How to prevent sycophancy in China’s civil service
The country’s government is organised in a way that could help
Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty is often regarded as one of China’s greatest rulers, in part because he surrounded himself with intelligent and forthright advisers. His minister, Wei Zheng, defined a good official as one who does not flatter and dares to point out a ruler’s mistakes. A bad official, according to Wei, always says yes to the ruler, attempts to please him by any means and goes along with him even when he is wrong.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Who’s the boss?”
From the March 4th 2023 edition
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