Longtime observers of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have said: “The ‘China question’ is open as long as the CCP rules China.”
And as long as the gates of freedom in China remain closed, as long as these ungainly scars of gates are permitted to stand, it is not the China question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all humankind.
Yet, today there is a quiet yet growing message of hope inside China, a message of triumph, where slowly people are trying to take matters into their own hands and set up a democratic movement inside the country that can finally replace the CCP.
Can this revolution happen, and will it happen?
Time will tell and history will be the judge.
Leaders of democratic countries around the world have long understood the practical importance of liberty — that just as truth can flourish only when journalists are given freedom of speech, so prosperity can come about only when the farmer and businessman enjoy economic freedom. China will learn that in time.
In fact, even now, in a limited way, China’s current leaders may be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Beijing about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released, here and there. Certain foreign news broadcasts and Internet sites are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater freedom from state control.
Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the CCP? Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West or to strengthen the Chinese system without changing it?
One must welcome change and openness; for democratic nations believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the CCP can make that would be unmistakable that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, if you seek liberalization: Go soon to those gates of tyranny and replace them with the gates of freedom.
Former US president Ronald Reagan, who understood the old Soviet Union so well, would surely understand the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict the leaders of China today — and he would know that the West could use all its efforts to help China overcome those burdens. When freedom finally comes to the Chinese people, they and their leaders will be surprised how wonderful it feels.
Today represents a moment of hope.
We in the democratic nations stand ready to cooperate with China to promote true openness, to break down barriers that separate people, to create a safer, freer world.
The authoritarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship.
The authoritarian world finds even symbols of love and of worship an affront.
As one looks at China today, from across the seas, one can perhaps catch a glimpse of some words crudely spray-painted upon a city gate, perhaps by a young Beijinger: “This gate will fall. Beliefs will become reality.”
Yes, across China, those unsightly gates will fall someday.
For China, as Reagan knew so well, cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The gates of China will not be able to withstand freedom.
Dan Bloom is a freelance writer based in Taiwan.
Weeks into the craze, nobody quite knows what to make of the OpenClaw mania sweeping China, marked by viral photos of retirees lining up for installation events and users gathering in red claw hats. The queues and cosplay inspired by the “raising a lobster” trend make for irresistible China clickbait. However, the West is fixating on the least important part of the story. As a consumer craze, OpenClaw — the AI agent designed to do tasks on a user’s behalf — would likely burn out. Without some developer background, it is too glitchy and technically awkward for true mainstream adoption,
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
A delegation of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials led by Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is to travel to China tomorrow for a six-day visit to Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, which might end with a meeting between Cheng and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). The trip was announced by Xinhua news agency on Monday last week, which cited China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Song Tao (宋濤) as saying that Cheng has repeatedly expressed willingness to visit China, and that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and Xi have extended an invitation. Although some people have been speculating about a potential Xi-Cheng
RSS