Chinese military issues ‘unprecedented’ rules for top commanders’ social lives in move not tried ‘even in Mao Zedong’s times’
- Analyst describes the rules governing a range of social interactions as unparalleled but necessary to ‘keep up with changing times’
- A military source says the rules will also apply to retired generals with the aim of removing ‘very bad social effects’
A report published on the front page of PLA Daily on Monday said the rules included “specific requirements and concrete demands in eight areas” without giving further details.
The rules set out a code of conduct for dealing with Communist Party officials, government bodies and state-owned enterprises, social organisations, the media, academic and research bodies, ethnic minority and religious groups, foreign institutions and family members as well as people they meet online, according to the report.
“Political and disciplinary bodies will carry out their supervisory responsibilities, look out for and correct any problems that are in violation of the rules or the law,” the PLA Daily report said.
“[They will] hold any of the leading cadres who have been found responsible for dereliction of duty and instil a strong sense of party spirit among them and encourage them to practice self-discipline so that [the leading cadres] will live a clean social life publicly, and among their families and friends,” it said.
“[The goal] is that their social life is principled, has boundaries and is based upon rules.”
“This is an unprecedented move [for the PLA] to have a set of codes on social life for the senior cadres,” said Ni Lexiong, a professor of political science at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. “This has not been done even in Mao Zedong’s times.”