我不会噤若寒蝉Unlike the bulk of mainland government officials, Liao Xinbo, 58, is never shy about expressing his opinions in public, even when they go against those of his bosses. In the decade since he was named deputy director of the Guangdong Health Department, he has been a media darling, and his blog is one of the most popular on the mainland. In April, he was abruptly dismissed and became an inspector of the provincial health authority – essentially a ceremonial position, although his pay was raised to be on par with that of the provincial health authority’s director. Many people felt sympathy for Liao, saying he was demoted because of his outspokenness, but Liao said he wouldn’t change.

How do you view your job change?

As an official working in the government or public institutions for several decades, I know I should absolutely toe the line of the upper-level bosses. I have never asked the reason behind my job change. But at the same time, I am confused: why pay me so well but let me take up an idle position? Before then, I was in charge of health reform and other hospital-related affairs, and was one of the busiest leaders in the provincial Health Department. Some people say things now are not bad for me because I have better treatment and don’t need to do much. But I don’t like it, and it’s not in line with my personality. I am not a loafer. I want to do things and I need a platform.

You like to talk to the media, and you are a diligent blogger. What do you think about that now?

It’s not that I never expected my career within the government would be affected. Therefore I thank Wang Yang (former Guangdong party head and current Politburo member) for creating the atmosphere and advocating that officials speak out freely. Over the past decade, no one warned me or told me to shut up or stopped my blog. So the recent change of my position is a surprise to me, but I will still be open and frank in talking about medical reform. I won’t be like a cicada in cold weather or flatter the authorities.

Most officials normally shun the media. Why are you so different?

First of all, it’s because of my honest and straightforward character. But I should say there are many other officials with the same character. Secondly, expressing my own true opinions is motivated by my conscience and responsibility. There seems to be a code of conduct among mainland officials that you should not reveal all of your thoughts, and you can’t speak out when you know something is not right. I have been educated for decades by the Communist Party that we officials ought to “serve the people”. I think I should not only do my job well and maximise my capabilities, but also let the public know what they deserve to know. In that way, I can truly serve the public.

Do you care about what the public think of you?

Yes, I care very much about the public’s assessment of me. But, I don’t care how the authorities view me. Some officials say I am too high-profile, but there are also many officials who admire my courage. Several years ago, a domestic media outlet selected me as one of the top 50 charismatic people on the mainland, along with star entertainers and some very senior mainland leaders. Another media outlet marked me as an epitome of an official in the future, when China becomes more democratic. These honours are important to me, and I cherish them. Since I started my blog at the end of 2005, I have written 2,500 articles and have 3.6 million fans. To those that say I talk to the public to gain “political capital”, my answer is that I haven’t gained any.

As a Guangdong health authority inspector, what’s your main duty?

My responsibilities include health inspection and foreign affairs. Health inspection involves assessing food safety and the hygiene and radiation status of public venues. It’s a weak government function and becoming weaker. On the foreign affairs side, I am responsible for sending Guangdong doctors on overseas support missions, carrying out medical cooperation between Guangdong and overseas, and attracting foreign investment in health-related areas.

Why has there been so little progress in medical reform?

There are some other government departments involved in medical reform besides the health authority, and I don’t think all of them share a common view about health reform. They have their own agendas and don’t put their efforts into pushing the reform in the same direction. So the more these authorities do, the more chaotic the situation becomes. Another stumbling block is that most of our government officials don’t understand why there are public hospitals. They use a market economy mindset to manage public hospitals.

You have criticised authorities for underfunding public hospitals. Did you allocate more when you were in the health department?

I tried to push, but I wasn’t powerful enough. On average government funding accounts for only about 10 per cent of a public hospital’s revenue, forcing these health institutions to chase profits. This is the quintessential reason for the problems in public health, such as high medical costs and strained hospital-patient relations. I remember once I asked leaders of our provincial financial department to increase funding to public hospitals and they said no, on the argument that public hospitals made profits. They didn’t stop to think that the whole idea was so absurd and seemed to believe their answer was justified. I felt enraged and sad.