A history professor was invited to Zhongnanhai in November 2003 to lecture senior government officials on the reasons why nine of the world's historic empires had collapsed. He was invited by none other than President Hu Jintao . Since coming to power five years ago, Mr Hu has summoned scholars to lecture on the same subject at least 43 times. Does somebody have a complex?
Perhaps Mr Hu had history's ups and downs in mind when he asked his party's think-tanks what road China should follow in its current economic boom and socio-political crossroads. In 1987, the 13th congress famously proclaimed the road of 'building socialism with Chinese characteristics'. Last week, the 17th congress announced a new 'main road' and 'five specific guiding paths' to implement it.
The main road is 'developing socialism with Chinese characteristics'. That differs from the past theme through its implicit message that China has finished building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Mr Hu's job, then, is not to build anything new but to develop what he inherited from his predecessor, Jiang Zemin .
That development will come, he said, by following the five 'guiding paths' - each one has the tagline 'with Chinese characteristics'. They are 'self-innovation' (that's difficult to achieve with an education system that stifles creativity); a 'newly industrialised nation' (it has already become too industrialised); 'agricultural modernisation' (rural areas have suffered the most from rapid development); 'urbanisation' (that is, smother everything with concrete); and 'political development' (this has to be the most important, because it comes last).
According to the footnotes, 'political development' means the 'masses rule themselves at the local, grass-roots level'. That doesn't necessarily mean democracy. Perhaps it actually refers to the current situation where local thugs rule because they are beyond the grasp of central authorities. That is the most common reason why petitioners from across the country assemble in Beijing, with demands for justice unsatisfied by local cadres. An entire petitioners' city of shacks has grown up in Beijing, beside the tall, shiny buildings - a natural magnet for journalists. We can expect petitioners' protests to compete centre stage for media attention during the 2008 Olympics.
It is encouraging to know that an addition was made to upgrade Chinese civilisation at the 17th congress. Earlier additions were made during the 12th to 16th congresses; they were written into the party constitution to express national aspirations. They were: material civilisation, spiritual civilisation and political civilisation. Now Mr Hu has added a 'biodiversity civilisation'. But of these four, it seems that only one has become absorbed into the national identity - materialism.
