The gap between urban and rural incomes and the growing disparity between rich and poor is viewed by the Chinese government as a major factor in the growing social unrest that has threatened the stability of the one-party state. In response to this problem, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (
In 2004, China's National People's Congress (NPC) amended the Constitution to stipulate that "legally obtained private property of the citizens shall not be violated," a move viewed by many observers as a major step toward privatization. However, just when the NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were about to convene, Beijing decided to shelve the draft law on property rights, thereby bringing to a halt the legislative process related to property and real-estate ownership. The draft law was initiated 10 years ago and was repeatedly debated in recent meetings of the NPC. The contents of the draft law have also been revised a number of times over the past four years.
The draft law, which aims to protect private property ownership, could have been a milestone in China's drive to build a viable legal system. Unfortunately, some leftist academics recently wrote a letter to the NPC, arguing that the draft law violated the spirit of a socialist Constitution. Bowing to the pressure, Chinese leaders let the reform fizzle.
Over the years China has been attempting to build what it calls "socialism with Chinese characteristics." Since the reign of former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (
China's development is unevenly distributed, with rich coastal cities and an impoverished hinterland. It is home to 750 million farmers, and agricultural issues are a major headache. If farmers do not have secure ownership rights over their land and assured ownership of their harvest, their motivation to increase production will be low. This is the root of China's problem. Since farmers do not own their land, economic liberalization has led to rampant government corruption in which agricultural land has been forcibly arrogated or urban dwellings demolished by government officials. This is the cause of many of the 70,000 to 80,000 demonstrations every year that plague China.
Taiwan's own agricultural reform began with the April 14, 1949, rent reduction and "land to the tiller" movement, in which agricultural reform was used to support industrial reform. Whether from an economic or social perspective, this was a hugely impactful policy.
China is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and regulatory conflicts are likely to be a future bottleneck. The security of private property fuels the fundamental spirit of a free economy, and the rule of law is the basis of its operation. The fact that China has retreated back along the road to reform has led its people to doubt the government's commitment to economic development. The fact that reform continues to be delayed has made the gatherings of the NPC and CPPCC, which might otherwise have been historic events, no more than the usual political get-together.
The bird flu outbreak at US dairy farms keeps finding alarming new ways to surprise scientists. Last week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that H5N1 is spreading not just from birds to herds, but among cows. Meanwhile, media reports say that an unknown number of cows are asymptomatic. Although the risk to humans is still low, it is clear that far more work needs to be done to get a handle on the reach of the virus and how it is being transmitted. That would require the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get
For the incoming Administration of President-elect William Lai (賴清德), successfully deterring a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attack or invasion of democratic Taiwan over his four-year term would be a clear victory. But it could also be a curse, because during those four years the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will grow far stronger. As such, increased vigilance in Washington and Taipei will be needed to ensure that already multiplying CCP threat trends don’t overwhelm Taiwan, the United States, and their democratic allies. One CCP attempt to overwhelm was announced on April 19, 2024, namely that the PLA had erred in combining major missions
On April 11, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech at a joint meeting of the US Congress in Washington, in which he said that “China’s current external stance and military actions present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge … to the peace and stability of the international community.” Kishida emphasized Japan’s role as “the US’ closest ally.” “The international order that the US worked for generations to build is facing new challenges,” Kishida said. “I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders,” he said. “Japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder
Former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) used to push for reforms to protect Taiwan by adopting the “three noes” policy as well as “Taiwanization.” Later, then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) wished to save the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) by pushing for the party’s “localization,” hoping to compete with homegrown political parties as a pro-Taiwan KMT. However, the present-day members of the KMT do not know what they are talking about, and do not heed the two former presidents’ words, so the party has suffered a third consecutive defeat in the January presidential election. Soon after gaining power with the help of the KMT’s