The arrest last year of Wu Xiaohui the head of Anbang Insurance Group was yet another high-profile person charged with crimes. This time it is “fraudulent fundraising and abuse of his position”. A Journal article today tells the story of another high flyer brought down to earth by the Central Committee. I had the story of Lu Wei last week. You can’t make a living in China without taking risks.
Given the number of mighty who have bitten the dust, we would have to ask if there is really so much corruption in China that the senior leaders of some of the largest companies and the military could be prosecuted on such a regular basis? I don’t even take the time to keep articles about all of them because there have been so many. So, are they really criminals, or do they get charged as criminals to get them out of the way? It has to be the latter.
What is not fair about this is that it takes a certain style of leadership in Chinese business to get ahead. What the Central Committee is charging them with is living by the style and doing what it takes to get ahead. They are being charged with crimes that get them to the positions they hold, and behaviors that would likely have gotten them to the top of the food chain. If that makes the other leaders nervous, it should. It keeps them off balance and looking over their shoulder all the time. It is a hell of a way to live, but a necessary one where political and Party loyalty are valued over any economic achievement a person can have.
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