VZCZCXRO0876
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHGH #0260/01 1200854
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300854Z APR 07
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5770
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1035
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0605
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0586
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0713
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0609
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0486
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 6163

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 000260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL/PHD 
STATE PASS USTR FOR STRATFORD, WINTER, MCCARTIN, ALTBACH, READE 
TREAS FOR OASIA - DOHNER/CUSHMAN 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC - A/DAS MELCHER, MCQUEEN 
NSC FOR WILDER AND TONG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  X1 MANUAL REVIEW 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM EINV ECON CH
SUBJECT: WITH "SURVEY OF CHINESE PEASANTS" AUTHORS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Tarnowka, Section Chief, Political/Economic 
Section  , U.S. Consulate Shanghai. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary. In a conversation with Poloff on April 20, 
"Survey of Chinese Peasants" (Zhongguo Nongmin Diaocha) authors 
said conditions in the countryside had improved in recent years 
as a result of increased central government attention.  However, 
conditions for peasants were still difficult because many local 
officials were corrupt and neglected problems in the 
countryside.  The couple was researching a follow-up book that 
they planned to publish in 2008.  While they were free to move 
around the country, they feared returning to their home in 
Fuyang City, Anhui province because of harassment from local 
officials.  A Fuyang city official had sued the couple for libel 
in 2004.  The court had not made a decision on the case yet, 
but, according to Chen, their publisher was forced to settle the 
case after receiving pressure by Politburo Standing Committee 
Member Luo Gan.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) On April 20, Poloff met with the authors of "Survey of 
Chinese Peasants" (Zhongguo Nongmin Diaocha), Chen Guidi and Wu 
Chuntao.  Chen and Wu, who were married in 1991, in 2004, 
published "Survey of Chinese Peasants", which provided extensive 
details about the hardship and corruption faced by peasants in 
the countryside.  The book was a sensation and sold 150,000 
copies in one month.  The government eventually became 
uncomfortable with the findings in the book and banned it in 
March 2004.  Wu noted that while the book was only technically 
banned for one month, book sellers refused to touch the book and 
the book, thereafter, was only available overseas. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Conditions Improved, But Serious Problems Exist 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3.  (C) Wu and Chen said that they were currently working on a 
follow-up to "Survey of Chinese Peasants" and had spent the last 
year traveling around China and meeting with peasants in 
villages as far away as Gansu Province.  They planned to publish 
their new book in 2008.  According to their research, peasants 
appeared to be more satisfied with their living conditions than 
in 2004.  They attributed this to the central government's 
increased attention to the rural poor and its emphasis on 
building a "harmonious society".  Peasants no longer had to pay 
taxes which amounted to 300 RMB per year and, in some cases, 
were receiving subsidies from the government. 
 
¶4.  (C) Despite these improvements, conditions in the 
countryside were still difficult.  Most of the villages that 
they visited were largely empty and only the very old or very 
young remained.  There was no one to take care of these people 
and help them when problems surfaced.  Wu said, for example, 
rural children were doing poorly in school because there was no 
parental supervision.  She said it was ironic since many parents 
moved to the city to find work to pay for a good education for 
their children.  She added that they had received reports from 
migrant laborers that they were also dissatisfied.  Many lived 
in difficult conditions and received low pay.  While there were 
some cases of laborers returning to their villages, most had no 
other option but to remain in the city where they could make 
money.  Wu added that most peasants were resigned to their 
conditions and too busy to protest.  She noted that, for many 
peasants, their lives had always been difficult and current 
living conditions were no worse than in the past. 
 
-------------------- 
Corruption Continues 
-------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Wu and Chen were very critical of local officials.  Wu 
said local officials largely neglected the peasants and did 
nothing to improve conditions in the countryside.  According to 
Wu, most officials played mahjong all day long and only came 
into contact with peasants to extort money from them.  Chen said 
peasants often had to bribe officials to obtain documents such 
 
SHANGHAI 00000260  002 OF 002 
 
 
as identification or birth certificates.  Chen and Wu were more 
positive about central government officials.  They said that 
central government authorities appeared to be genuinely 
concerned about the peasants, as evidenced by the reduction of 
taxes.  However, central government authorities did not 
understand the peasants.  In addition, the peasants did not have 
a "voice".  There was no independent farmers union or newspaper 
that represented the peasants.  Chen and Wu said that this was 
the reason why they have continued their research.  They would 
like to educate the government and urban people on this issue 
and give the peasants their "voice". 
 
--------------------------- 
Local Government Harassment 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Wu and Chen said that they enjoyed relative freedom. 
The government did not restrict their movements inside China and 
they were free to travel abroad.  (Note: Poloff met the 
researchers when they were in Shanghai applying for a visa. 
They planned to attend a literary conference at Columbia 
University. End Note.)   However, the local government where 
they were from in Fuyang City, Anhui Province had caused them a 
lot of problems.  Wu said that they had not returned to their 
home in one year because they were afraid of the local 
government.  Wu and Chen, who had been married since 1991, had 
moved their son out of Fuyang for his safety. 
 
¶7.  (C)  "Survey of Chinese Peasants" contained many stories 
about corrupt officials in Fuyang, in particular Zhang Xide, who 
was the Party Secretary of Linquan county, Fuyang City when the 
book was published.  Zhang sued the couple for libel in 2004 and 
claimed that many of the stories in the book were fabricated. 
According to Chen, the local court had yet to issue a decision 
on the case.  He said, however, that their publisher was 
pressured by the Politburo Bureau Standing Committee Member Luo 
Gan to agree to a settlement.  Chen said he was never consulted 
by the publisher and would have never given his permission for a 
settlement.  Chen and Wu had spent over 50,000 RMB on the case, 
paying living expenses for their lawyer and witnesses.  They 
believed that it was important for the court to issue a decision 
that would confirm the validity of their book.  (Comment: Fuyang 
is known for its corruption.  Its district government office, 
which resembles the White House and cost more than RMB 30 
million (USD 3.9 million), was singled out by the central 
government in the recent ruling banning construction of 
"wasteful and extravagant official buildings".  End Comment.) 
 
¶8.  (C)  Chen said that since the trial the Fuyang government 
has harassed them and their family members.  A few years ago, 
the local government sent people to stone their house.  Chen 
said that it was impossible for them to work and live in Anhui. 
They were currently trying to find a new place to live in China. 
 
------------ 
Future Plans 
------------ 
 
¶9.  (C) Wu and Chen were very proud of Zhongguo Nongmin Diaocha 
because the book had led to some reforms and improvements for 
the peasants.  As they did on their last book, they planned on 
using their own money to publish the second book in China. 
Although their last book was banned in China, it sold very well 
in the West and won many prizes.  They were using this money to 
support their research.  Wu was worried that the government 
would not be pleased with the next book and that the couple 
would face harassment and further government pressure after the 
book was published.  She added that she was not sure if they 
could even publish the book in China.  Regardless, they believed 
it was important to try to publish their book in China where it 
would have more influence. 
JARRETT