Editorials

Beyond the symbolic

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-15 08:20

Editor's note: The latest removal of welcome rituals shows that State leaders put priority to the interests of the people rather than the symbolic and ostentatious ceremonies.

State leaders being welcomed by compatriots at the airport of the country the dignitaries visit is one minor detail in etiquette.

But canceling such a ritual can also be a reflection of a change in the concept of power.

When such change starts with President Hu Jintao's trip to the United States early this week, it adds to the importance that the central government attaches to the concept of putting the people first.

The removal of decorative rituals shows what the leaders do for the people and the country, and earns no less respect for the leaders from the public.

In fact, the latest move is part of the reform of such rituals in the past three decades. In 1978, the ceremony to welcome foreign State leaders was relocated from the airport to the Great Hall of the People and students were no longer organized to welcome foreign guests on both sides of Chang'an Avenue in the capital. In the 1980s, ceremonies to see off and welcome State leaders before and after their overseas trips were also canceled.

By abandoning such rituals, State leaders are observing the "people-first" principle of government. They are also telling their local counterparts that there is no need to focus on the ostentatious and symbolic. Instead, they need to think about using their authority for the good of the people.

That should be the way for them to earn real respect and trust from the people they are supposed to serve.

Local leaders will hopefully follow suit and carry out substantial action to serve the interest of the people, rather than take pleasure in symbolic ceremonies that embellish the prestige of power.

(China Daily 04/15/2010 page8)