People's Daily continues attack on US constitution
The continued its blitz on constitutionalism yesterday, with its overseas edition running another front-page commentary attacking US constitutional governance.
The criticism comes amid an escalating debate over which political direction China is heading, ahead of a series of leadership meetings.
The article, titled "American constitutional governance is more in name than in reality", said "there is no such thing as democracy and freedom under US constitutional governance".
The US constitution ensured the masses were exploited by monopolies that held sway over production, it said. "Such non-existent constitutional governance is not compatible with socialism," it said. It was signed by Ma Zhongcheng, who penned a similar attack on Monday.
The article squarely rejects the introduction of constitutional governance, despite some party leaders and scholars endorsing it. President and Communist Party chief Xi Jinping recently said: "No one should be allowed to be above the constitution".
Ma said the spread of "constitutional-rule" ideas in China was fostered by foundations affiliated with US intelligence agencies trying to overturn socialism.
Analysts said the latest propaganda blitz was clearly an effort by conservatives to jump-start a debate about the party's new direction, and possibly the nation's, as its leaders reportedly neet in the seaside resort of Beidaihe , east of Beijing, to work out their political agenda for the coming decade.
The publication of such articles "suggests a deep division over the political direction of the nation between the liberals and conservatives", said Zhang Lifan , a political affairs analyst.
