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China: Three Public Expenditures and State Secrets

· Written by Oiwan Lam

Categories: East Asia, China, Governance, International Relations, Politics

The term, “three public expenditures” or san gong jingfei, refers to government expenses for overseas trips, food and entertainment and public vehicles. The three expenditures have been considered by the general public as one of the main sources of corruption of government officials.

In May 2011, the State broadcaster Central Television Station revealed that the country's annual spending for the “three public” items was up to RMB1900 billion [1] [zh] in 2010, which accounts for 60% of all administrative expenses. In order to cut the spending, the Ministry of the State demanded that all 98 central government departments and offices disclose their “three public expenses”.

On 30 June 2011, the Steering Committee of the National People Congress disclosed the Central Government's “Three Public Expenditures”. The figure was up to RMB 9.4 billion [2] [zh] (approximately USD 1.5 billion). Despite a great deal of resistance, so far most of the 98 central government departments and offices have disclosed their spending. However, in the past two days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Overseas Chinese Affairs (OCA) and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs (HKMA) claimed [3] [zh] that their “three public expenditures” are State secrets.

As the Ministry of State's move towards budgetary transparency of the “three public expenditures” has very strong public support (in an opinion poll conducted in July 2011, more than 96.4% of the interviewees supported it [4] [zh], the pretext of “State secret” has outraged the majority of Chinese people. Below is a cartoon by Zhai Haijun showing how difficult it is to bring change to the government with the “three public expenditures” problem. (via China Media Project [5])

Blogger He Jun points out [6] that “State secret” is an excuse to protect privilege and corruption:

国家机密，很有意思。原来以为导弹发射设计图，军事基地内部情况，自主创新的科研数据，相关经济数据，宝贵的矿藏地质资料……这些，才是国家机密，却不料，三公花费，官员们拿国家的票子，人民的劳动成果，咱们那个老百姓的纳税金，坐了轿车，吃了公饭，出了国考了察，这么一种特殊享受的花费，居然也是“国家机密”！

Interesting interpretation of State secrets. We are used to thinking that the design of rockets, military bases, data related to innovative research, finance and rare minerals etc. are State secrets. Now the “three public expenditures” of government officials who spend our taxation, our country's income on vehicles, banquets, travel and all kinds of privileged consumption, have become “State secrets”!

任何一个中国人，一旦沾上点“国家机密”的好处，一定会铁了心跟D走，因为，这些好处如此甜蜜可爱令人生出无比动力——再不能当傻逼乱嚷嚷政治上不成熟了，弄上三公的好处你就偷偷乐去吧，然后坐在主席台上装比样子一脸马列主义三个代表四个现代化三大纪律八项注意，“人民”知道个啥？反正人民是个看不见的东西。反正有“国家机密”给咱们护着。。。

Any Chinese who enjoys the privilege of such a “State secret” would follow its rule. As its sweet reward is irresistible — you won't be immature again, just take pleasure in secrecy. All you need to do is to sit upright on the stage with a face that reminds people of Marxism, Leninism, Three Represents [7], Four Modernizations [8], Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention [9], people won't notice anything. People are invisible. Moreover, we are protected by “State secrets” …

Lisa criticizes [10] the MFA for its failure in diplomacy from a nationalistic point of view:

外交部作为联系五洲四海的一个纽带，肯定是“三公消费”的大户，这不足为怪。问题是你花了钱究竟办了多少事，交了多少朋友？。。。可是，放眼一望，南海诸岛还有多少属于中国？有多少渔民、船长被外邦无理扣押？以牺牲领土为代价换取所谓的和平环境，以屈辱外交换取好伙伴、好邻居、好朋友咄咄逼人的联合吼叫，外交部的“三公经费”究竟干什么用了？

花了大头钱，没办多少事，还丢了大片国土。那么，外交部还有脸面公布“三公经费”么？不敢公布还拿什么国家机密来说事，来遮丑，真是天大的谎言。

It is understandable that the MFA would have huge spending on “Three Public expenditures” as its responsibility is to connect with the world. The issue at stake is how much have you spent and how many friends have you made… Let's take a look. How many islands in the Southern Sea still belong to China? How many Chinese fishermen and sailors have been detained by other countries unreasonably? To sacrifice our land in exchange for the so-called peaceful environment, to make friends with our neighbors by humiliating ourselves. I wonder how the MFA spent their “three public expenditures”? 

Having spent so much money, we still lost our land. Of course the MFA dare not disclose its “three public expenditures”. However, it still dares using “State secret” to hide their shame. This is such a big lie.

In Weibo, there are a number of discussion threads about this newly invented “State secret” item. Below is a selection of immediate responses from Weibo users in the 21cbh's news thread [11] [zh]:

天边火林中风 外交部怎么做账的？机密开销放到三公经费里？(今天 09:32)

老狼_深圳 可笑，他们花我们的钱，我们只不过要个帐单，他们居然说这是是秘密！！！(今天 09:31)

峰回路转转路回峰 费用高了 敌对势力不就发现我们的外交很猛(今天 09:40)

李晋宁AARON 陈水扁当初也是用同样理由贪腐的，如果外交部执意不公布，那干脆就从国务院里独立出去，省得毁了一锅汤。(今天 09:39)

风一逸 国家丑闻当属国家机密，(今天 09:35)

共和一体 公款吃喝，公款出国，公款购车…为神马不能公开？除非我们养的间谍太多？？(今天 09:45)

天边火林中风 How does MFA produce their financial report? How can they put State secret items into the three public expenditures? 

老狼_深圳 They spend our money, all we are asking is a receipt and they dare to tell us it is a State secret!!!

峰回路转转路回峰 When enemy forces see our huge spending, they know how strong our MFA is.

李晋宁AARON Chen Shui Bian [Former Taiwan President] used the same reason to defend his corruption. If the MFA insisted on not disclosing its three public expenditures, it should be independent from the Ministry of the State, or it will ruin the whole government.

风一逸 State scandal is of course State secret.

共和一体 spending public money for banquets, travel and vehicles, why can't this be disclosed. Unless we feed too many spies.

More reactions [12] [zh] from the Weibo Headline news thread:

飘泊在南方的云 不公開也罷，看那些公開的又有幾份是真實帳？！(今天 11:12)

法拉盛上官 其他已经公布三公的部门郁闷了,怎么之前没想到郭家咪咪这一招(今天 10:03)

lemon5212011 除了要给国外的亲属生活费学费什么的还有养着一帮国内的杂碎，能公布吗？(今天 10:02)

蘇奕安 三公系指公车、吃喝、差旅，这个也涉及机密？莫非系秘密与基地组织吃饭游玩？？

飘泊在南方的云 Even if they disclose, can we trust that they are real? 

法拉盛上官 Other departments which had disclosed their expenses must feel regret, how could they not have thought of using “State secret” as an excuse.

lemon5212011 They have to pay for their family's expenses and school fees aboard and feed their running dogs inside the country, of course they can't disclose the figure.

蘇奕安 the meaning of “three public expenditures” is vehicles, banquets and travel. How can that have anything to do with secrets? Are they eating and traveling with terrorist groups??