This week marked the 20th anniversary of the Chinese government's violent crackdown on demonstrators in Beijing's Tienanmen Square. While China has made enormous progress toward achieving the "Four Modernizations" (agriculture, industry, technology and defense) it set forth in 1978, the so-called "5th modernization" of democracy remains a direction the Chinese government has been totally unwilling to go. Click here to read an article about the 20th anniversary of the Tienanmen Square incident; then respond to one or more of the following questions:
Why do you think the Chinese government is so unwilling to pursue steps toward democracy?
Do you think the U.S. government should apply more pressure on China to embrace democracy? Why or why not?
Freedom of the press is a fundamental principal of any democracy. How are advances in communications technology such as the internet threatening the choke hold the Chinese government has on the spread of democracy?
In our increasingly globalized world, do you think democracy is inevitable in China and other countries that are resisting it? Why or why not?
2 comments:
If I have to be to be honest, I’m going to be blunt about it. I think China is so unwilling to even think about taking steps towards democracy because they are corrupt. Plain and simple. They don’t want to relinquish their control and let its people govern themselves. It’s simply not a possibility for China (or the one’s in power) to even consider.
Today China has protesters and like in the article they are quickly dealt with harshly and quickly just as in 1989. China seems to hold no remorse for what they’ve done and see it as a rebellion they have stopped because it is a right of theirs as a communist country. The United States interference in this is seen as an insult and I have to agree. China’s citizens are going to have to deal with this themselves. Before China can become a democracy, or anything besides communist, they are going to have to overthrow the government and current people in charge because there is no way they are going to give up power any time soon.
Just like in any nation seeking new freedom, there is going to be a price for such changes. For the United States it was the American Revolution and the Civil War, I wonder what it will be for China?
China knows that its people are looking for a way to change this and for that very reason are holding on tightly, raising security and taking all measures necessary to stay away from democracy. It has plans for the future and they cannot be ruined by a change in political party. It has dark secrets and is keeping everyone out of it that has nothing to do with it. That is why it would also be a bad idea to pester China about it. We buy goods from and owe China a lot of money since they bought up a lot of our debt. It would not be wise to anger a superpower, let alone one we owe money to and has the potential to start war.
Jessica (I still need to know which Jessica this is so I can give you credit for your posts), you have done a nice job describing the dilemma faced by the U.S. between speaking out for better human rights in China and jeopardizing our trade relationship with China and possibly stirring up a major conflict betwen the U.S. and China. Don't forget though that China needs the U.S. economically as much as we need them. In 2006, for example, China imported a total of $55.2 billion in U.S. goods (source: "Top Chinese Exports & Imports" by Daniel Workman, http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_chinese_exports_imports)
In the first paragraph, you have stated that Chinese government officials are corrupt. What evidence do you have to substantiate your allegation?
NOTE: By the end of the year, you guys will be completely SICK of hearing me say, "Substantiate your position!" I am famous for it -- just ask some of my former students! I do this because while your opinion is nice, it's not sufficient, unless you can back it up with facts. So get used to it, everyone!
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