Chinese Renowned Scholar: "China Faces Crisis Due to Formalism and Bureaucracy... Widespread Resignation Across Society"

A prominent scholar from Wuhan University pointed out that China's economic growth is at risk of becoming hollow due to formalism, bureaucracy, and resignation that has grown from the grassroots level.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 20th, Professor Lu Dewen, who teaches rural governance sociology at Wuhan University in China, recently posted on WeChat after completing a rural field survey, stating, "There is a tendency toward superficiality rather than substance in various fields, which leads to social stagnation and becomes the most serious crisis of our time."

Professor Lu criticized, "Grassroots governments prioritize reporting to higher authorities over solving actual problems," adding, "Village-level organizations prioritize meeting higher-level directives over community service, and even when serving the community, it is often just a show for senior officials." He explained that during his rural survey, he confirmed the widespread presence of formalism and bureaucracy across China. He also added that universities loudly promote the cultivation of innovative talents, but concrete measures are merely low-level repetitions.

In the post, Professor Lu mentioned that at reunions with middle school classmates, including civil servants, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and employees of state-owned enterprises, everyone expressed concerns about the tendency toward formalism in the workplace. He also emphasized that this formalism has harmed academia. Although the post has been deleted, it has already spread widely on WeChat.

Professor Lu also pointed out that this political situation, combined with the sluggish recovery of China's economy, is permeating pessimism and resignation throughout society. Factories in industrial parks are operating below production capacity, and some factories have seen a sharp decline in profit margins despite a flood of orders. Due to weak domestic demand, some factories have shifted to foreign trade with countries participating in China's Belt and Road Initiative, but he expressed concerns about uncertainties in payment collection.

He criticized, "As long as migrant workers are willing to work, finding a job is not a problem, but negotiating wages is forbidden," adding, "In the past, workers could protest if overtime pay was not fully paid. However, now if they resist, the factory immediately pays the (allowance) and then dismisses them."

In response, Feng Feng, chairman of the Guangdong think tank 'Guangdong System Reform Research Association,' said that intervention from the top leadership might be necessary to solve the problem. Feng pointed out, "Officials have become increasingly reluctant to take responsibility and tend to ignore substantive results in favor of symbolic gestures." He added, "If economic growth does not recover and pressure increases after the Two Sessions (Lianghui - the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), there may be policy changes. Otherwise, persisting on the same path could lead to bleak and potentially terrible outcomes." The Two Sessions are scheduled to be held from March 5.