Establishment of Zhu Rongji Cabinet and the Chinese Society Observed through Abbreviations with Numerals

In this study, I will clarifY, through abbreviations with numerals, the phases of Chinese society around the time of the establishment of Zhu Rongji Cabinet. Zhu Rongji Cabinet was established in March 1998. Zhu is nicknamed 'Economic Czar' because of his 'outstanding' ability. In his inaugural address, he expressed his fundamental policies by a trilogy of slogans, that is, "yi-ge quebao, san-ge daowei, wu-ge gaige" or "the one guarantee, the three implementations, the five reforms". He seems to like abbreviations with numerals as political slogans. Two slogans, "yue fa san-zhang" (the three rules to be kept) and "wuxiang yaoqiu" (the five demands), are to encourage an administrative reform. The phase, "si fenkai, yi wanshan" (the four separations and the one perfection), is also his slogan to reform the food circulation system. I try to treat abbreviations with numerals made and used not only by top leaders in Beijing, but also by local leaders. This is one of the merits of this paper. Local slogans are usually ignored when abbreviations are compiled. They, however, often reflect in a vivid way various problems which the Chinese society today faces.

論説 (Article)