Martian2
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2009
- Messages
- 5,809
- Reaction score
- -37
The designation of Mr. Xi Jinping as the next President of China seems to be a continuation of current CCP policies. According to the Wall Street Journal article below, Mr. Xi is a moderate and cautious man, who is loyal to the party.
Premier Wen Jiabao is correct in saying that the Chinese people deserve the right to speak freely. However, the Chinese people already have the right to freely discuss economic and scientific ideas. It is the right to freely criticize or destabilize the CCP government that is curtailed. In the long run (e.g. in forty years), I agree that Premier Wen Jiabao is correct that the Chinese people should also have the right to free public discourse on political issues.
However, we have seen the decade(s) of damage that Russia suffered under the sudden shift to Glastnost and Pereistroika. China must not heed Premier Wen Jiabao's call at this time and repeat the grave Russian mistakes.
Democracy takes time to build. America declared independence in 1776. It was not until 1920 (e.g. 144 years later) that women were granted the right to vote "with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provided: 'The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of ***.'"
Analogous to the successful and incremental economic reforms, China should implement political reforms slowly and incrementally. With regards to political reforms, China should listen to Deng Xiaoping's maxim. "DENG Xiaoping said crossing the river by feeling the stones. '摸着石头过河 (mōzhe shítou guòhé
。'”
China Puts Xi on Track to Lead - WSJ.com
"China Anoints Its Next Leader
October 17, 2010
By Jeremy Page
Chinese President Hu Jintao, left, talks with Xi Jinping after the closing ceremony of the National People's Congress in March 2009.
...
Mr. Xi has maintained a low public profile, though on a visit to Mexico last year he openly mocked foreign attitudes toward China.
"Some foreigners with full bellies and nothing better to do engage in finger-pointing at us," he said. "First, China does not export revolution; second, it does not export famine and poverty; and third, it does not mess around with you. So what else is there to say?"
...
Senior U.S. officials said they viewed Mr. Xi as a moderate who is well briefed on the U.S.-China relationship. They said that like many of China's senior leaders, he was difficult to read, though they said he appeared very engaged on key economic and strategic issues involving China and the world.
...
His promotion now clearly marks him out as the pre-eminent member of a new generation of leaders. Unlike the present generation, who are mostly engineers and scientists, the new crop have relatively diverse academic backgrounds, including social scientists, lawyers and a historian.
...
But his generation of leaders also has had greater exposure to Western ideas than its predecessors did.
Attention is now focused on who will replace the seven of nine members of the Standing Committee who are due to retire at the next Party Congress in 2012.
The question has been building in importance as the party has been caught up in an intense and unusually public debate about its future ever since Mr. Wen—who is 68 and one of those due to retire in 2012—made a surprise appeal for political reform in August.
Mr. Wen is widely expected to be succeeded by current Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who was once seen as another potential candidate for the top spot.
Some leaders are thought to favor limited internal reforms to make the authoritarian government more responsive to the needs of an increasingly complex society, while others fear that any such moves could unleash social unrest and eventually topple the party.
What is clear from Mr. Xi's biography is that he has always remained loyal to the Party....
...
Mr. Hormats added that Mr. Xi "stressed China's 'going-global' strategy and noted that China is now in a new phase of reform and opening-up."
...
A communique published by the state-run Xinhua news agency also pledged to make "vigorous yet steady efforts to promote political restructuring," but gave no details about what that would entail or how fast it would progress.
—Jay Solomon contributed to this article.
Write to Jeremy Page at jeremy.page@wsj.com"
Premier Wen Jiabao is correct in saying that the Chinese people deserve the right to speak freely. However, the Chinese people already have the right to freely discuss economic and scientific ideas. It is the right to freely criticize or destabilize the CCP government that is curtailed. In the long run (e.g. in forty years), I agree that Premier Wen Jiabao is correct that the Chinese people should also have the right to free public discourse on political issues.
However, we have seen the decade(s) of damage that Russia suffered under the sudden shift to Glastnost and Pereistroika. China must not heed Premier Wen Jiabao's call at this time and repeat the grave Russian mistakes.
Democracy takes time to build. America declared independence in 1776. It was not until 1920 (e.g. 144 years later) that women were granted the right to vote "with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provided: 'The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of ***.'"
Analogous to the successful and incremental economic reforms, China should implement political reforms slowly and incrementally. With regards to political reforms, China should listen to Deng Xiaoping's maxim. "DENG Xiaoping said crossing the river by feeling the stones. '摸着石头过河 (mōzhe shítou guòhé
。'”China Puts Xi on Track to Lead - WSJ.com
"China Anoints Its Next Leader
October 17, 2010
By Jeremy Page
Chinese President Hu Jintao, left, talks with Xi Jinping after the closing ceremony of the National People's Congress in March 2009.
...
Mr. Xi has maintained a low public profile, though on a visit to Mexico last year he openly mocked foreign attitudes toward China.
"Some foreigners with full bellies and nothing better to do engage in finger-pointing at us," he said. "First, China does not export revolution; second, it does not export famine and poverty; and third, it does not mess around with you. So what else is there to say?"
...
Senior U.S. officials said they viewed Mr. Xi as a moderate who is well briefed on the U.S.-China relationship. They said that like many of China's senior leaders, he was difficult to read, though they said he appeared very engaged on key economic and strategic issues involving China and the world.
...
His promotion now clearly marks him out as the pre-eminent member of a new generation of leaders. Unlike the present generation, who are mostly engineers and scientists, the new crop have relatively diverse academic backgrounds, including social scientists, lawyers and a historian.
...
But his generation of leaders also has had greater exposure to Western ideas than its predecessors did.
Attention is now focused on who will replace the seven of nine members of the Standing Committee who are due to retire at the next Party Congress in 2012.
The question has been building in importance as the party has been caught up in an intense and unusually public debate about its future ever since Mr. Wen—who is 68 and one of those due to retire in 2012—made a surprise appeal for political reform in August.
Mr. Wen is widely expected to be succeeded by current Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who was once seen as another potential candidate for the top spot.
Some leaders are thought to favor limited internal reforms to make the authoritarian government more responsive to the needs of an increasingly complex society, while others fear that any such moves could unleash social unrest and eventually topple the party.
What is clear from Mr. Xi's biography is that he has always remained loyal to the Party....
...
Mr. Hormats added that Mr. Xi "stressed China's 'going-global' strategy and noted that China is now in a new phase of reform and opening-up."
...
A communique published by the state-run Xinhua news agency also pledged to make "vigorous yet steady efforts to promote political restructuring," but gave no details about what that would entail or how fast it would progress.
—Jay Solomon contributed to this article.
Write to Jeremy Page at jeremy.page@wsj.com"
Last edited:
