Posted on 04/27/2005 7:40:39 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my translation
China, "A Pressure Cooker Which Can Blow Up Anytime"
Seven Oppressions in China: an Analysis by Asia Weekly
Ji Hae-bum hbjee@chosun.com
04/26/05
Chinese society is like a 'pressure cooker' with its safety lid tightly closed. recent anti-Japanese protest served as a way to relieving pressure from 7 oppressions by (Chinese) authorities.
The latest (May 1st) issue of 'The Asia Weekly' in Hong Kong assessed, "For last 15 years, under the slogan, ' Stability is above everything else,' China repressed the freedom of public assembly, which was guaranteed in their constitution, thus closing the channel for expressing discontent and frustration. (Recent) Anti-Japanese protest is the violent expression of venting out such frustrations."
The weekly list the following items as 7 oppressions:
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For nationalim, anti-Japanese sentiment is rising in proportion to the rightward movement of Japan. The government restricted the activities for 'Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Daoyutai(Senkaku in Japanese) Islands, emphasizing 'stability and safeguarding Sino-Japanese relation.' The weekly pointed out the stark contrast between anti-Japanese fervor among people and silent medias.
Workers, 900 million peasants, and retired veterans pushed out of military due to troop reduction, were once the center of the society, but now relegated to the 'margin of the society.' veteran's protests and peasant uprisings and their suppression, which occurred this year, indicates their pent-up frustration, according to this magazine.
University students and intellectuals are also watched by authorities since they are spiritual compatriots of June 4 Tienanmen Uprising. However, such oppression only exposes the limit of current regime and it would start the engine of social change.
Chinese regime dispatches 'Internet sweeper' to erase any posts which touch on sensitive issues, but this would end up constricting Chinese potential in Cyber-world. In 'Law of assembly and street protest' announced in Oct., 1989, it stipulates 'first-apply-and-later-approve', which abrogate constitutional right.
The magazine warned, 'Right after (anti-Japanese) protests in Beijing, President Hu Jin-tao convened the emergency meeting of the Standing Committee at Chinese Communist Politburo. He gave a stern instruction 'to keep protests from turning violent or becoming a conduit for venting other grievances.' The society with so much accumulated discontent has to release it gradually. Otherwise, even a small social conflict can set off pent-up anger leading to a social crisis."
/end my translationOtherwise
Ping!
Hasn't this happened before?
I'm a little vague on Chinese history, but I think there have been large-scale rebellions in the past 100 years.
It won't be pretty.
China is an interesting enigma. There are many who view the giant as a monster bent on imperialism that will one day swallow Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Korean peninsula and most of the eastern Pacific; many more others that say China will never venture beyond her on borders (they point to history, and the fact that China once built a Great Wall to keep intruders out/culture in.)
--I would like to think that some good can come out of the disintegration-(probably into chaos similar to that preceding WW2)- of a nation of 1.3 billion people, nuclear-armed and, incidentally, one of our leading trading partners--but I have a hard time imagining what it will be--
If they are strong enough, they will venture out. They already swallowed Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang. It can expand, or disintegrate, or hunker down. They all happened before.
The Romans also built a wall.
Quote: many more others that say China will never venture beyond her on borders (they point to history, and the fact that China once built a Great Wall to keep intruders out/culture in.)
This only applies to the china of the past when they were isolationist and had no reason to go from their shores. Today they are world exporters of goods and will send their military might/political clout to protect their oil supply/natural resources sources if they should be cut off or slowed in order to protect their economy.
That is why they are making deals with Iran, Libya, Venzuela etc
Chinese peasant uprising has no parallels in other countries, in terms of their destructive power and regularity in Chinese history. It frequently unleash demographic collapse. It is not uncommon that, during inter-dynasty periods of uprisings and civil war, 2/3 of population perished.
Heard an intesting interview on TV which sheds some light on Chinese thinking. They were on a tour with a tour guide and came to Tianammen square. The person I heard asked the tour guide something to the effect of "Why is this here?". By that they meant why here and not somewhere else.
For the longest time the tour guide was perplexed and looked at him like he had just emerged from an alien spacecraft.
Finally she gave a response which was something to the effect of that this location was the "center of the world".
This is the mentality that the Chinese have and have had for a very long time.
I found it an interesting anecdote.
Now that my CRS has temporarily abated, I think this interview was a CSPAM interview with Tom Brokaw.
Tell that to the Koreans, the Vietnamese and the Tibetans.
You wouldn't realize how ingrained such a mentality is. They cannot stand being outside the center.
"many more others that say China will never venture beyond her on borders (they point to history, and the fact that China once built a Great Wall to keep intruders out/culture in.)"
WHAT!
In the last hundred years, China has invaded Mongolia, Tibet, Vietnam, India, and some might argue, the Spratley islands and other small island groups.
I guess another parallel with Rome - "all roads lead to Beijing". Probably useful to think of the Chinese as the modern day Romans. (Of course the Chinese would view the Romans as arrivistes since their empire was a mere 2000 years ago LOL)
...or the Panama Canal zone residents, for that matter. ;)
Mostly one way. 20% of China's exports go to the US and 10% of its imports come from the US. Our biggest export market is Canada (22.4%), followed by Mexico (13.9%), Japan (7.9%), UK (5.6%), and Germany (4.1%).
China’s trade surplus with the United States was $162 billion in 2004, a 30.6% increase since 2003 and the United States' largest bilateral deficit. China has refused to increase the value of its currency, which has expanded the bilateral trade gap. China’s intransigence has encouraged other Asian nations to slow or even prevent increases in their currencies.
The U.S. trade deficit with China is now the largest the United States has with any country in the world. China alone was responsible for more than half of the increase in the non-oil trade deficit in 2004. U.S. imports from China are more than five times the value of U.S. exports to China, making this the United States’ most imbalanced trading relationship. The U.S. imports from China were $196.7 billion in 2004 (an increase of 29%), making China the second largest exporter of goods to the United States, behind only Canada’s $256 billion export total. At current rates of growth, China will surpass Canada and become the largest supplier of U.S. imports in 2006.
Yeah, they just recently opened a takeout place in my small rural town. Sneaky, insidious bastards....
I live in a small town with one chinese restraunt until 6 months ago when another one opened. You ought to see how they hate each other and try to "downgrade" each other. I love it.
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