Letters and Blogs

Incumbents elect their own sons to be officials

It is reported that in an election of local officials in Gushi county, Henan province, most of the newly elected township heads are relatives of serving local officials. Zhou Hui, head of the Organization Department of the country's Communist Party of China (CPC) committee, confirmed the report and argued that they are all qualified candidates and the election was organized in line with relevant procedure. He also questioned reporters: "Don't officials' offspring deserve the right to be elected?"

This curious case fits an old saying that "like father, like son", which not only reflects biological heritage but also implies hereditary social status and political power. According to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the opportunity for offspring of officials to assume official positions is 2.1 times higher than those born in non-official families.