What the Premier Didn't Mention

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang addressing the media today in a press conference

Ah, the National People's Congress is over for another year.

Premier Li Keqiang held a press conference, where he was supposedly open to answering all questions from the media -- provided they were screened first.

Foreign media had to submit questions in advance, and only the ones that were approved were allowed to be asked -- if they were chosen in the huge crowd.

Hundreds of journalists were in the room listening to Li

And domestic media are typically given pieces of paper with questions on them, usually softball ones to give the premier a chance to talk about things he wanted to discuss.

But what would stop someone from asking a hard-hitting question -- other than probably being banned from the NPC forever -- at least it would get the premier to actually address an issue that everyone wants to know.

And so from reading news reports of today's press conference, it sounds like a lot of issues were not addressed, making people wonder if the government cares about their welfare, or is actually tackling the country's socio-economic challenges.

Li did not bring how China is tackling air pollution

For example in the past three years, Li answered questions about the environment and what the government was doing to curb pollution, but this year the topic was not raised, even though air quality has been so bad this past year.

This year was also the first time issues about the property market were not addressed either, as prices rise far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Perhaps Li could not think of another way to spin the story...

While he answered questions about economic form and the need to streamline bureaucracy, the massive problem of how to further streamline state-owned enterprises was not mentioned. It's probably too explosive a powder keg to even begin to delve into...

No talk of China's growing presence in the South China Sea

When it came to foreign relations, he did not talk about China's relationship with Africa or Europe, and also its growing presence in the South China Sea. What is going on with that island that China seems to be making bigger and bigger...? And didn't Beijing have good relations with African countries? What happened there?

Human rights is not a topic that is often mentioned at these press conferences, but sometimes previous premiers have talked about it on occasion. Not this time, despite blatant human rights abuses against Uighurs and Tibetans...

It sounds like an extremely tightly controlled press conference, and perhaps even Li could not say much either, which is why he ended it at exactly the two-hour mark, including translations into English. So in the end it was probably one hour's worth of questions.

Thus wraps up another year, with China watchers having to further examine their tea leaves to try to figure out where the country is going.

A Beijing Official who Somewhat Understands HK

Feng Wei takes a pragmatic approach to Hong Kong and its challenges

It's interesting to find the deputy director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing has a more nuanced approach to Hong Kong.

Feng Wei seems to have an acute understanding of what's going on in the city and says the central government will work harder when communicating with Hong Kong's residents, and be patient.

For example, in the upcoming Legislative Council elections in September, Feng says he expects some young radical politicians will win seats, though he expects they will mature politically.

The central government is studying the rise of localism

"We will spot many new faces on TV screens. It will be normal that several radical young people will be returned as lawmakers [in September]," he said. "Politics is the process of putting theories into practice. Young people participating in politics, including radicals, will gradually mature."

He added the central government was "very concerned" about the rise of radicalism and was analyzing the reasons behind the phenomenon.

Hmmmm interesting. Surely that shouldn't be too difficult to figure out?

Perhaps it may have something to do with the white paper issued in June 2014 that said the central government had "comprehensive jurisdiction" over Hong Kong with regards to electoral reform.

Interestingly Feng seems to believe -- or wants people to believe -- that there are only a very small number of radicals who are calling for separatism. He acknowledged that Hong Kong's economy had sluggish growth, noting that people's median income had barely increased in the past two decades, while property prices had surged.

Zhang Dejiang says "one country, two systems" unchanged

"Problems with the economy certainly affect people's livelihood and give rise to social conflicts," he said.

And during the "two sessions" -- the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference -- Beijing chose to focus on other aspects of Hong Kong's governance than the violent incidents.

Zhang Dejiang, the National People's Congress chairman who overseas Hong Kong affairs, told the city's deputies two weeks ago that the "one country, two systems" principle would remain unchanged, though he urged the city to safeguard the rule of law.

While it's good for Zhang to reiterate this, how about China safeguarding the rule of law in China and telling us why five booksellers were mysteriously disappeared to the mainland from October until now? Surely we should be entitled to some answers to give us some kind of reassurances?

Pushing HK Kids Towards the Motherland

The highly-revered flag-raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square

Earlier this week on the sidelines of the National People's Congress, it was suggested by a leader of the Communist Youth League that more youngsters from Hong Kong should take part in the central government's overseas visits to enhance their relationship with China.

Liu Jiachen, head of the United Front Work Department of the league's central committee, said young people from Hong Kong and Macau rarely joined such delegations abroad.

"Allowing them to participate would strengthen their sense of identity with the country and pride in the nation," he said.

"[China's] status as a major diplomatic powerhouse would also make young people from Hong Kong and Macau very proud."

Hong Kong students said "no" to national education in 2012

Really?

What would they be proud of?

Has Liu not been following what's been happening, particularly in Hong Kong with the localist movement here?

Liu probably also doesn't know that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has been encouraging local students to go on subsidized cross-border exchanges at least twice during their primary and secondary schooling to better understand the mainland.

But the response has been lukewarm probably because many perceive the exercise to have a political agenda.

He Junke, executive secretary of the league's central committee, conceded that the tours needed to be more objective.

"[The exchange trips] shouldn't just show the good side, but they can also show the difficult side of the country," He said.

Fung Wai-wah, president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union, said the trips clearly had a political agenda, though he would welcome the visits if they were more balanced.

Cheng Yiu-tong wants HK to adopt national education

"In the past, many have the impression that these tours are biased," Fung said. "If they want to change that... they shouldn't just show the economic success and wealth [of China], but also the problems."

However, Cheng Yiu-tong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, and a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, proposed the city should adopt national education.

"We have not done enough in the 19 years since the handover, so we should do it starting from primary schools," Cheng said.

He also said because of the city's economic problems, "the green light in front of young people has dimmed... they don't see a future, and many people became nostalgic" for colonial rule.

Is Cheng just saying this to get brownie points? National education is such a contentious issue, that for him to bring it up again is like bringing a live bomb to the table.

Young people don't see a future mainly in part because of the Hong Kong government's policies try to please Beijing rather than the city's residents, and the influx of mainlanders have jacked up prices for everything from everyday goods to real estate.

Students (brainwashed by their own anti-Communist parents) aren't interested in learning more about the mainland, and they are right to be skeptical about trips organized by Beijing.

It's a tough call, but until the tours are more balanced, not many Hong Kong kids are going to go willingly to the mainland for educational purposes.

Students really should see the country by themselves to make up their own mind what their relationship to China is. They may come out of it afterwards loving the country more, or hating it more.

But that would at least be a true education.

HK Sliding Down the Totem Pole

Zhang Dejiang (centre) talks to Hong Kong delegates in this new arrangement

China analysts are reading whatever tea leaves they can find during the "two sessions", or the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing to figure out what senior leaders are thinking.

And in the case of Hong Kong, it looks like the city has been further downgraded in its importance -- according to seating arrangements.

Last December was a big clue, when President Xi Jinping was seated at the head of a long table and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was shown his place adjacent to him on the side.

This was repeated when Leung met with Premier Li Keqiang, making it a sharp contrast to previous visits when Leung was seated with the senior leaders side-by-side in comfy sofas.

Previous seating was arranged with comfy arm chairs

And this time for the "two sessions", the Hong Kong delegation was not seated in a large room, where each person had a large armchair to sit in, placed in a horse-shoe shape.

Instead National People's Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang sat at a long rectangular table in front, while the 36-member delegation faced him like an audience. This is a new change since 1997 when Hong Kong was included in the "two sessions".

Some Hong Kong deputies sounded surprised when they saw the new seating arrangement, but when asked by the media about it, they downplayed the political significance.

NPC Standing Committee member Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, who has been a deputy since 1998 said: "I think this arrangement is the norm, because in the past it looked like we were foreign guests... but in fact just like those from mainland provinces, we are here to do our job, and not to receive courteous treatment. I think this new arrangement is better because it is easier for me to take notes."

Ching Cheong, a veteran China watcher, says there used to be a tacit understanding that Hong Kong held a slightly more significant position than provinces on the mainland.

"The latest seating arrangement signifies that Hong Kong no longer holds a special status from Beijing's point of view. Instead it is now on the same level as mainland provinces," he said.

It sounds like the city has lost its privileges and is being punished for not behaving.

But really, if the people are unhappy because they feel their local government is not working in their best interests, whose fault is that?

If the Hong Kong government tried to do things in the best interests in Hong Kong, would we see the social unrest and polarized political atmosphere we have now? But then again, it's all about the Party, right?

Sounds like Hong Kong is in the dog house...

Catching a Tiger

Zhou Yongkang was finally formally criminally charged today in Tianjin

After waiting for months, the big news out of China today was former security czar Zhou Yongkang being formally charged with corruption, abuse of power, and intentionally leaking state secrets.

The charges were laid by prosecutors in Tianjin, signally the Supreme People's Procuratorate has finished its investigation and that the case will be heard there.

Zhou has been accused of taking bribes during his tenures as the vice general manager of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, provincial Communist Party chief in Sichuan, head of the Ministry of Public Security, and as chief of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

"[Zhou's] abuse of power has led to great losses of public funds and has done severe damage to national and public interests, causing adverse social impact," the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement.

There were no further details about the allegations Zhou had intentionally leaked state secrets.

It was last July that the authorities announced Zhou was under investigation for alleged abuse of power and corruption which was a big bombshell, and ever since, China watchers have been waiting for the next phase.

Ling Jihua tried to protect himself by covering up son's death

This is the first time in decades that the Communist Party of China has broken its convention of not prosecuting retired leaders for alleged wrongdoing.

He was a former member of the then nine-man Politburo Standing Committee, the group of top leaders who run China, and he oversaw the state's security system, including police and courts. Zhou retired in 2012.

Since he was expelled from the CPC in December, state media began piling on hints of his criminal prosecution, that he was also alleged to have "exchanged power and money for sex", and even People's Daily described Zhou as a "traitor" to the party.

The Supreme People's Court's annual work report released last month said Zhou had "undermined the party's solidarity and engaged in political activities [not approved by the authorities]", a rare accusation that some analysts suggest indicates that Zhou might also face charges for political offenses.

Bo Xilai was an ally of Zhou's and is now in prison for life

There has been a tightening of the circle around Zhou for a while, with many of his associates detained for alleged graft. One of them is probably Ling Jihua, who tried to cover up his 23-year-old son's death when his Ferrari crashed into a pillar on Beijing's 4th Ring Road back in 2012. Zhou was the one who tried to help Ling senior stop local police from investigating the incident.

Another Zhou associate, Jiang Jiemin, who was then chief executive of China National Petroleum Corporation, was also involved in the cover up, paying millions of dollars to the two victims' families to keep quiet about the crash.

Fallen leader Bo Xilai was also affiliated with Zhou, who tried to support the former party chief of Chongqing to the end. But it was too late and Bo is now serving a life sentence. There were also allegations that Zhou attempted a "coup d'etat" which may be brought up later in the trial.

There is no court date set yet, but at least for now the stage is set for a showdown between the state and Zhou in the court room.

The BBC tried to ask people on the street in Shanghai what they thought of the motivations behind Zhou being charged, but no one would dare speculate. They probably know, but don't want to tell a western reporter what appears to be a political system that's rotten to the core.

Will Zhou's legal charges result in the end of the purges in the senior ranks of the party? It's hard to say but it demonstrates how much rot there is in the system, but also how determined the party is to get rid of it...

More Official Drama

Rafael Hui has gone to prison for seven years for bribery

Ah the mighty have fallen and continue to fall.

Today former Hong Kong chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan was jailed for seven and a half years and pay back HK$11.182 million (the amount of bribes he was guilty of taking), while former co-chairman of SHKP Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong was sentenced to five years and a HK$500,000 fine for corruption and bribery.

These sentences seem awfully light for shaking the public's faith in the Hong Kong government, along with a HK$500,000 fine? That's chump change for Kwok. Was that the maximum sentence Justice Andrew Macrae could give both convicted defendants?

Interesting that Hui even asked his former boss ex-chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to write a referral letter pleading for Hui to get a lighter sentence considering all the good things he'd done for the city.

Hu Jintao's right-hand man, Ling Jihua now being probed

Surely everything Hui did as a civil servant prior to working for the Kwok brothers was completely wiped out by this scandal?

In any event, attention has now turned across the border with the announcement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection that Hu Jintao's former aide Ling Jihua will be investigated for "suspected serious disciplinary violations", which usually refers to corruption.

He will be the next tiger Chinese President Xi Jinping bags, after Zhou Yongkang and Xu Caihou, former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Ling was on his way climbing up the ladder of power when his son screwed it up for him on the night of March 19, 2012.

Ling Gu was in a fatal car accident when his Ferrari crashed into a wall on Beijing's North Fourth Ring Road before crushing a barrier on the other side of the road. Ling Gu was not fully dressed, nor were his two female companions, a lurid detail that has stuck with this story.

The wreckage of Ling Gu's Ferrari after a horrific crash

Ling requested the investigation into the accident not be handled by local police, but by the Central Guard Bureau, which oversees security of top leaders. This was his way of attempting to cover up the situation.

Pictures of the accident were put online by witnesses, but were soon deleted.

Then Ling got then chairman of state-run China National Petroleum Corporation Jiang Jiemin to pay tens of millions of yuan in compensation to the two women's families to keep quiet.

But the two large money transfers resulted in an investigation into the company as well as the link to Ling.

He was supposed to have been fast-tracked to become a member of the Politburo, but instead was transferred to a horizontal position as minister of the United Work Front, a mostly symbolic job.

However his time in purgatory was not enough -- even his open letters publicly praising Xi last week did not redeem him from being investigated.

Now it will be interesting to see what other things they uncover about Ling, particularly how his son was able to afford a Ferrari and maybe what did happen that night two years ago.

There are reports that Ling was a workaholic, but perhaps that was just a ruse to keep others from noticing what he managed to siphon off financially along the way.

How much did Hu know? And will he be a tiger Xi wants on his mantlepiece as well?

The drama unfolding here in real time is much more fascinating than anything TVB can cook up...

Corruption Crackdown Continues

Jiang Jiemin is being investigated for corruption related to his time at CNPC

After the shocking announcement that former security czar Zhou Yongkang was being investigated, one of his proteges Jiang Jiemin is is being probed for "serious discipline violations", in other words, corruption.

Jiang is a director of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and former chairman of the country's largest oil company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The 58-year-old was just appointed to the cabinet-level position in March.

It is believed the investigation into Jiang is to mine for information to be used against Zhou.

There are questions of why Jiang was elevated to the SASAC post when there were concerns about CNPC's role in trying to cover up the crash of a Ferrari on March 18 last year.

A $1million black Ferrari lost control on Beijing's North Third Ring Road and slammed into a wall. The driver, who died instantly, was Ling Gu, the only son of Ling Jihua, then chief of staff to then President Hu Jintao. He was in the car half naked, while two other women, one naked, the other half clothed succumbed to their injuries.

Ling Gu's Ferrari split into two after a crash in Beijing

Jiang raised eyebrows when he transferred tens of millions of yuan from CNPC to the families of the two women who were subsequently killed in the crash. Last year Jiang was questioned about this, why money from a state-owned company was funneled to two families, which he (as far as we know) had no relationship with.

But in the coming weeks and months, we will get to know more, as the infighting within the Party continues revealing more dirty details.

Bo Xilai's trial and now the investigations into Zhou Yongkang and Jiang Jiemin reveal how the patronage of senior officials is crucial in fast-tracking one's career, but if your mentor falls politically on the wrong side of the tracks, you can be eternally doomed with them.