China as the People´s Republic at 59: A High-Achieving Beauty...with a Blemish
Wendy Liu
October 01, 2008
October 1st this year marks the 59th anniversary of the founding of the People´s Republic of China in 1949 that began the socialist new China. The celebration also coincides with that of the 30th anniversary of the Reform and Opening Up program launched in 1978 that has turned China into a powerful socialist-capitalist hybrid.
The list is long, and well known, of the achievement of the People´s Republic, from the fastest-growing economy to the most spectacular Olympics to the just completed spacewalk by the Shenzhou VII taikonauts. There is no need for me to count the ways of its success.
So what could I do to observe the occasion? I found myself thinking of a petition idea. Why? Well, follow me.
Petition is very popular in China, unknown to most in the West. There is an office called Letters & Calls (http://www.gjxfj.gov.cn/) from the central government down to every city. Many governmental agencies also have their own Letters & Calls. An individual can write a letter or pay a visit to such an office to file a complaint or make a suggestion. Thousands upon thousands of people petition in China, with all kinds of complaint.
So do I have a complaint? I could say yes, an old one from my graduate student days in Beijing. For some undefined reason, I became a target during the "anti-spiritual pollution" movement. My mail was opened, my activities monitored, my conversations recorded, an intimidating interview and a denouncement meeting followed… I ended up quitting the school and leaving the city.
But that was not what I was thinking of petitioning for. Those are, after all, bygone years. I have only pity now for those who gave me a hard time. Not only that. I feel more for China in America than in China. In fact, I jump to China´s defense whenever I could, from SARS to product recalls.
It was no different when it came to the Olympics. I ridiculed the boycotters of the Games in my online posting; I teared up watching China´s history unfold in the Bird´s Nest; I dismissed those critics of "lip-synching" or "under-age" as "picking bones in an egg;" and I certainly had the image of China as the new Gold Mountain in 2008, replacing the old one in 1848…
There was one thing, however, I could not cheer for: the empty protest parks.
When BOCOG (the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad) announced back in July that Beijing´s World Park, Sun Altar Park and Purple Bamboo Park were designated as protest zones during the Games, for both Chinese and foreign nationals, it was so encouraging that I could almost see news coverage of protests from those parks, and through which, a more open China.
However, the parks remained empty of any protest for the duration of the Olympics, or the Paralympics that followed. According to the Beijing municipal government, of the 77 applications for protests received, 74 were withdrawn after problems were solved through mediation, 3 did not meet regulations. Not one was approved.
The rate of resolution of petition in China is lower than 1%, out of a million cases a year, according to chinaelections.org. It was incredible that 74 cases were solved on the spot!? The fact of the matter was, of course, the requirement to get a permit to protest was one hurdle so designed that no player could get over.
Face is a terrible thing to lose for the Chinese. Designating protest parks was a great move on the part of the Chinese government to gain face in the world, especially in respect to free speech. By keeping away any potential protesters, even detaining them, a blemish was left on the beauty that was China, the host of the Olympics.
So I guess my petition would be a suggestion: Even though the Olympic season is over, the spirit of the Games does not have to. Beijing could keep protest parks open, one at least, permanently, beyond the one-time practice. Or better. Every city in China should designate a protest park.
Confidence is aplenty in China now, with all the high achievement: high in buildings and high in gold medal count. Why not channel some of that confidence into the petitioning or protesting population?
After all, Confucius said, at 60, one´s ear should be attuned, meaning to be able to listen to all different opinions. That´s next year when China as the People´s Republic celebrates its national day again, for the 60th time.
The list is long, and well known, of the achievement of the People´s Republic, from the fastest-growing economy to the most spectacular Olympics to the just completed spacewalk by the Shenzhou VII taikonauts. There is no need for me to count the ways of its success.
So what could I do to observe the occasion? I found myself thinking of a petition idea. Why? Well, follow me.
Petition is very popular in China, unknown to most in the West. There is an office called Letters & Calls (http://www.gjxfj.gov.cn/) from the central government down to every city. Many governmental agencies also have their own Letters & Calls. An individual can write a letter or pay a visit to such an office to file a complaint or make a suggestion. Thousands upon thousands of people petition in China, with all kinds of complaint.
So do I have a complaint? I could say yes, an old one from my graduate student days in Beijing. For some undefined reason, I became a target during the "anti-spiritual pollution" movement. My mail was opened, my activities monitored, my conversations recorded, an intimidating interview and a denouncement meeting followed… I ended up quitting the school and leaving the city.
But that was not what I was thinking of petitioning for. Those are, after all, bygone years. I have only pity now for those who gave me a hard time. Not only that. I feel more for China in America than in China. In fact, I jump to China´s defense whenever I could, from SARS to product recalls.
It was no different when it came to the Olympics. I ridiculed the boycotters of the Games in my online posting; I teared up watching China´s history unfold in the Bird´s Nest; I dismissed those critics of "lip-synching" or "under-age" as "picking bones in an egg;" and I certainly had the image of China as the new Gold Mountain in 2008, replacing the old one in 1848…
There was one thing, however, I could not cheer for: the empty protest parks.
When BOCOG (the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad) announced back in July that Beijing´s World Park, Sun Altar Park and Purple Bamboo Park were designated as protest zones during the Games, for both Chinese and foreign nationals, it was so encouraging that I could almost see news coverage of protests from those parks, and through which, a more open China.
However, the parks remained empty of any protest for the duration of the Olympics, or the Paralympics that followed. According to the Beijing municipal government, of the 77 applications for protests received, 74 were withdrawn after problems were solved through mediation, 3 did not meet regulations. Not one was approved.
The rate of resolution of petition in China is lower than 1%, out of a million cases a year, according to chinaelections.org. It was incredible that 74 cases were solved on the spot!? The fact of the matter was, of course, the requirement to get a permit to protest was one hurdle so designed that no player could get over.
Face is a terrible thing to lose for the Chinese. Designating protest parks was a great move on the part of the Chinese government to gain face in the world, especially in respect to free speech. By keeping away any potential protesters, even detaining them, a blemish was left on the beauty that was China, the host of the Olympics.
So I guess my petition would be a suggestion: Even though the Olympic season is over, the spirit of the Games does not have to. Beijing could keep protest parks open, one at least, permanently, beyond the one-time practice. Or better. Every city in China should designate a protest park.
Confidence is aplenty in China now, with all the high achievement: high in buildings and high in gold medal count. Why not channel some of that confidence into the petitioning or protesting population?
After all, Confucius said, at 60, one´s ear should be attuned, meaning to be able to listen to all different opinions. That´s next year when China as the People´s Republic celebrates its national day again, for the 60th time.
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