Chinese government workers have to worry about these days. Cash-bound local governments struggle to pay their salaries. Political control is tightened in the name of national security. A few years of anti-corruption purge shows no signs of an end.
Currently, workers need to be prevented from being slapped with a “snail prize.”
“Through this ironic 'encourage', the winners can blush, sweat and refresh their minds,” read one commentary on the Communist Party website, where they say they can make the party and government. Notice how you hurt yourself by “passing through” your reliability.
Perhaps more than ever, the Chinese government can't afford to make the authorities lazy. As economic growth slows, leaders need to introduce new projects, attract investors and inspire ordinary people. Essentially, it unleashes the dynamism that drives the rise of China.
However, many officials seem motivated, if not entirely afraid to act. Under China's hard-line leader Xi Jinping, the state cracked down on a variety of sectors, from internet companies to private companies and fundraising. It's now impossible to guess what's next. Policies that deviate from the central government could be viewed as politically dishonest.
Authorities once competed to claim flashy infrastructure projects, but authorities were recently punished for pushing construction projects without funding or permits. The safest route seems to be to do nothing.
Until it isn't. At least three cities have been awarding snail awards amid calls for officials to step up, according to People's Daily, the party's official mouthpiece. A video clip from China's social media filmed on a Sichuan state television program shows a stone-like man in a suit handed a framed certificate.
That is one of the more gentle punishments. The urban area of Guangdong said it had set up a database to track officials who said they were “lying flat.” Other locations boast of rebuilding or firing employees.
The party's internal anti-corruption group said last month that the Central Committee for Disciplinary Testing had punished 138,000 officials in 2024 for crimes that included “irresponsibility,” “oscience” and “pretend to work.” That was more than twice the number of years ago, and the category that most people were punished was by far. The second common attack that improperly gave or received gifts was halved.
“To take strict measures to deal with the 'lying flat' is actually to protect the enthusiasm and initiatives of people who are doing things and entering the world,” according to a recent article. The group said.
Of course, it may not be a successful recipe for an already scared official to try and take action. Therefore, the central authorities also sought to put on a more encouraging tone. On Monday, Xi Jinping met with some of the country's top entrepreneurs. This was seen by many observers as a signal of a new embrace in the private sector. It may be more willing to formulate local governments to work with them.
In December, two top committees overseeing investment in state-owned companies pledged to “rationally tolerate normal investment risks.” If the project fails to meet expectations, the responsible person could be exempt from penalty, the committee said.
Authorities also suggest that party members could be given a second chance. Sichuan officials who directed fraudulent funding for public toilet construction projects were thrown out simply because they were warned, local disciplinary committee said he had not sought personal benefits. .
However, local officials are unlikely to be convinced, according to Hong Kong's Chinese politics professor Dongshu Liu. The overall trend towards stricter political control is clear. Even if Beijing is now encouraging people to become proactive, there is limited space to do so. “They want you to work hard, but they want you to work hard following the commands of the central,” Professor Liu said.
In fact, when he spoke to the Disciplinary Committee last month, Xi doubled the political pure call and urged officials to “not give a single step” when cracking down on corruption and other bad behavior. .
Even if Beijing could convince lower-level officials that taking risks again would be politically safe, those officials may have other reasons not to do so. Some local governments reportedly were unable to pay workers. The lowest level officials are competing with increased workloads, often accompanied by frequent face-to-face checks by residents and businesses, as XI pushes for the state to be present to enhance their presence in everyday life. It must.
Yet, a record number of young Chinese people are still competing for civil servant positions. Given the pressures of work, that may seem surprising. But the underlying reason may be the same as why the government wants to return officials to action, that is, the weakness of the economy. For all their shortcomings, civil servants' jobs are considered stable.
“Yes, being a civil servant is not as good as 10 years ago,” Professor Li said. “But the other options are even worse.”
Siyi Zhao contributed to the research.
