A Billion Dreams Against One
by Sam Medley
In the first week of 2013, the notoriously liberal Southern
Weekly of Guangdong Province planned to publish their annual New Year's
Greeting. Before publishing, the newspaper had to submit a draft to the local
propaganda authorities for approval. In the early hours of January first, the
editors were called in to revise the greeting on the grounds that it was too
inflammatory. The original 2,000 word version was cut to 1,000. The title
“China's Dream, the Dream of Constitutionalism” was changed to the more
appealing “We Are Closer to Our Dream Than Ever Before.” It became obvious that
the dreams of the people are second place to the dream of the government. But
what are these dreams? What exactly do the revisions say about hopes for
China's future?
The original unedited version calls for constitutionalism,
strict observance of the nation's constitution on all levels. No more
favoritism. No more class-ism. No more corruption. The greeting demands
justice. It references the nightmare of the Cultural Revolution, the
embarrassment of British Colonial rule, and the cruelty emanating from every
possible direction:
“At one
time, people were distanced from benevolence, righteousness, and the ways of
heaven. They were distanced from the
commitment to freedom.”
But there is still hope—hope that can only be realized
through constitutionalism and the defense of civil liberties. Through this, the
diverse dreams of the whole population can be realized--social mobility,
freedom of speech, and division of power in the government. The article calls
for synthesis of tradition and modernity, of Western and Chinese ways. It ends
with a quote from Nobel Prize winner and activist against Soviet-era labor
camps Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “One word of truth outweighs the whole world.”
The dream is for cooperation and transparency.
Doesn't sound like too tall of an order, does it?
Well, that's not what the provincial propaganda department
thought. Apparently, their dreams don't include justice and liberty. The
revised version applauds the efforts of the nation over the past few years, and
fair enough: China has become a more prominent world power with a much better
economy than it had under Mao's reign. But the government revision ignores just
about everything the original brought to the table. Instead of referencing the
bloody Cultural Revolution, it applauds the anti-imperialist May Fourth
Movement and the bravery of the Opium Wars. It's as if the government wants to
remind people of wounds instead of trying to heal them. The article also
equates justice with a stronger, not necessarily more open, government.
Instead of ending with a quote from a dissident like
Solzhenitsyn, this version contains a quote from the Party's own Xi Jinping,
the general secretary of the CCP Central Committee: “To achieve the
rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation
in modern times.” Once again, the government is looking back. Calls for
equality and reform are squelched. Instead of focusing on hard work, the
government insists that the dream is within grasp.
It appears as if the government and the people want two very
different things. The unedited version of the greeting is open and honest. The
government-sanctioned version is a bit vague on how to accomplish “the dream”
and what “the dream” really is. They're playing close to their chests. They're
investing hope without giving anything away.
Mao Zedong; Hopeless Romantic
Kyle Anderson
纽约时报最近采访哈佛大学著名的历史家Roderick MacFarquhar。1989年这个英国人的硕士论文 “The Origins of the Cultural Revolution” 被几个好奇的中国人翻译成中文。从那时候以来，MacFarquhar就成为家喻户晓的名字。他虽然在哈佛念研究所的时候对于中国没有表现特别明确的兴趣 （他倾向于政治和新闻）他最后被导师说服变成学者。目前为止，MacFarquhar 占据学术世界的令人羡慕的地位：毛泽东优秀的专家。纽约时报记者请他说明毛主席的对于人类文化的贡献。MacFarquhar的角度有一点出乎这位记者的意料的：他是无可救药的浪漫主义者！
Loosening Restrictions on Cinematic Competition
Kyle Anderson
Anti-Japanese Sentiment Returns
Kyle Anderson
中国今日到处连续发生反日游行。这个现象不是什么新鲜事；从三十年代以来，少数中国人对日本一直抱有消极的情绪，不过这一次的反应和以前的示威不一样。以前中日爆发的冲突被点燃的很快，但是怒火也马上随即熄灭。但是如今的现状并非如此。双方的冲突火焰迅速地蔓延到全球。这都是因为钓鱼岛的领土问题所引起的。日本政府声称该岛屿属于他们的国土，甚至干脆愿意出钱购买它！然而，中国政府，媒体和人民完全不同意，指责日本声称买到不能卖出的东西：中国的海岛。这一次的争端似乎不会能悄悄地消失。中国的抗议者越来越多，他们对中国拥有钓鱼岛主权的呼声也越来越高。
抗议者向日本的大使馆抛掷垃圾，尝试把国旗拉下去，一边扔墨水瓶一边大喊威胁的口号：“钓鱼岛是我们的”，“小日本，滚出去”，“打倒日本帝国主义”，“抵制日货”， 甚至说出 “宣战”！ 这种说法很极端，真令人怀疑中日关系的未来是否能和平发展。示威者连日大喊 “哪怕天天被代表，也要收复钓鱼岛” “哪怕养老没人管，也要占领富士山。” 根据这种态度，似乎中国人并不怕通过武力解决问题。。。
这样一来，不少美国人怕太平洋局势未来会有巨大的转变。如果中日关系继续恶化，就肯定会影响美中关系不可。难题在于美国在不影响其经济利益的前提下同时要照顾中方和日方的感受。美国一向保护它的老盟友日本。因此许多官员和军事战略顾问在预估不同的战争局面。虽然如此，美国国防部长帕内塔在他的北京之行里向习近平保证，美国绝对不会遏制中国的发展说：“我们是两个太平洋大国，有着共同关心的问题。我们想开启您所说的美中关系‘新模式’，我们可以从更好的军事关系开始。我确信，我们能够加强交流。” 帕内塔和其他美国代表试图避免钓鱼岛的争端问题，不过他们还是间接地暗示美国对于中方的支持，甚至于表示将会努力增强美中的接触，拓展中国在亚太地区的角色。
Anti-Japanese Protests （NYTimes）
Protests 2 (NYTimes)
Military Meetings （NYTimes）
Steve Sims
Known also as the San he hui, 三合会, the Chinese triads are a widespread underground criminal organization with an estimated 2.5 million members worldwide.
The triads trace their origins back to an original break-off group, the Three Harmonies Society, from the Heaven and Earth society that fought the oppressive Manchurian leaders during the Qing dynasty. Following the rise of the Chinese Communist party and the violent crackdown on criminal activity and non-government groups, the triads fled to safety in the British colony of Hong Kong out of the Communists’ reach.
Either growing from the triads, or attempting to mimic them for power purposes, several “tong” or Chinese “social clubs” emerged on the fringe of triad society, providing a disorganized background to the triads’ organized activities. The triads are extremely family-oriented and often times will end and begin deals or violence acts based on personal family relations.
The triads have long been involved in the traditional illegal activities associated with organized crime: drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, extortion, and gambling rings. In recent years, however, a growth in the tech industry has become a major source of income for the triads, who serve as some of the largest producers and exporters of pirated dvds, fake watches, and counterfeited clothing/purses.
Many modern triads take their names from the detention centers where their families were held during various periods of instability during the 20th century. The same groups often associate in clusters of several triads known as black societies that control large tracts of land. The wealthiest of all the modern triads, Sun Yee On, is estimated to have approximately 40,000 members and their unnamed leader has been officially listed as one of the top 50 most powerful people in all of Asia, heads of state and military leaders included.
The most well renowned triad member in recent history was Wan “Broken Tooth,” Huok-Koi, who led the 14K triad. Huok-Koi was best known for his style that resembled Al Pacino’s in the movie Scarface. He did not get his teeth fixed or capped until he was past his peak as a triad power. In recent years the triads have come into direct confrontation with organized crime syndicates outside of their ranks and territory. They have forced the Russian mafia out of most parts of Russia east of the Ural mountains and are well known for having established dominance over the city of Vladistok.
Hong Kong Baby Boom
Zachary Bush
With an estimated 1,343,239,923 people, China is by far the most populous. Since the 1970’s, the Chinese government has passed laws to deter the population from growing at an ever increasing rate. These laws limit couples in urban areas to only one child. Couples failing to comply are forced to face huge fines through increased taxes and reduced benefits in the workplace. While China’s birth laws have slowed the population growth for the time being, there is new concern and growing controversy making headlines, which involves a loophole some Chinese couples are using to circumvent birth laws.
Residents of Hong Kong are outraged by the loophole that has led to a recent influx of couples from mainland China, who are flocking to hospitals in the province to give birth to second or third children outside the jurisdiction of China mainland birth laws. The increasing number of Hong Kong births has led to higher taxes and a higher overall cost of living for Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong residents are forced to put up with these new costs in order to help the providence cope with the added education and health benefits it must provide for its newly born citizens.
One explanation for this increasing trend among pregnant Chinese mainlanders could be the rising standards of living in China. More Chinese citizens are now able to reach the education levels that were once reserved for only the most elite of their ancestors. China’s rapidly growing economy has led to the startup of more markets for more companies with higher paying jobs than ever before. Couples can afford to stay in places like Hong Kong for months on end before giving birth. Many couples are also financially sound now to the point at which they are able to choose to have multiple children and pay fines that are little more than a nuisance.
To control this problem, Hong Kong will continue to reduce the number of births it permits in its hospitals from expectant mothers in mainland China. However, Hong Kong birth restrictions have already showed signs of a negative externality involving infants. Some expectant mothers have forgone pre-delivery treatment by waiting until the last minute to go to the Hong Kong E.R. for their birth. Infants are usually pre-mature and at a higher risk for physical and mental limitations.
Chinese authorities warn that fines may still be implemented for couples who try to evade mainland birth laws. Authorities have also begun to crack down on groups known as “birth agents” that help shuttle pregnant woman into Hong Kong.
While Chinese authorities warn of fines now, one can only wonder how they will establish control over this issue in the future as the standard of living for the Chinese people continues to grow.
China Case Study: E-Waste
Issue 2
Ever wonder where old computers, cell phones and other electronics end up? In theory, all electronics should be recycled because they contain large amounts of toxic materials contained inside. However, reality shows that most people don’t recycle. Those that do, around 20 percent of Americans, do not realize that this waste does not remain state-side. It is an expensive and time consuming task to dismantle and salvage the recyclable parts. Instead, these electronic recycling companies ship off these potentially dangerous and hazardous materials to developing nations in order to dispose of them. It is much cheaper to have these products taken care of by workers abroad because they do not have strict environmental standards or governmental agencies checking up on their practices.
Our electronic refuse is being ship around the world, including to several cities in China. Guiyu is a city which is almost completely dependent on e-waste for work. Abroad, most of the e-waste is burned or dissolved in acid. The health and environmental impacts that these practices have are massive. The people in these dumping cities take on the task of destroying our e-waste in order to make money off of salvageable materials. Because of the amount of toxins burned off and melted by improper disposal of e-waste, Guiyu has one of the highest levels of cancer-causing dioxins in the world.
Our electronic refuse is being ship around the world, including to several cities in China. Guiyu is a city which is almost completely dependent on e-waste for work. Abroad, most of the e-waste is burned or dissolved in acid. The health and environmental impacts that these practices have are massive. The people in these dumping cities take on the task of destroying our e-waste in order to make money off of salvageable materials. Because of the amount of toxins burned off and melted by improper disposal of e-waste, Guiyu has one of the highest levels of cancer-causing dioxins in the world.
This problem is not caused by the US alone. European nations are smuggling out their electronic waste in order to appear to be following the international treaty that bans the exportation of toxic materials. Other industrialized nations in Asia are dumping their waste in China, India and Pakistan, among others.
The situation in Guiyu is important to understanding the impacts that this kind of trade has on human life. It is also surprising how little media attention that this topic is getting. In an age where technology is being updated constantly, it is safe to assume that this problem will get much worse—more dumping grounds, higher cases of cancers and life-threatening diseases in concentrated areas, environmental impacts, to name a few. When you buy your next IPhone or laptop, think about where your e-waste is going.
结束
The Future of Chinese Government
Issue 1
On October 19, 2010, Vice President Xi Jinping was promoted to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, a key military position that may increase his chances of succeeding current president Hu Jintao. Hu Jintao will step down as Communist Party Leader and President by 2013, and the Chinese people hope that this prospective new leader will implement reforms that will drastically change society.
The Chinese government is still Communist, with a one-party system. This means that there is only one accepted party—all others are banned or not recognized. This does not mean that dissidence does not exist—it does not carry any political clout. There is a growing faction in China that hopes that with a regime change, Xi Jinping would take up more democratic practices. This group is looking for less censorship in the media, more freedom, and more human rights reforms.
An announcement was made by Xi Jinping’s spokespeople that hinted at a possibility of political reform, but there are no concrete plans as to what his reform policy would be. However, the same rhetoric has been used for many years without any changes being made to the political system. Xi’s background might shed some light as to whether there will be any possibility that he will implement any reform. He is the son of a revolutionary elder and he is conservative, which in China would mean that he believes that the Communist Party should continue to be the ruling party. It is uncertain which direction Chinese politics will go until Xi Jinping makes an official statement and whether he will continue to be the most likely candidate.
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