SCMP Thursday, March 30, 2000
Army pushes Jiang's party unity dictum
WILLY WO-LAP LAM
President Jiang Zemin is pushing ideological
education in the face of rising
pro-independence sentiments in Taiwan.
To encourage national cohesion, the PLA is
spearheading a campaign called "the three
representatives".
Official media yesterday quoted the PLA's
Chief Political Commissar, General Yu
Yongbo, as highlighting Mr Jiang's teachings
on the fact that the Communist Party was "a
true representative" of three things: advanced
production forces, advanced culture and "the
fundamental interests of the people".
General Yu, a Jiang protege, said the campaign
would be implemented in tandem with an
earlier movement started by Mr Jiang to
emphasise "righteousness, studying the Marxist
canon and being politically correct".
The senior commissar said the two ideological
campaigns would be waged in all PLA units.
General Yu also pointed out it was important
to "boost the construction of grassroots party
organisations", a reference to preventing party
cells from succumbing to capitalist and other
undesirable tendencies.
He cited a recent Jiang dictum on the fact that
"if the foundation [of the party] is not strong,
the ground will tremble and the mountain will
shake".
Meanwhile, the party's publicity department
also held a seminar for regional leaders on the
right attitude to take on the domestic and
global situation.
Department officials were quoted in official
press yesterday as citing the need to convince
the populace that "only socialism can develop
China" and that "the renaissance of the
Chinese race can only be accomplished under
the Communist Party's leadership".
A political source in Beijing said Mr Jiang was
anxious to defuse the crisis of confidence in
socialism and in the party's leadership, which
might be exacerbated by the unexpected
victory of the pro-independence Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) in presidential polls
in Taiwan.
The source said the party leadership also
needed the people's support if it were to take
"resolute action" against the administration of
DPP stalwart Chen Shui-bian.
Since Mr Chen's victory, the Jiang leadership
has been criticised for its "weak" Taiwan
policy.
In the past month, the party leadership has
also tightened surveillance over dissidents and
underground political organisations.
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