster, Wall Street Journal, 13 March 2006, p. A1.

Gotta like this.

A touch of Washington-style politics is knocking on the doors of China's rubber-stamp legislature: lobbyists.

With nearly 3,000 delegates gathered in Beijing for the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, representatives of interest groups have flocked to meet with delegates in greater numbers than ever before, seeking to influence policy on issues such as corporate tax rates and peddlers' rights. Delegates, too, are becoming more outspoken in representing their constituencies.

To be sure, China's leadership continues to set the agenda on legislation and major policies. But the growth of interest groups could be a step toward a more transparent legal system and more influential legislature. Such a development is important at a time when corruption and other abuses of power at the local and provincial levels are sparking growing unrest and discontent among an increasingly vocal population. The rise of China's interest groups--amid an expanding economy and emerging middle class--underscores the dearth of effective channels for people to push their causes.

Seems a pretty clear dynamic, does it not? More economic transactions and more network connectivity to the outside world and pretty soon--really just within a generation--you have a far more vocal populace demanding effective means to communicate their growing needs to a leadership that either listens or faces the rising tumult.

So economics drives politics, and networks drive security.

That's the profound. The profane, to some, is the easy renting out of the Great Hall to anybody with enough money. I've visited the place. It's a nice hall. Not stunning, but nice. And it sits unused virtually all the time.

So why the hell not rent it out? It's one of the coolest places in Beijing.

It's this kind of reporting that needs to balance the doom and gloom about China's reform process becoming overwhelmed by the rising tide of corruption in China. The tide will drive anger, and that anger will seek outlets, and those outlets will drive pluralism--and the occasional fab parties at the Great Hall.