SlashAsia » Opinions

Speaking out: Zhao Ziyang’s memoir

Alexandra Stevenson — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:34:13 +0000

The memoir of a former head of the Chinese Communist Party who spoke out against 1989 brutality in Tiananmen, entitled ‘Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Zhao Ziyang’, will be released next week, four years after his death. Zhao Ziyang called the CCP’s use of martial law in 1989 during protests in Tiananmen illegal, and wrote that there could have been a peaceful solution. He criticized the conservative ‘old guard’ within the CCP leadership, in particular Deng Xiaoping who is touted as the man who changed the lives of millions ordinary Chinese through his economic reform. During and after the harsh crushing of Tiananmen in 1989, Zhao Ziyang spoke out and was relegated to house arrest where began to audio record his memoir. At the end of his memoir he arrives at some radical conclusions for such a high level official. He argues that the CCP will have to give up it’s tight control on power, that parliamentary democracy is necessary and that China needs a free press, an independent judiciary and the freedom to organize. It remains to be seen when, if ever, his reform agenda and ideas of touming du, or transparency, will resonate in the top echelons of the party.

Zhao’s memoirs revive Tiananmen, CNN

In posthumous memoir, China’s Zhao Ziyang details Tiananmen debate, faults party, The Washington Post

From the inside, out, The Washington Post

Mao revival and a return to the iron rice bowl?

enrico — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:03:56 +0000

Economic woes have caused a Maoist revival for little red books and iron rice bowl jobs. The Asia Times quoted Hong Kong daily Ta Kung Pao figures of close to 30,000 visitors flocking to Mao’s hometown on April 2, days before China’s Chenming festival when Chinese worship their ancestors. University students are rethinking economic reforms amidst an extremely tough job market, while hundreds of thousands of graduates are jobless. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences estimates China’s unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, which is almost double the government’s earlier March figure of urban unemployment.

Tough times breed nostalgia for Mao, Asia Times Online

From US economic model to “Asian values” model?

enrico — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:38:30 +0000

China flexed its economic muscle this week at the BOAO Forum for Asia, calling on global monetary diversification and pumping $10 billion into a China-ASEAN infrastructure investment fund. Some Chinese officials claim the economy has “touched bottom” and predict growth to reach 7 percent this quarter (Zheng Xinli), but in an opening speech Premier Wen Jiabao explained that China alone won’t save the world economy. Foreign media has questioned the accuracy of statistics like recent 6.1 percent growth, to which the National Bureau of Statistics has promised “true and credible” future figures. Stats aside, it appears China does plan to influence Asian countries to do things with ‘Asian values’. Just two weeks after China voiced concerns about the current global economic order at the G20 and made calls for a new international reserve currency, state media writes “many countries pin hopes on the recovery of the world’s third largest economy.” It remains to be seen just what this recovery will look like.

China announces $10 billion Asian infrastructure investment, Voice of America

China alone unable to save world: official China Daily

Leaders to seek “Asian value” to tackle financial crisis at BOAO Forum for Asia, Xinhua

China says to improve economic statistics, China Daily

Poll: As world views of China decline, China’s own opinion rises

enrico — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:23:42 +0000

According to a recent poll by GlobeScan and University of Maryland, views that China’s global influence is negative have risen, for the most part. China’s view of itself has risen to 92% positive of it’s role abroad. In France 70% polled had negative views on the rising power, while Italy showed 68%, Germany 69% and Spain 54%. Meanwhile in Australia, a major trading partner for China, positive attitudes about China decreased to 47% from 60%. Postitive attitudes about China have risen in some areas of the world, mainly in developing countries with resources that China is pouring money into. 75% of people polled in Ghana had positive views of China, Nigeria 72%, those in Central America came to 62%.

Views of China and Russia Decline in Global Poll - BBC World Service Poll
Pomfret’s China: China’s Far Too Rosy Self Image - The Washington Post/Newsweek

North Korea: In withdrawal from carrots

Alexandra Stevenson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:57:56 +0000

Pyongyang announced to two UN agencies plans to conduct a space launch planned for sometime between April 4-8 that will pass over Japan. The US and other countries responded with condemnation, and Japan said it will shoot down any vehicle flying overheard in accordance to Japanese national self defense law. Earlier in the week, Pyongyang also expressed anger at routine yearly US-South Korean military exercises by shutting off the inter-Korean border and withholding hundreds of South Koreans in the jointly-owned Kaesong complex. South Korean analysts, well versed in Kim Jong Il’s strange ways look at the past to offer analysis. In an article in South Korean Chosunilbo argues that Pyongyang is going through Sunshine ‘withdrawal symptoms’, now completely cut off from free aid under the Lee administration, an abrupt change of pace from the 8.38 trillion won the Stalinist state was given under both Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. According to the article, North Korea’s GDP was 24 trillion won in 2007. Shifting from a policy of carrots to one of sticks, Lee’s principle to give aid only after the nuclear issue is resolved has left North Korea stumbling with only one tactic ‘extreme brinksmanship.’

Links and sources:

N.Korea suffers withdrawal of Sunshine Policy , Digital Chosunilbo

China: One in every four women have abortions

Alexandra Stevenson — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:38:43 +0000

The Shanghai Daily has reported findings from an unnamed women’s health conference that took place this week. According to conference findings, 27.3 percent of women in their 20s have abortions in mainland China, and just 2.6 percent of Chinese women use oral contraceptives, indicating a serious gap in education about contraceptives.

The result of China’s one-child policy, abortions and sterilization are common practice in China, raising concerns abroad about the practice, which is often forced. Now may be the right time to consider new education program initiatives; Obama recently agreed to give U.S. funding to the UN Population Fund, which helps countries in Africa, Asia and South America to create family planning programs. Proceeding with this will prove to be tricky, as pro-life advocates in the U.S. criticizes the Chinese method of population control and see UNPFA as forgiving to policies that ignore women’s rights.

Links and sources:

Flap over China’s 1-child policy stirs Washington Times

One in four women in their 20s have abortions, Shanghai Daily

Asia: ASEAN countries to demonstrate self-sufficiency and open trade

Alexandra Stevenson — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:35:08 +0000

Finance ministers in the Asia region are holding bilateral talks in the lead up the 14th Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) summit, in a show of greater strategic cooperation to prevent trade protectionism. Malaysia held bilateral talks with Indonesian and Chinese finance ministers this weekend, to promote trade. Officials from Japan, China and Korea met Saturday afternoon to discuss counter-measures to economic slowdown. Finance chiefs from Asean countries and Japan, China and South Korea will gather at the summit on February 27 in Thailand to discuss concrete and collective response to financial woes.

Asean will speak out against using trade protectionism as a way to cope with the current financial crisis, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said. Mr. Abhisit has encouraged Asean countries to seek aid from other regions, acknowledging that the IMF ” simply does not have the resources, money and time to look into the various problems in different regions.” The Asia Development Bank will participate in the summit as Asean members determine the details of a foreign reserve fund pool agreed upon last May. Contributing countries will discuss management and size of fund.

Links and sources:

Asean to resist protectionism, Straits Times

China, Indonesia and China trade talks, Malaysia Star

Asea foreign reserve pool, Xinhua

North Korea: State news agency calls North Korean elections “superior”

Alexandra Stevenson — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:46:49 +0000

Pyongyang’s mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency has resolutely declared it’s election system “fair and free” based on a secret voting system that reflects a perfect model of “socialist democracy”. According to KCNA, the secret vote allows voters to freely express their will without being subjected to “surveillance or threats by anyone.” All North Koreans are supposedly included in these ‘elections’ where “the working people” can participate “in the formation of the state power” and “powerfully demonstrate once again the single-minded unity” of a nation. North Korea has been a communist one-man dictatorship since leader Kim Il Sung founded the state in 1948 after gaining independence from Japan.

Sources and link:

Superior election system of DPRK, February 13, 2008 - KNCA

Indonesia: Majority of Muslim clerics reject suicide, support democracy: poll

Alexandra Stevenson — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:56:29 +0000

Seventy-five percent of 250 senior clerics polled in Jakarta condemn the practice of suicide bombing in jihad or ‘holy war’. The survey, conducted by Jakarta’s Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, also discovered 78 percent of these clerics believe democracy is the best form of government for Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim majority. In addition, only 31 percent supported introducing sharia or Islamic law. Since the fall of dictator Suharto and his 32 year New Order regime the country has seen much volatility and religious extremism.

Source: Antara News Agency http://www.antara.co.id/en