One way to get Americans interested in Chinese politics is to use the headline: “China’s Guangdong Province Removes Over 850 ‘Naked Officials’ From Their Posts.” That’s the story Reuters filed today. The phrase ‘naked officials’ refers to (fully clothed) Chinese government officials whose spouses and children have emigrated abroad. ‘Naked officials’ are considered flight risks and are more likely to engage in corruption. So says, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China. That’s why he had 850 of them removed.
In 2013, Xi coined the phrase “Chinese Dream,” and called upon young Chinese people “to dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation.” That means, for one thing, not collecting a check from the Chinese government and sending the money abroad to your wife and kids.
