Sunday, January 23, 2005
Silent China
My trip to China was truly fascinating. Unfortunately, between a packed schedule and mediocre internet connection, I didn't get a chance to do much blogging.
The most obvious evidence that China is still China was the death of Zhao Ziyang this past Monday. Zhao was a senior party official for many years and was the one leader who showed public support for the students in Tienamen Square. Shortly thereafter he was toppled and spent the next 15 years under house arrest.
When he died it was a front page story in the Hong Kong papers as well as the International Herald Tribune. On the mainland, however, the state radio and television stations were under orders not to broadcast the news. It merited only a brief mention in The People's Daily buried deep in the paper. Plainclothes police kept mourners from visiting Zhao's house. By the end of the week things had softened a bit and the party had agreed to bury Zhao in the Chinese equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery.
Still it was apparent that political control is still tight in the People's Republic of China. Don't mistake the opening of the economic system for a political awakening. Based on my conversations with ordinary Chinese folks there isn't a huge appetite for more political freedom. They want the freedom to make money and they don't want party spies in every corner, but beyond that they don't care.
Long term the ability to have strong economic growth without Western-style democracy will be the biggest threat to that democracy. China will be the world's largest economy within a few years and they will begin calling more shots that we realize. We are, as the old Chinese curse says, living in interesting times.
The most obvious evidence that China is still China was the death of Zhao Ziyang this past Monday. Zhao was a senior party official for many years and was the one leader who showed public support for the students in Tienamen Square. Shortly thereafter he was toppled and spent the next 15 years under house arrest.
When he died it was a front page story in the Hong Kong papers as well as the International Herald Tribune. On the mainland, however, the state radio and television stations were under orders not to broadcast the news. It merited only a brief mention in The People's Daily buried deep in the paper. Plainclothes police kept mourners from visiting Zhao's house. By the end of the week things had softened a bit and the party had agreed to bury Zhao in the Chinese equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery.
Still it was apparent that political control is still tight in the People's Republic of China. Don't mistake the opening of the economic system for a political awakening. Based on my conversations with ordinary Chinese folks there isn't a huge appetite for more political freedom. They want the freedom to make money and they don't want party spies in every corner, but beyond that they don't care.
Long term the ability to have strong economic growth without Western-style democracy will be the biggest threat to that democracy. China will be the world's largest economy within a few years and they will begin calling more shots that we realize. We are, as the old Chinese curse says, living in interesting times.
