Beijing wants no advice from earnest 'friends of China'
Chang Ping says its attempt to muzzle the media, domestic and foreign, is carefully considered
Whenever a new leadership takes over or a major Communist Party meeting is convened, Chinese intellectuals often appeal to their leaders to carry out political reform and adopt democratic constitutional rule.
Their key argument is not that the people deserve elections, the rule of law, freedom of speech or other civil rights. Rather, they try to persuade Beijing that change is necessary because it will ensure the party's survival and continued rule and promote social stability. Or else, they warn, there might be intense conflicts, social chaos and political crisis.
Most of these intellectuals work within the system and live in the long shadow cast by their powerful masters. They might be punished, have their career promotions ruined, or even lose their job and end up in jail if they don't heed what they say. So they "camouflage" their proposals as thoughts in the best interests of the leaders and in terms of sustainable governance and social stability - even when their real intention is to fight for Chinese people's civil rights. This has become their habitual strategy, although it has never worked.
Of course, the leadership can see through their tricks easily. China's thinking class does not dare to confront the leadership. Its members continue to advise the leadership earnestly.
Appealing to the powers that be is, of course, an act of hope, dependent on the beneficence of a wise emperor. It's self-delusion, and apparently contagious, because even people outside the party's influence - even outside China - have succumbed to it.
Take New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's open letter to Chinese president Xi Jinping published more than a week ago.