Keeping the faith

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Keeping the faith

                               
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from BBC NEWS | James Reynolds' China by James Reynolds  (BBC News)
Milkpowder tainted with an industrial chemical - just a year after leadpaint was found in children's toys, and poison was discovered in petfood and toothpaste. So how do people feel about a government that hasagain failed in its promise to keep products safe?

                               
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"Ithink the government is doing a good job so far," says Dong Zhen Shengwho took his two year-old daughter to hospital be checked for kidneystones, "After news of the scandal was broken by the media, thegovernment reacted quite quickly. And they've allowed us to have freehospital checks for our children."
For all the parents' anger then, you still come across a bedrockfaith in this country's top leaders - and in their ability to makethings right. As I've written here before, this faith dates back to the time of the emperors.Traditionally, when things go wrong in China, you blame corruptlower-level officials, and you look to a benevolent leader in thecapital to come to the rescue.
So, in recent days, Chinese state TV has followed this ancient modelclosely. It's reported openly on the failure of lower-level officials -the resignation of the chief quality regulator and the sacking of anumber of provincial officials. And it's shown the benevolent leadercoming in to make things right - in this case, the Premier Wen Jiabaovisiting hospitals and promising to reform the dairy industry.
Mr Wen represents a system that's built on trust not scepticism - onthe belief that you should put your faith in wise leaders to keep yousafe. In this system - inherited from imperial times - there's no roomfor any meaningful checks and balances.
The Party doesn't allow the establishment of an independent legalsystem, a free press, or strong NGOs - the kind of tools that othercountries use to keep their officials honest and their food safe. Ifyou dare to challenge the Party in China, your life can get prettydifficult.
A few days ago, in south Beijing, several hundred neighbours decidedto break the law. They went to protest against the presence of arubbish dump near their homes. The police marched next to them. Twoofficers with white gloves raised banners printed with the words "DoNot Violate Public Order."
"They feel furious - more than angry," one protestor told me (he declined to give me his name).
"Do you hope the government will listen and do something?" I asked.
"I don't think so - unless somebody dies. As you can see with themilk problem, that's the philosophy and without any necessarymonitoring from any third party I don't think the government will doanything to curb the feeling that people generate."
After a couple of hours the protestors went home. A little later, anumber of them were detained by the police. This is what happens inChina when you try to challenge the Party's authority - when you try tosuggest that there should be more independent regulation and oversight.But this week, the irony of how China is run may be pretty clear.You're still meant to trust the Party even if you can no longer trustthe food it allows you to buy in the shops.