Weekly Writing Prompt 9 (Quarter 3): A New Perspective on the People's Republic of China
Prompt: Reflect: I used to think… Now I think…
I used to think that the communist government of the People’s Republic of China would shamelessly disregard human morality and violate the rights of the Chinese citizens simply to satisfy their own interests. China has maintained a perpetual record of human rights abuses; the one-party party government of the state has a very tight grip on the media, and always sees to it that those who protests, and seek to defend human rights and freedom of expression are silenced. According to reports published by the Human Rights Watch, activists and protesters are frequently detained and imprisoned, either for partaking in disruptive protests or advocating for democratic notions. The government’s hostility towards human rights was tragically illustrated by their mistreatment of Cao Shunli, a grassroot activist. In 2013, Cao was detained for attempting to attend the “Universal Periodic Review of China’s human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC)” in Geneva. Although she was severely ill, for several months, she was denied by authorities the access to adequate healthcare. In March 2014, she died, which was just days after she was finally transferred to a hospital from prison. Such actions are often condemned and chastised by other nation states, and I myself by no means believe that their actions can be justified. It is because of this, I used to think that the communist government lacked tolerance, perception, morals and virtue, intelligence, and good judgement. If I were to publish this post in China, I would most likely be in the hands of authorities within the next few hours. Loathing for the degrading government of the PRC is further reinforced by the nationalistic feelings [of Taiwan] imbued by my parents and family.
Now I think that the doubled standards imposed on China by western nations (in particularly the United States) are mere acts of hypocrisy. After being assigned the delegation of China on the issue of the Artificial Islands in the South China Sea for MUN, I was more than convinced that I was going to be trampled and crushed ruthlessly in debate. Clearly, China has violated international laws, and I was going to be the victim of its consequences. After immersing myself in weeks of research, I was completely astounded-- or yet, fascinated by the reversal of my mindset. I would be exaggerating if I said “I became one with China,” but that seems to be the only way to put it. I truly did. I genuinely understood the reasons for their actions, and had their foreign policy deeply entrenched in my mind. I was more than confident that I could hold ground and defend this scornful yet ingeniously calculated country. In 2009, when Xi Jinping was still the vice president of China, he snapped at a critic, referring to the global financial crisis in 2008: “Amid international financial turmoil, China was still able to solve the problem of feeding its 1.3 billion people, and that was already our greatest contribution to humankind. Yet, some foreigners with full bellies and nothing better to do engage in finger-pointing at us.” ("TIME: China's Power Play," Beech, 2015) Despite the skepticism surrounding China’s human rights record, China’s plate is indeed full with 1.3 billion people on the table, and considering the fact that it’s still able to stand on all 4 legs, they have achieved a pretty impressive feat trying to survive in treacherous waters with sharks on all sides just waiting to tear at its vulnerability. China has a robust foreign policy, and President Xi should be further credited for combatting corruption in such a large state.
Why is it hypocritical for nation states to denounce China? China is by no means faultless with their anti-democratic ideals, and their human rights abuses absolutely deserves contempt; however, some nation states are in no position to criticise China for being openly anti-democratic, when they themselves have been deeply entrenched in anti-democratic values for decades. This is in particular regards to the United States. If one juxtapositions the United States with the People’s Republic of China, it is immediately assumed that the degree of culpability which China holds is indefinitely greater than that of the United States; democracy over an anti-democratic communist state. The reality is, this has never been the case. China has felt free in doing whatever they want within their own borders, including oppressing their own citizens; United States on the other hand, has bestowed the gift of liberty to their own people, yet, they seem to enjoy excessive power over supressing the citizens of other nation states. Backed by the CIA, the U.S. has attempted to practice imperialism and enforce indirect rule in numerous Latin American countries over the past decades, which has costed the lives of hundreds and thousands of people, which is far more tragic by comparison with the actions of China.
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