With the Olympics less than eight months away, Beijing's municipal government has launched the latest of its campaigns designed to improve locals' manners. Giant banners have appeared on thousands of construction sites around the city emblazoned with a list of 10 'Olympic Do's and Don'ts'. They include: 'Don't break the law'; 'Don't spit'; and 'Don't trade in counterfeit goods'; as well as 'Do save the beauty of the city'.
What is interesting about the list is how wide-ranging it is. Apart from specific actions that might upset overseas tourists, like spitting, it covers intellectual property, the need to preserve the environment and the rule of law itself. Along with a comprehensive handbook on civilised behaviour, which is being distributed to all Beijing households, it indicates that this isn't just an attempt to get Beijingers to show their best side for the Olympics; it's a campaign to change their habits for good.
As such, it is in the tradition of a number of attempts over the past 70 years or so to conduct mass social experiments on the mainland. From the New Life Movement of the 1930s, which sought to bolster traditional values, to the Cultural Revolution and now President Hu Jintao's Confucius-inspired concept of a 'harmonious society', China's leaders have never been shy about trying to change the lifestyles of the people they rule.
Beijing's efforts to create a sense of social responsibility might not be on the same scale, but it is still an ambitious plan. The officials in charge of implementing it, such as Zheng Mojie, the deputy director general of the Beijing Capital Ethics Office, have confirmed it is a long-term task. 'We'd do it even if we weren't hosting the Olympics, but the Olympics are a great way to focus people's minds on this,' said Mrs Zheng.
That's the reason why the 'Do's and Don'ts' are so visible and why the handbook goes far beyond being a good-manners guide, to cover everything from the need to preserve cultural heritage to respect for the elderly. But the problem is that official prodding rarely alters people's behaviour in the long-term. The New Life Movement failed to renew faith in Chiang Kai-shek, whose idea it was, and the Cultural Revolution was an unqualified disaster. Nor is there much sign of a 'harmonious society' emerging.
In fact, Beijingers' attitudes towards their home have shifted already. The capital is a cleaner place than it was a few years ago, while standards of service are better. The changes have been prompted by the way society has evolved, rather than by any campaign. Rising incomes and an increasing awareness of the way things are done elsewhere have made Beijing (along with Shanghai) the most progressive city on the mainland. It is proof that permanent change comes from the people themselves, not from posters or a 50 yuan fine for spitting in public.
