China's many messages to quell unrest

Passengers, like Ji Tong, a garment salesman, are aware of that China's leaders are trying to promote something called a "harmonious society" that will correct social ills and disparities. He advocates a broader campaign of "self-criticism" for China's party officials. But other passengers, such as a shy young man from Hunan, looking for a job in a restaurant, has heard of the "eight virtues and disgraces," but couldn't name one.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the brutal Cultural Revolution, a time China closed itself to the world, and when Mao - through the Party machine - spoke to people over neighborhood loudspeakers. But gone are the days when the Party can dominate and speak with one voice by proclamation every waking moment. Daily life and "public space" continues to diversify. Chinese are busy - looking for a better job, a husband, a wife, English or music lessons for the kids, a business partner, a factory or construction site for a job.

"Mao and Deng [Xiaoping] were really good at speeches, writing articles, and getting people excited," says Yang Zhaohui, a professor of humanities at Beijing University. "They had won the war against Chiang Kai-shek. But today is a different climate. Hu and [Premier] Wen [Jiabao] are engineers. They don't have experience creating ideology."

Some campaigns, such as environmental awareness, are feathered into serial TV show narratives. One of the most popular soap operas, called "Sublime Eagle and Righteous Couple," is set in ancient times and features Wudan mountain martial arts monks.

In one program this week, a Taoist student washes and dries his clothes on a fire before visiting his teacher, to show respect. He then conspicuously stamps out the fire - a kind of Smokey the Bear public service moment.

But the No. 1 campaign deals with the economy. It goes under the term "a scientific Perspective on Development and a Harmonious Society." Essentially, this campaign builds on China's budding research and development sectors.

It highlights the pride in developing new products such as turning coal to liquid fuel, and China's AIGO brand digital cameras, MP3s, and memory discs - technology that will allow China to compete with Japanese and Korean companies. The media here offers proud, self congratulatory stories on the Shuguang 4000A supercomputer and the Zhonguancun Science and Technology Park in Beijing, which is heralded for producing its own patented products.

In March, President Hu Jintao unveiled the tenets of his socialist value system:

• The honor of loving the motherland; the shame of endangering the motherland.

• The honor of serving the people; the shame of turning away from the people.

• The honor of upholding science; the shame of ignorance and illiteracy.

• The honor of industrious labor; the shame of indolence.

• The honor of togetherness and cooperation; the shame of profiting at the expense of others.

• The honor of honesty and keeping one's word; the shame of abandoning morality for profit.

• The honor of discipline and obedience; the shame of lawlessness and disorder.

• The honor of striving arduously; the shame of wallowing in luxury.

Source: China Media Project, chinaelections.org

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