Government policies in the US are often characterized by the silliness of their acronyms, like the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) or PATRIOT (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) acts. In China, the favored ridiculous convention is enumeration.
Government policies in the US are often characterized by the silliness of their acronyms, like the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) or PATRIOT (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) acts. In China, the favored ridiculous convention is enumeration.
Consider current president Xi Jinping’s new proposal: the “Four Comprehensives,” a group of items he laid out in detail in a People’s Daily editorial on Feb 24, after first introducing the idea late last year. The plan sets the stage for Xi’s plans to do something “comprehensive” to the economy, in reforms, about the rule of law, and against corruption in the coming years. Sounds bold.
The Four Comprehensives are the latest in a long tradition of numbered Communist Party policies. Like American acronyms, these are usually forced. They almost always sound comical.
Here is a comprehensive list of major numbered party policies from Mao to now. May we look forward to more in the future.
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