Absent Decision Maker Archives - understand-culture

The Draft That Mao Rejected

In October 1971, on Henry Kissinger’s second visit to Beijing, the American side brought a draft of a joint communiqué. According to the American record of the talks, as given in a Chinese report, Zhou Enlai came back the next day and said that Mao Zedong had rejected the draft completely, because it gave a false impression.

Zhou proposed a different kind of text. Each side would state its own views as clearly as possible, followed by a few points of agreement. Kissinger’s aide Winston Lord later wrote: “After checking with Mao, Zhou treated our effort with scorn and derision.”

Li Hongzhang’s Telegrams

In April 1895, Li Hongzhang negotiated peace with Japan at Shimonoseki. He reported to the Zongli Yamen, the Qing foreign office in Beijing, by telegram, and its replies came the same way. Japan had broken the code.

A Japanese account of 1932, quoted in a Chinese study, says that reading the full text of Li’s telegram of April 11, 1895, “had a great effect” on Japan’s later attitude and on the progress of the talks. In 1929 the Chinese writer Gong Debai concluded: “Since all our secrets were known to them, how could the negotiations not fail?”

Approval Before Investment

On December 26, 2017, China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued new rules for overseas investment by Chinese companies. They took effect on March 1, 2018. Sensitive projects need state approval (核准). Non-sensitive projects that the company carries out directly need a filing (备案).

The company must hold the approval or the filing notice before the project is carried out. The rules define this as the point before the company puts in assets or rights, or provides financing or guarantees. According to a Chinese law firm, the earlier rules had required approval before the company signed final binding documents abroad.

The Treaty of Livadia

In October 1878, the Qing court sent Chonghou to Russia as its chief envoy. On October 2 of the following year, he signed the Treaty of Livadia and its three annexes. A Chinese historical account says that he signed “without the consent of the Qing government.”

The government refused to recognize the treaty. Chonghou was dismissed and handed to the Board of Punishments. He was pardoned on August 12, 1880. A second envoy, Zeng Jize, reopened the talks in St. Petersburg, and a revised treaty was signed there on February 24, 1881.

Qishan Gives Away Hong Kong

In January 1841, the Qing commissioner Qishan negotiated with the British envoy Charles Elliot at Canton. On January 20, Elliot announced preliminary arrangements that included the cession of Hong Kong.

The Daoguang Emperor did not accept them. A Chinese account summarizes his reaction: “The emperor was furious and said that Qishan had given Hong Kong to others on his own authority and had agreed to trade on his own authority. Dismissed, his house confiscated.” On January 30, an edict named Yishan to replace him.

Three Majors and One Large

三重一大 Three majors and one large. Major decisions, important appointments and removals, major projects and large sums of money must be decided after collective discussion.

In June 2010, the General Offices of the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued an opinion on applying this rule in state-owned enterprises.

The Vocabulary of Rank

一把手 The first hand. The head of a unit or organization.

拍板 To strike the board. In old trading houses, a sale was sealed by striking a wooden board. Today it means that the person in charge makes the final decision.

一言堂 The hall of one word. Once a shop’s sign for fixed prices. Today a leader who decides alone.

官大一级压死人 An official one rank higher crushes a person to death. In 2018, the Party’s discipline newspaper used the phrase to criticize an official who pulled rank.

Ask First, Report After

In February 2019, the Central Committee of the Communist Party issued Regulations on Requesting Instructions and Reporting on Major Matters. Their rule is short: what must be requested must be requested, and what must be reported must be reported (该请示的必须请示，该报告的必须报告).

A request to a higher Party organization on a major matter must be made in advance, so that the higher level has enough time to study it and decide. Only when an emergency leaves no time to ask may an official act first. Even then, the official must report to the higher level promptly afterwards.