Left-right debate nothing but noise

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(Global Times) 08:59, August 17, 2013

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Several overseas media outlets ran stories recently saying the Chinese authorities have been retuning their political stance - from watching out for "leftist" deviation to watching out for "rightist."

The shift was allegedly based on examples of a "tightening of free speech" in China, and newspapers of the Communist Party of China (CPC) publishing a series of articles "opposing constitutional governance."

After so many painful lessons from the past, mainstream society is on high alert against lurches to the left or right. Only a steady "middle road" will be embraced by the public.

China is not likely to turn left again. The country's historic reform and opening-up started from denouncing extreme leftist thinking during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Today scholars are more afraid of being labeled leftists than rightists.

So what is left and what is right? Opposing reform and opening-up is no doubt leftist. But some say that insisting on a socialist road with Chinese characteristics is leftist, as is insisting on the CPC leadership and the current political system, as well as the government's refusal to follow their irrational demands.

Asking China to promote the political systems seen in capitalist countries is certainly rightist. But it is equally confusing to term as rightist the call for quicker political reform, the call for harsher punishment for corruption, or the call for deeper development of the market economy.

China is dealing with particular issues that need particular solutions. For example, the authorities have vowed to fight corruption, connect with the grass roots and restructure the economy. Does this mean it is going left or right?

As for the political route, the 18th Party Congress made it clear late last year that the country will continue pursuing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and will reject "both the old and rigid closed-door policy and any attempt to abandon socialism and take an erroneous path."

As for reform, first, we believe we must carry it out for the long term. China cannot solve its many problems without reform. The only major disagreement over reform lies in its pace and direction.

Second, China must make sure its reform does not spiral out of control. This will ensure its eventual success.

Third, the authorities need to become more tolerant of the country's problems being exposed instead of being over-sensitive about everything.

The debate over left or right has been going on for a while. But it does not point to the more urgent issues China is dealing with. The country does not have to be distracted by these noises.