It is going to be a hot summer for the Chinese leadership. The new leadership, headed by President Hu Jintao, has reportedly decided to end the annual summer meetings at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, where top-ranking officials swam, relaxed and held "informal discussion sessions" that set policy for the country. The decision is equal parts a public-relations gimmick and a smooth maneuver to reduce the influence of the old guard. It is one more effort by President Hu to distinguish his government from those of his predecessors.
For nearly half a century, the Chinese Communist Party leadership retreated to Beidaihe in Harbin Province each summer. The very name of the city conjured up images of luxury and officialdom. Yet the annual exodus was not all rest and relaxation. Key decisions were made in the beachside bungalows; in fact, some of the most important decisions of state were made there, far from the official locus of power. Beidahe was valuable just for that reason: it allowed the Chinese leadership to hold caucuses far removed from the small amount of official scrutiny that did exist. Deals were done and careers were made or traded away.
The decision to end the Beidaihe meetings marks a formal break with the past. It is intended to signal the new leadership's determination to be more transparent and accord more respect to the rule of law. The move is only the most recent initiative that President Hu has made to distinguish his administration from that of his predecessor, Mr. Jiang Zemin. In another symbolic move, before his first overseas trip, Mr. Hu abolished the elaborate ceremonies that were held upon the departure and return of top officials.