The 25 strong politburo which was appointed in November is implementing a dramatic overhaul of the Chinese government’s public image. The expensive lifestyles of China’s leaders had attracted criticism after competitive officials vied for dominance through increasingly lavish buildings and events.
The new look will eliminate other features of the previous governments’ time in office including long speeches and sycophantic pieces in national newspapers. Officials’ travel and public appearances will be played down in contrast to the elaborate welcome parties which typified previous governmental appearances.
There will also be material changes to government procedure as the country’s new president Xi Jinping denounced empty and unnecessary documents and complicated jargon. He declared an end to self-aggrandising ceremonies such as groundbreaking or ribbon cutting for leaders and announced an auditing system which would keep all government officials’ behaviour and spending in check.
Observers have said that this is a sign that the country’s new leader is listening more to voices outside the party. Another sign of change for the party is Xi Jinping’s pledge to implement the rule of law and the constitution to counter criticism of corruption at the top level.
