The arrogant official

There is a reason why Xi Jinping’s recent tour of Shenzhen did not involve a motorcade or a fanfare. Public cynicism about government officials more interested in their own power than the public good has been particularly high in recent months.

One could point to any number of incidents in the past year that contributed to the public’s mistrust of officials. There was of course the Bo Xilai affair, China’s biggest political scandal in 30 years. Meanwhile, Sichuan’s deputy party boss, Li Chuncheng, has probably been the most high profile person to be investigated since Xi Jinping took over, according to Reuters.

It’s not just corruption that’s making people angry. It is also ostentatious displays of wealth and power. In September, safety official Yang Dacai was fired for smiling at the scene of a fatal accident and displaying his collection of brand-name watches.

Now, the public has another powerful, well-connected person to be angry with.

Yesterday it was reported by TV5 that around two weeks ago, a 64 year-old man was knocked over by a luxury car at a zebra crossing in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. The driver of the car did not help but stopped and flashed her I.D. showing that she was a deputy to the National People’s Congress before fleeing.

The driver has since been identified as a woman surnamed Wang, a professor at Guangdong Marine University, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.

The victim, surnamed Chen, broke nothing but his glasses, but he was very saddened, as were a lot of netizens.

One Sina Weibo user said “If these people aren’t leading the country, then what use are they?” Another said “We all know perfectly well that these deputies have special privileges.” Another called for her to be forced to get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness.

China recently introduced strict and controversial traffic rules, so the fact that a public official brazenly ignored traffic rules makes the controversy even more serious.

It is not yet known what if any consequences she will face.