An outsider with inside information

Q & A | Yu Jianrong

Do you consider yourself an insider or an outsider?

I'm just a teacher. I should be counted as an outsider, an observer.

After you opened your micro blog, for which your fan base has been growing (to about 850,000 as of now), do you feel it is becoming easier or harder to influence decision-makers?

It is more difficult to influence decision-makers. I used to write investigative reports available only to certain levels of leadership, and now I put the issues on my micro blog, which directly influences public opinion. I've seen a lot of directives from above that have not lead to concrete results. Sometimes, social pressure is more useful because officials pay attention to my micro blog. It is an indirect but rational platform for my opinions.

Overall, are you getting away from the power center?

I've never been close to it.

But you gave lectures to officials.

I still do. I gave more than 100 lectures to local officials last year.

How come they have been so receptive to what you have to say? Doesn't that say something about the mentality of today's officials?

With one exception in Jiangxi province, they were all friendly to me. Some were touched by what I said - about the suffering of the people and the predicaments of the officials. Some also complained to me, openly, that I'm making their job more difficult. I told them to disobey their bosses if they are ordered to forcibly tear down people's properties. Use procrastination, I said, pretend to tumble and fall. Don't rush to such work. You will be cursed by the public.

That's okay with their bosses?

They want their subordinates to raise their level of vigilance. Usually, after I talk to province-level leaders, they summon officials from lower levels because they do not want bad things to keep happening. There's a funny story about one Jiangsu official, who said, "Professor Yu is perfectly right in advocating disconnecting forced demolition from our performance record. But we need to press forward. I have a hunch the central government may put a stop to the practice. So, we'd better hurry up and finish our job before it happens." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that.

Why do you refuse to talk to the overseas press?

They have to apply through my employer, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. That's the rule, and I have to abide by it. Some of them quote me from my micro blog, but that's not my problem.

Do you still have time for academic research?

Lecturing to officials and talking to petitioners are part of my research.

Have you ever considered emigration?

No. All my children are here, too.