The Chinese writer Lu Xun (
Undoubtedly, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made some significant achievements during the past fifty years. However, it has also brought unprecedented miseries and sufferings to the Chinese people. According to the estimation of a number of scholars, a total of 30-40 million Chinese died during this past fifty years as a result of man-made famines, score settling and political struggles. Without external enemies or civil war, these people died at the hands of their own fellow countrymen. Surely history can have no other example of a country so amazingly self destructive. The Chinese people, however, even now do not dare to examine their painful past or question their government. Where else are people so submissive? North Korea perhaps.
China is a great nation in terms of its population, territory, economy, military strength and diplomatic clout -- though it should be said that much of the world's perception of China's strength comes from the inflated figures China itself provides. Nevertheless Western countries have fallen under the spell of such massaged statistics. Executives of multinationals remain spell-bound by China's vast market, even though reality proves that, just like de Gaulle's famouse comment about Brazil, China remains a classic case of "the triumph of hope over experience."
The truth of the matter is statistics and figures do not necessarily speak in favor of China. China with a population five time greater then the US, has a GDP only 20 percent as large. The average per capita GNP is about US$730 which ranks 81st among all countries in the world. In the UN's human development index, China's ranking falls outside of the top 100.
China contributed merely 3 percent of the total world trade volume in 1997, about the same as South Korea and less than the Netherlands. Despite the hype about the Chinese market, less than 2.54 percent of US exports go to China, about the same as the US exports to Australia and Belgium -- and less than the US exports to Taiwan. Japan sends only 5.1 percent of its exports to China, about 25 percent less than Japanese exports to Taiwan.
The ancient Greek and Roman cultures have submerged and vanished in the current of time. Among the ancient cultures, only the Chinese culture remains. However, the Chinese have thoroughly and brutally devastated their own culture, only fragments have survived. In terms of philosophy, literature, films and art, the vitality exhibited by Taiwan and Hong Kong -- small in size and limited in human resources -- far surpass China today. All that is left of Chinese culture today to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of the PRC is a skeletal ruin and old men's memories.
In recent years, China's society and economy have both undergone significant changes. However, the Chinese government system remains unchanged. Such a gigantic and complicated country is still run by a small group of people through a secretive policy-making process. The Chinese leaders maintain a power equilibrium through endless political struggle. It is something of a miracle that this kind of anachronistic Leninist party is still capable of remaining in power. But it can only be a fantasy to expect this party to turn China into a demoractic modernized country.
Many foreigners, particularly Germans, are struck by the efficiency of Taiwan’s administration in routine matters. Driver’s licenses, household registrations and similar procedures are handled swiftly, often decided on the spot, and occasionally even accompanied by preferential treatment. However, this efficiency does not extend to all areas of government. Any foreigner with long-term residency in Taiwan — just like any Taiwanese — would have encountered the opposite: agencies, most notably the police, refusing to accept complaints and sending applicants away at the counter without consideration. This kind of behavior, although less common in other agencies, still occurs far too often. Two cases
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
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Most countries are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with condemnations of militarism and imperialism, and commemoration of the global catastrophe wrought by the war. On the other hand, China is to hold a military parade. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Beijing is conducting the military parade in Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to “mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.” However, during World War II, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had not yet been established. It
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