外媒眼中的华西村

InChina'srichestvillage,peasantsareallshareholdersnow-byorderofthepartyModelcommunitywithspectacularindustrialgrowthowesasmuchtofeudalismastocommunismRowsofnewhousesillustratethewealth-anduniformity-ofHuaxiinChina.Photograph:JonathanWattsChina'sroadtorichescouldnotbemoreboldlysignpostedthanitisinHuaxi,officiallythecountry'swealthiestvillage.Takethemunicipalgovernment'sstretchlimousineacrossTextileBridge,passthesmokestacksofthesteelworks,speedalongsiderowafterrowofsymmetricalpale-bluehouses,skirtthe15-storeypagodahotelandthenalightforawalkdownthered-carpetedcorridorofcapital.Thisconcrete-coveredpassagewayisamonumenttothegiddymaterialprogressmadebythecommunesinceChina'spolicymakersbeganmixingtheirideologicaldrinks26yearsago.NonewentasfarasHuaxiincombiningthestrictpoliticalcontroloftherulingCommunistpartywiththeget-rich-quickeconomicsofthemarket-andtheresultsarebeinghailedasamodelforthenationtofollow.Todemonstratehowgoodthatcocktailissupposedtomakethelocalsfeel,HuaxiRoadisdecoratedwithsmilingpicturesofeveryfamilyinthevillage.Eachhousehold'sassetsarelistedindetail:sizeofthefamily,valueoftheirproperty,averagelevelofeducation,numberofmembersoftheCommunistparty,aswellashowmanycars,mobilephones,televisions,washingmachines,computers,air-conditioningunits,motorbikes,cameras,fridgesandstereosystemstheyown.Atfirstsight,thefiguresseemtojustifyHuaxi'sboasttobethenumberonevillageinChina.Since1995,whenHuaxibecamethefirstcommuneinChinatolistsharesonastockexchange,localbusinesses,mostlyintextilesandsteel,havetakenoff.Theirspectacularexpansionhasmadeeventhenationalaveragegrowthrateof9%ayearseemlaggardly.In2003,thevillagereportedthecombinedturnoverofitscompaniesat10bnrenminbi(about£640m).Lastyear,ithit26bn-andby2008itisexpectedtodoubleagain.Thishasturnedresidents-allstillofficiallyregisteredaspeasants-intowealthyindustrialists.Elsewhereinthecountry,theannualaveragedisposableincomeofurbandwellersonlyrecentlypassed$1,000(about£530).Inthecountryside,thefigureistwothirdslower.ButHuaxi'sresidentsgetayearlysalaryof$1,500,abonusof$10,000anddividendsof$25,000.Twentyyearsago,mostwerefarmerslivinginsmall,one-storeyhouses,whostruggledtosavethemoneytobuyabicycle.Now,theyareshareholderswithanaveragelivingspaceofmorethan450squaremetresandatleastonefamilycar.SuchimpressivestatisticsmeanHuaxiisnowheldupasamodelinanationwidere-educationcampaignforCommunistpartycadres.ItisalsoattractinggrowingnumbersofforeignvisitorsseekingcluesaboutthedirectionofChinesesociety.Thatisasubjectofincreasingconcerntotheworld.Earlierthisyear,Microsoft'sBillGatespraisedChinafordevelopinganewformofcapitalism.PoliticiansinBeijingprefertotalkaboutscientificsocialismorsocialismwithChinesecharacteristics.Huaxi'smodelisbynomeanstheonlyoptionforvillages,butifitbecomesatemplatethefuturemightjustaseasilybedescribedasshareholderfeudalism.Locatedabout100milesnorthofShanghaiinJiangsuprovince,Huaxihasbeendescribedinthedomesticmediaasbothaparadiseandadictatorship.Whileitsresidentsarenominallyricherthananyothercommunity,theyhavelesstimeandfreedomtospendtheirmoney.Barsandrestaurantsclosebefore10pmsothatworkersdonotoversleep.Holidaysarescarce.Andvillagersgetlittlecashfromtheirpaperassets.Eightypercentoftheirannualbonusand95%oftheirdividendmustbereinvestedinthecommune.Iftheyleavethevillage,thispaperwealthdisappears.Ourassetsbelongtothecommunenottotheindividual,saidSunHaiYan,amemberofthevillagegovernment.Wehavealocalsayingthatyourdividendlastsonlyaslongasyoustayinthevillageandthefactorieskeeprunning.Butwithlivingstandardsimprovingrapidly,fewpeopleseemtomind.Sunhasdoneparticularlywell.Asachildheremembersonlybeingabletoeatmeatonceaweek.Now,hetreatsvisitorstolavishmealsofglobefishatthelocalrestaurantandlivesinanewvilla-decoratedwithGreekpillarsandamarblestaircase-bytheedgeofanartificiallake.Pragmatismratherthanideologyistheguidingprinciple.Nomatterwhetherit'sanewkindofismoranoldkindofism,ouraimistomakeeveryonerich,saidWuRenbao,theformervillagechiefwhoiscreditedwithstartingtheHuaximiracle.Duringtheculturalrevolution,Wuwaspubliclyhumiliatedinthevillagesquareasacapitalistroaderbecausehewantedtoestablishafactoryinthecommunity.Fiveyearslaterduringtheearlyreformperiod,hewascriticisedagainforbuckingthenationaltrendtogivepeasantsbacktheirland.Instead,hekeptpropertyundercollectiveownershipsothatitwaseasiertoexpropriateforbusiness.Now,heisheldupasanationalhero.Buthesaystheguidingprincipleissimple.Peopleherehavefiveaimsinlife:money,acar,ahouse,ason,andrespect.Wegivethemthat.Everyfamilyhereisrich.OurtargetnowistomakeallofChinarich.TheHuaxisystemappearstoresembletheimperialdynastiesofoldmorethancommunism.Atthetopistherulingfamily:Wuhasbeenreplacedasvillagechiefbyhisson,Xie'en,whowasrecentlyre-electedwith100%ofthevotesinthecommune.Atleasthalfofthevillage'smaincompaniesarerunbyotherchildrenandgrandchildren.Atthebottomarethe30,000migrantworkerswhodomostoftheworkinthesteelmillsandtextilefactoriesforlessthan£80amonth.Theygetthesamesalariesaslocals,saidWu.Thedifferenceisthattheydon'townanycapital.Huaxihasto