OPINION> Zhu Yuan
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OPINION> Zhu Yuan
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An example of avoiding bureaucratese
By Zhu Yuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-09 07:53
It is a bit unexpected that the very low-key former premier Zhu Rongji would have his interviews with reporters and speeches on different occasions compiled and published. But it is definitely no surprise that the book has turned out to be a best seller. That 250,000 copies were sold on the first day and it was off print last week speaks volumes of his popularity with the Chinese people. The message behind the rush to buy the book by him is that people prefer officials who talk in an honest manner to those who themselves do not know what they are talking about. The reason is simple - officials who are always concerned with people's problems and wanted to do a good job in solving them do not need bureaucratese. While those corrupt officials, who care only about their own interest and cannot spare time lending their minds to what they should be concerned with, are apt to use empty talk or political clichs to decorate their lack of knowledge about what they are entitled to know. He was well known for his sharp and humorous answers to reporters at press conferences when in office. For Chinese people who were bored with political jargon and clichs, which usually do not mean anything, Zhu was an eye opener that their premier could tell stories in order to put across what he wanted to express and could use very strong terms in velvet gloves to counterattack ill-intended questions. By reading this book, it is not difficult to feel that the most effective way to avoid talking in bureaucratese is to know what you're talking about. When Zhu Rongji explained China's trade balance to Americans on his trip to the US in 1999, he told them that Chinese workers got only $2 from making a pair of sports shoes but that much money could provide for two workers and at the same time the Americans could buy the shoes for a cheaper price. That was why the labor-intensive processing industry in China was in the interest of both countries. Many still remember Zhu once said that he only hoped to be remembered as an honest and upright official after his retirement in March 2003. He added that he would be over-satisfied if people would be generous enough to admit that he had indeed done something substantial for them. From these remarks, it is not difficult to know that Zhu was a person with a distinct personality. He was diligent in performing his duty as premier. He once told reporters that he would read letters from the general public and documents all day long even without finding time enough for sleep. As a result, there are always problems on his mind and he loves to talk about them in his own way. He is well known for putting aside the speeches that his secretaries had prepared for him in advance and talking on his own. Maybe he hates the bureaucratese that secretaries had put in the speeches. I can hardly imagine that the book would be so popular if most of the speeches he had made and most of the answers he had given to questions at press conferences had been prepared by secretary-type writers. So, what readers really appreciate is a sincere heart and honest mind. From this perspective, this book should be a good read for government officials at various levels. By reading it, they should be aware that it is a shame to give a speech not from their own heart and mind. It is not easy to talk about one's own mind. They can hardly expect to have anything substantial on their mind to talk about unless they dedicate themselves to their work. If they commit themselves to the well being of the people they serve, they will naturally choose to talk in a sincere and honest manner whenever they need to even if they are not eloquent. E-mail: zhuyuan@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 09/09/2009 page8) |
