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206-12-26
加拿大《环球邮报》刊登了约克（GEOFFREY YORK）的署名文章，题为《上海特别地位之死》（The death of Shanghai's special status），指出上海的政治影响力明显下降，中央政府正在加紧调查上海政治领导人的腐败丑闻，这座城市享受了十多年政治特权已经消逝。以下是文章的全文：
有着沉郁的哥特尖顶和塔楼的马勒别墅（MollerVilla）是上海法租界殖民建筑中的黑色城堡。在别墅的黑色铁门上，有告示说它因“内部装修”关闭。上政府牌的神秘的黑色小车挺在墙外。警察和保安人员在附近巡逻，监视摄像机在门口监督。
在别墅的高墙后，一群秘密的中共调查员在给予上海的独立性致命打击。据中国的报道，这些负责腐败调查的调查员有超过100人，已经帮助中央政府控制了这座享受政治特权十多年的城市。
这座别墅是一位瑞典大亨在上世纪三十年代建成的，后来被改装成酒店。它已经被北京的调查员所占据，调查上海政治领导人的腐败丑闻。四个月过去了，调查似乎还没有到头。酒店员工表示该别墅将至少再关闭6个月。
今夏，一位上海高官被捕，原因是涉嫌挪用4亿美元地方养老基金并把这些资金投入高风险的房地产和公路投资。
然后在九月，该市的市委书记陈良宇被撤职接受调查。据报道，数十人牵涉此案，当中包括其他高级官员。
陈良宇是十多年里被正式指控的最高层的官员。他的下台以及反腐败调查员的进驻表明上海的特殊地位已经消逝。
上海的居民已经注意到地位的丧失。胡锦涛和温家宝很少访问上海，而且上海行程很短暂。
影响力消失也可以从其他地方看到：因担心“泡沫”，北京最近采取打击上海楼市的措施；已经讨论多年的上海迪士尼主题公园计划没有得到中央政府的批准。北京已经延迟对该公园项目的批准，据报道，迪士尼公司现在在寻觅中国的其他地点。
在过去，上海被视为国家展示窗口。它赢得了一系列有利的项目，包括2010年世博会和耗资3.5亿美元的一级方程式赛道。该市甚至梦想成为世界金融之都，现在这个梦似乎并不现实。
市场调研公司通亚（Access Asia）的分析师保罗.弗伦奇（Paul French）认为上海政治影响力的下降会损害在该市繁荣之初享受信贷优惠的房地产开发公司，但该市的经济足够强大，可以生存下去。
他认为上海的经济将变得非政治化，而这将增强它的增长。经过多年的得天独厚优待，上海有能力自立。它的基础设施已经就位，而且它是一个非常优越的物流运输基地。上海现在无疑是一个世界都市。
前加拿大驻上海外交官王凯（Murray King）现在在该市担任通信顾问。他认为上海的经济越来越以服务和物流为基础。该市有着雄厚的私人投资——特别是外商投资和台湾香港投资，较少依赖于中央政府。
他认为，如果上海的丑闻发生在五年前，那该市要保持增长会有困难——没有世博会，许多基础设施工程会停顿。但上海的私有和国际商务环境现在已经发展到一定程度，很大程度上可以自足，不容易受到政府丑闻的负面影响。“我肯定上海会再次成为中国的真正的国际都会，高官腐败调查是这个转变过程中的及时和健康的部分。”
附《环球邮报》原文：
The death of Shanghai's special status
GEOFFREY YORK 2006-12-25 15:09 The Globe and Mail
SHANGHAI -- With its gloomy Gothic spires and turrets, the Moller Villa is a dark castle brooding on the skyline above the colonial buildings of Shanghai's French concession. At the villa's black iron gate, a sign says it is closed for "interior refitting." But there is no evidence of renovations. Mysterious black cars with government plates park outside the walls. Policemen and security guards loiter nearby, while a surveillance camera guards the entrance.
Behind the villa's high brick walls, a secret team of Communist Party investigators is dealing a death blow to Shanghai's independence. The corruption investigators -- more than 100 of them, according to Chinese reports -- have helped the central government seize control of a city that enjoyed special political privileges for more than a decade.
The villa, built by a Swedish tycoon in the 1930s and later converted to a hotel, has been commandeered by an army of investigators from Beijing who are probing a widening corruption scandal among Shanghai's political leaders. After four months, no end to the probe is in sight. Hotel staff say the villa will be closed for another six months at least.
The scandal began last summer when a senior Shanghai official was arrested on suspicion of misappropriating $400-million in local pension funds and diverting them into high-risk investments in real estate and highway projects.
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Then, in September, the city's top leader -- Communist Party secretary Chen Liangyu -- was sacked from office and put under investigation for alleged involvement in the same scandal. Dozens of people, including other senior officials, were reportedly implicated in the affair, and dismissals continued this month.
Mr. Chen is the highest ranking Communist official to be formally accused of wrongdoing in more than a decade. His demise, and the presence of the anti-corruption investigators, is evidence that Shanghai's special status is dead.
Under the rule of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, the city had enjoyed remarkable power and autonomy, including tax breaks and other preferences. Mr. Jiang had ascended to power through the ranks in Shanghai, and he had installed a "Shanghai gang" of cronies and protegés to safeguard his power.
But the new president, Hu Jintao, has slowly dismantled the clique and removed its members from key positions of power.
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