&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp；&；nbsp； What is the relationship between beauty and politics?
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From news reports, one might think that Beijing not only has a热烈 atmosphere but also pleasant weather, as the representatives and committee members are all dressed in light spring clothing. But that's not actually the case. According to China News Service, Comrade He Guoqiang expressed his concern for the representatives and committee members who have come to Beijing for the two sessions. During this period, Beijing is experiencing seasonal changes with sudden cold snaps, so he kindly reminded everyone to keep warm. Another piece of news indirectly confirmed the necessity of Comrade He Guoqiang’s concerns: [On the morning of March 2, delegations from Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Guangxi, Fujian, and other provinces participating in the fifth session of the 11th National People's Congress arrived in Beijing one after another. It snowed heavily in Beijing early that morning, and the staff responsible for receiving them waited on the tarmac in the snow.]
What was the scene like on the snowy airport tarmac? I saw it on TV and was deeply moved. I feel that, aesthetically speaking, Chinese people may have a kind of "sadistic beauty psychology." Imagine a group of men wearing snow caps and wrapped in fur coats standing in the open airport under the wind and snow, you would think, wow, it's really tough. However, when a group of beautiful young women stands there, representing the symbols of state power, you feel that these are the flowers of the motherland in full bloom, giving rise to a sense of joy. You may even feel happy and proud of the prosperity of the country.
The voiceover in the television report was vivid and impressive, so I copied it down here: [In the heavy snow, the beauties welcoming guests still smiled, waving to the arriving representatives. Their every word and action appeared graceful and appropriate. The leading official told reporters that these girls are between 20 and 30 years old. Although young, each has undergone strict training and participated in the reception work of the two sessions many times, gaining rich experience. These elegant and beautiful girls also attracted many on-site journalists' cameras. They formed another beautiful scenery at the airport besides the representatives.]
During the massive two sessions, how many beautiful young ladies aged "between 20 and 30" were needed to form "another beautiful scenery"? Fortunately, Beijing has the resources, and relevant departments even recruited volunteers from universities. But apart from becoming "another beautiful scenery," what else can these beauties do? Not all representatives and committee members are seventy or eighty years old, and in the footage, no beauties were seen helping them. Apart from smiling in the snow and lining up to display their beauty to the representatives and committee members, they had nothing else to do at the airport.
The meetings require some logistical work, which is truly done by "staff." For example, the representatives and committee members work hard, and it makes sense for someone to help them carry their luggage at the airport. But shouldn't male "staff" be found for this task? Male university students should also be used. But the problem is, doing so would greatly differ from the aesthetic taste of the Chinese bureaucracy. From the county level to the provincial level, at all levels of meetings and leaders' travels, male staff lined up to welcome them has never been seen. Unless children line up holding flowers and singing welcome songs, then there will be boys included.
Therefore, what we are talking about is not a unique idea from a certain province or city, but a tacit rule formed over many years (assuming there are no official documents mandating the use of beauties for receptions). Beauties have almost become a keyword that defines this era. Their first decisive sacrifice for this era was allowing the term "miss" to be turned into a negative connotation. Policemen listed "misses" as targets for anti-prostitution campaigns and posted "anti-pornography videos" online, thinking it only humiliated them rather than the entire nation. Meanwhile, the "beauty economy" emerged, and local officials openly incorporated it into their formal speeches. Today, everything seems to have stabilized. Beauties have become a habitual arrangement as a lubricant in the political arena, while the authorities officially oppose "keeping mistresses."
It could be said that the two sessions are where representatives and committee members go to hold "their own meeting." They are the owners of the meeting, and the logistics are essentially "receiving themselves." Why do they receive themselves with the protocol for foreign guests? This goes against propriety. Secondly, financial transparency is a significant call from the public now. Creating such grandeur costs money! Director Ma of the National Supervision Bureau said that the disclosure of the three public expenses will only be achieved by the end of this year. So, can provinces and cities disclose their conference expenses now? Because it is unimaginable that meeting logistics wouldn’t settle accounts. Just publishing the settlement statements should suffice, right?
Previously, during the two sessions, laptops were provided, including small items like USB drives, with national generosity covering every detail. Technology is advancing, wealth is accumulating, and laptops are becoming less significant, yet economic calculations seem to be overlooked more and more. This year, female representatives and committee members from Zhejiang Province made an appearance at the Great Hall dressed in high-end custom-made cheongsams. The brightness of the female committee members’ group photos is akin to a Zhang Yimou movie scene. Naturally, people may have some thoughts about this. Yes, now the two sessions are not short of money, nor are the representatives and committee members themselves short of money, but such "high-profile appearances" aren't equivalent to deliberately provoking public emotions?
From an international perspective, politics placed before the public to accept "criticism" often isn't very beautiful. Therefore, rule-of-law countries are filled with political scandals. But Chinese politics is increasingly valuing its appearance. In the absence of substantial news to report, the media can only focus on the "beautifully frozen" airport welcoming teams and the snippets of political cheongsams. Unfortunately, such news is approved by relevant parties. Local officials love to flaunt these little touches of elegance, letting such "scandals" shine brightly in the media. Personally, I believe this is quite negative.&；nbsp； Related articles: