Posts About China
China No Different Than the Rest of Us
The rest of the world is not in a position to stop, disarm or influence China with threats of force, sanctions, or a rerun of the Cold War.
Independent Tibet Would Mean More Suffering
The world already has too many failed "independent" nation-states. Don't make Tibet another one.
Forget Failed Past Boycotts
Raining on the Olympic parade will hardly help the Burmese people.
Soft Power Gaining Against American Militarism
Who is really better off than they were six years ago: President Bush and his “with-us-or-against-us” militarist hard-power doctrine, or a bunch of violent, rag-tag extremists hiding out in Afghan caves?
Good Jobs Fix Bad Politics
Petty politics will eventually take care of itself. Violence will subside, and in its place we will see Africans shopping for Chinese products in Khartoum’s new Wal-Mart.
Africa Must Fix Itself (Writer Responds to Readers)
Africa must stop looking outside of the continent for solutions. It needs internal reform before it can benefit from the rest of the world - regardless of what China or anyone else offers.
Playing Hardball in the Cloak of Democracy
Don't get me wrong, I'm very much of a Western pro-democracy type of mentality. But I really think Taiwan's president is using his version of "democracy" to create chaos and provoke mainland China. The best way for Taiwan's leaders to protect their democracy is to avoid direct confrontation, especially as China engages in its own slow democratization.
Emperors, Concubines and Politics Today
China has it's own versions of American Idol and the Apprentice, but the most popular TV shows are still soap operas about imperial China. When you cannot talk about politics openly and freely, talking history can serve as subtle political commentary on the present.
Youth Dream of Being Journalists, Not Judges
China's college students do not want to become judges, they see them as corrupt. When people from rural China travel to cities to pursue justice, they do not arrive at court. They go to the newspaper or television station.
China's Majority Doesn't Get Dalai Lama
China's population is 97% Han Chinese. Like most, I didn't understand the struggle of the minority until I moved to America and became a minority myself. Most Chinese probably don't even consider that China has ethnic tensions; they romanticize Tibet but don't get the Dalai Lama.
China and Africa Must Bridge Cultural Divides
Many Chinese women would never marry an African man. There is deep racism in the country. For the sake of business and politics, this must change.
The Affordable Chinese
China has become the only open market for small African and Asian businessmen.
U.S. All Talk and No Action on Human Rights
Criticizing human rights records without accompanying punitive action makes such reports meaningless.
America Is Colonizing Us Quietly
Sure, products say "Made in China" but America is the one re-colonizing us quietly. I cannot extract juices from a small plant in my native village for medicine because an American pharmaceutical company owns the rights to it.
Calling the UN's Bluff
London, England - If the UN permanent five care a hoot for their reputation, they must now force the Sudanese government to accept the UN peacekeepers....
Potentially Devastating
London, England - I disagree with Moises Naim's claim that the collapse of Doha is not devastating. True, it isn't devastating on its own, but what this collapse could lead to could well be dangerous -- especially, as he eloquently says, for the world's poor....
Replace G8 with G20
London, England -- The rich industrialised countries -- supposed democracies -- meeting in St. Petersburg are either incapable or unwilling to implement solutions likely to matter. There is one proposal, however, they ought to discuss that could make a difference: Abolish the G8 itself and create a properly representative body instead....
Don't Mix Sports and Politics
China's influence in Burma isn't reason enough to punish the Chinese people.
Human Rights Issues No Limit to China's Power
China is poised to become a leading economic power, but human rights are still a problem and there’s no critical mass calling on China to improve.
To Counter China, the West Must Trade Freely
Right now there is only one alternative to the Chinese "buying spree" in Africa. Developed countries must get the WTO trade negotiations within the Doha Development Agenda back on track.
Energy and Security Necessary for Asia
Warsaw, Poland - Both India and China will suffer if the conflict develops. Their growth requires not only moderately priced energy, but also global security and global prosperity, and these are hard to keep with the Middle East in fire....
China's Middle East Conundrum
Beijing, China - Don't ask China this question. It doesn't know the answer.
North Korea Scares China
China - Pictures of Pyongyang today are a mirror image of what Beijing in the 60s during Mao's Cultural Revolution. Two generations of Chinese still get the creepy crawlers when they remember life back then.
China Tolerated An Army Sex Change
China - In China, the lack of religious morals actually can facilitate the acceptance of gay marriage more easily than in the West. If the Chinese government is smart, it would allow gay marriage in China - just think what that would do for its human rights record.
Ultimatums Won't Move China
Why anger the Chinese public with an ultimatum we're not prepared to carry out, threatening actions that wouldn't work even if we did?
China's Fall From Grace No Surprise
It's really extraordinary for knee-jerk anti-American Europeans to view the Middle Kingdom as more dangerous than the Great Satan.
One Compromise Could Win Tibetan Independence
Tibetans could make one fundamental compromise that would greatly enhance their chance of getting rid of Chinese rule: deal with what Tibet is today, and don't get bogged down in history.
China's Business as Usual in Tibet
China isn’t one of the world’s worst human rights offenders anymore. But that's not good news.
Kosovo = Taiwan
Kosovo poses a dilemma for China. Washington should follow suit in Asia.
Treat Cuba Like China
If trading with Communist China is supposed to pave the way to political freedom, then why not with Communist Cuba?
Boycott China's Games for China, Not Burma
It's a fantasy to expect the regime that produced the Tiananmen Massacre to stop its Burmese friends from killing protesters.
Soft Power Can't Erase China's History
“Soft power” is a sexy term, but the situation is a far cry from China winning the hearts and souls of the world.
Blair's Freedom Agenda -- Not China
As a former subject of Queen Elizabeth II, I view the UK through the prism of Hong Kong. Blair visited Hong Kong after it was returned from British to Chinese control, advocating stability and managed progress. While he preached freedom, democracy and human rights elsewhere, this somehow did not extend to China.
Staying in Power Trumps Environment
China, second to the U.S. in carbon dioxide emissions, is unlikely to do much about global warming. The regime's priority is domestic stability, in order to maintain political power. They certainly don't want coordinated action in the UN -- and in that, China and the U.S. may find common ground.
Sovereignty Trumps All For China
The Chinese waste no time with petite bourgeoisie concerns like human rights.
Abe Visits Yasukuni Shrine
Hong Kong - Japan's media will report that Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, paid a secret visit to Yasukuni Shrine.
China Insincerely Engages N. Korea
Hong Kong - What's the point of resuming futile talks? China is not a world partner yet. It's still with the enemy.
U.S. Must Now Protect Japan
China/USA - China won't be helpful at all in disarming the North Koreans. Only the U.S. can save Tokyo from being nuked now.
Ban Ki Moon: Qualified Or Just Asian?
China/USA - For a failed organization like the U.N., it doesn't really matter who becomes its next Secretary General, especially when the world body seems to have adopted affirmative action in selecting the candidate.
Self-Censorship in Hong Kong Under Britain and China
China/Washington, DC - I hate to admit it, but people get the kind of press they deserve.
Chinese Muslims, Don't Be Thin-Skinned
Hong Kong - I believe Pope Benedict XVI's apology was more than enough, but most of China's Muslim community does not seem to agree. According to Chen Guangyuan, president of the Islamic Association of China, "Benedict insulted both Islam and Prophet Muhammad" and "has gravely hurt the feelings of the Muslims across the world, including those from China."...
To Stop A Ticking Bomb, Torture
China/Washington DC - Five years after 9/11, a major reason why no such atrocity has been repeated in the U.S., I believe, is because the Bush administration has applied "tough, safe, lawful and necessary" interrogation methods, as President Bush called them, on captured terrorists....
Panic and Asia's Rice Crisis
The immediate crisis could be eased if governments stopped hoarding and lifted their export restrictions. In other words, faith in the market needs to be restored.
Hu's In Charge?
It’s not about who leads China. Whether the top man is Hu Jintao , Li Keqiang or Xi Jinping makes little difference. As long as China chooses leaders through an ossified, secretive process that draws on candidates from a small pool of like-minded elites, all from the same party, it will only face more of the same. China’s Communist Party has succeeded in engineering rapid growth, transforming the nation into the world’s fourth largest economy. But as that economy matures, the limitations of its authoritarian political system are becoming ever more apparent. Communist leaders talk about tackling the overheated economy...
Many Ways to Hate America
Liberal Europeans criticize America for different reasons than developing social-welfare states, radical Islamists or nationalist Asians do. But they all respond to the current administration's missteps and contradictions. The damage is not irreversible, if the U.S. policies change, but the damage is deep.
China – World's Next Eco-Villain
China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world's biggest carbon emitter as early as this year. Like other developing countries, its leaders argue that rich countries should clean up their own emissions instead of restricting others' growth. But China's poorest citizens already suffer from the effects of environmental damage.
China's Frightening Beauty Industry
Last year ten people responded to a hospital advertisement for ‘height without pain’. They ended up disfigured. The operation involved breaking the patient’s legs and then stretching them on a rack.
A Selective Superpower
Hong Kong - Yes, China's efforts in North Korea highlight its new prominence on the global stage. But whether that bodes well or ill for the rest of the world remains to be seen.
Beijing Cracks Down in Shanghai
Hong Kong - The biggest news event in China is Beijing's widening corruption probe in Shanghai. The investigation has toppled key members of the city's elite, including Shanghai's Communist Party boss, China's 16th richest man and the impresario behind the Shanghai's Formula One raceway....
Beware the Bear, America
Russia's main assets -- its energy reserves -- are being used to break encirclement by governments supported by America.
Finally, A Multipolar World
Unlike America, China has some of the best experts in the Arab world who speak the language fluently and pay attention to local stories.
America Loses, China Rises
Jerusalem, Israel - China will sweep into the Middle East with its economic power.
Multilateral Sanctions Work
Mexico City, Mexico - Kim Jong Il's crass miscalculation has led to an almost unprecedented occurrence: true international consensus.
Iran Is Invincible, For Now
Mexico City, Mexico - We have reached new, ominous depths when the world's cleverest political strategy is crafted in Tehran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken the two main geopolitical forces of our times - the high price of oil and the growing instability in the Middle East - and used them both to strengthen his regime. Sanctions, though hard to pass, are needed....
Adversaries Will Capitalize on a Distracted America
The real prison in Iraq is the black hole that has transformed American foreign policy into a tunnel with only two departure points: Iraq and its neighbor Iran.
The Inevitable Return of the Great Anti-Right
The bull run of conservatism, ending in the neocon calamity of a bull run amok, has simply cleared space for the return of the anti-Right, a far more accurate term than Left and more inclusive than Liberal.
China's Nuclear Pawns
New Delhi, India - North Korea's nuclear capacities could not have survived one day without Chinese support. Now, China has gained strategically from the North Korean test, and steps in.
North Korea Doesn't Threaten Me
New Delhi, India - To deny North Korea food would mean punishing its people, not its government. Bottom line: Japan needs nukes too.
Back-Flip Multilateralism
New Delhi, India -- What a wonderful idea! Why not begin by choosing Kofi Annan's successor from the current general assembly in Germany? Teams that believe in kick-and-run rule themselves out as anathema to UN culture, which takes care of half the teams on display....
Don't Mix Popular Movements with Government
New Delhi -- The G-8 is an assembly of governments, not popular movements or insurgencies. Should Russia and the other G-8 countries send representatives to the Anti-Iraq War movements in America and Britain?...
Costly Oil and Unrealized Markets Hurt Asia
Cairo, Egypt - When discussing the economic relationship between the Middle East and Asia one is discussing oil. Other aspects to their relationship include finance, construction, development, and the potential for the Middle East to be an emerging export market....
Don't Be Deceived by Talks
Tokyo, Japan - There is a strange sigh of relief in Beijing when North Korea said it would return to the 6-Party talks. Some even mentioned the partial lifting of sanctions against North Korea. I say no way.
S. Korea, Pull Kim's Financial Plug
Tokyo, Japan - The three billion U.S. dollars per year meant to prevent mass starvation must stop. It's funding nukes.
U.S. Must See India and China as Diplomatic Allies
Tokyo, Japan - Three Asian countries out of the world's top five energy consumers are conspicuously missing from the international efforts to end the crisis in Middle East. This, however, does not mean that China, Japan and India are not interested in stability. Quite the contrary....
China's Darling Difficult Boy
China is losing nothing by patronizing North Korea. The impoverished regime is not only a diplomatic joker in the deck for China, but also a hidden gold mine that nobody else in the region dares to exploit.
China's Rise Doesn't Equal a Threat
China's rise shouldn't threaten the rest of the world.
Someday China Will Accept A Free Tibet
No country’s independence is a lost cause. But it's Tibetans who must fight for that independence.
Hungary Needs Chinese Immigrants
Hungary has always been a destination for immigrants. After World War II, a weird thing happened -- most of our immigrants turned out to be Hungarians. This was because at that time Hungary lost the bigger part of its territory with the Trianon Peace Treaty. Many Hungarians from behind the new frontiers came back to their country....
Our Missiles, Ourselves
If we try to figure out the motifs and reasons of a man's behavior and decisions, we may be quite successful. The more we know the human being in question, the more precise our findings can be. Super Powers such as China are more difficult to decipher.
State Dept. Out of Touch On China
I would like to see Condoleezza Rice flying to Tibet, to see and enjoy the cultural treasures that are under threat by Chinese repression.
China’s Rise to Disaster
Forget the world economy – China’s real threat is to our environment.
Boycott Plans Naïve and Unrealistic
Pressuring China sounds like a noble idea, but the logistics don’t pan out.
Olympic Spirit Needed for Air
China is more concerned about its image, than its air quality. It would like to seem to be cleaner when thousands of foreigners arrive there to participate in the Olympic Games.
Don't Excuse Brazil's Deforestation
Brazil, like India and China, argues that the rich countries created today's global warming and developing countries should be allowed to develop as they did. But their policy is wrong. Destroying the Amazon rainforest harms the entire world, and Brazil must take responsibility for it.
Radical! It's the New Sensible
Yes, let's be radical. It’s the only sensible option. We cannot wait a hundred years to see if theories about climate change are correct. It'll be too late. When people buy insurance to protect themselves or their property, it’s not because they’re certain a disaster is coming. Uncertainty is bad enough....
Disappointing, Not Devastating
Washington DC - The political problem with trade negotiations is that while the benefits of lowering obstacles are diffuse, the losses are concentrated. The owners and workers of companies that are adversely affected by lower trade barriers are fewer but far more motivated to mobilize than the many consumers who would benefit from greater liberalization....
Death of Non-Proliferation Policy
New Haven - North Korea's nuclear club entrance seriously undermines the non-proliferation policy pursued since early 1960.
Asia and the Middle East
New Haven, USA - As long as oil and gas continue to fuel the global economy, no importer can enjoy prosperity with the Middle East in turmoil. This is particularly true for heavily oil-dependent China and India. The two countries may not display outward concern about the clash between Israel and Hezbollah, but they are acutely aware of the risks of a prolonged conflict....
China's Leverage Is an Illusion
Despite constant talk about Chinese leverage over North Korea, the reality may just be the opposite. Given China's huge stake in security along its eastern border and the unpredictability of a nuclear-armed North Korea, the Beijing-Pyongyang relationship appears to be one in which the tail is wagging the dog.
Hu's in Charge?
It won’t matter who China’s president is as long as the Party refuses to consider anything more than cosmetic reform.
A Candle for Tiananmen the Rest of My Life
Hong Kong -- I just returned from a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park where up to 55,000 people (claimed by the organizers; the police estimated 27,000 people) marked the 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. This former British colony has been the only place in China where people have the freedom to commemorate what happened in Beijing on June 4, 1989.
China’s Premier in Japan: Melting Ice or Stoking Fire?
China’s Premier Wen Jiabao travels to Japan this week in what he is calling an “ice melting” visit, the first such visit since 2000. Why are China's leaders so eager to warm relations across the Sea of Japan?
Africa Welcomes Chinese Aid
Africa needs enormous infrastructual investments in excess of $20 billion per year for the next decade. The West has been reluctant to provide this money. Without it, development and poverty reduction cannot happen. China should be allowed to fill the gap.
China and Global Threats
China is less interested in international security because it feels far less insecure than other countries. It is too big to really suffer from a single nuclear strike coming from a small rogue state; it can bear terrorist actions without a public opinion uproar against the government.
Is China a Threat?
In his recent PostGlobal blog post, "The Ugly Chinese," commentator John Pomfret says the world's perception of China isn't as rosy as it used to be. Do you see China as a threat? Why? Why not?...
China's Human Rights Record
The U.S. State Dept. says China's no longer one of the world's worst human rights offenders. Are they right?...
PostGlobal Bloggers
M. J. Akbar, New Delhi, India Mubashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He's the founder and editor-in-chief of The Asian Age, a daily multi-edition Indian newspaper with a global perspective and editor-in-chief of The Deccan Chronicle, a news daily based in Hyderabad. He has written books including Blood Brothers, Nehru: The Making of India, Kashmir: Behind the Vale, Riot After Riot, The Shade of Swords, and India: The Siege Within. Kyoko Altman, Hong Kong, China Kyoko Altman is a writer based in Hong Kong. She has worked as a correspondent and anchor for CNN and...
America’s Human Rights Presumptions
It’s hypocritical to promote democracy in some places and support autocracy in others.
Boycotts are For Foolhardy Bullies
Guilt by association has no place in global diplomacy.
Drop the Defeatism, A United West Can Triumph
Some Europeans evidently are content being the last one eaten by the Iranian crocodile. But why the defeatism when America and Europe have the power to face Iran down without firing a shot?
China Won't Punch Below Its Class
China probably thinks it is still an intermediate power, but rapidly on its way up. If you start with that presumption, any unqualified participating in efforts to enhance international security, necessarily dominated by the U.S., would amount to punching below what you think should be your weight on international stage.
Tread Softly, Make China Responsible
Taiwan has been effectively independent from mainland China for a very long time, and the islanders should have the right to decide their own destiny. But President Chen should pursue this goal with utmost caution. If he does not give Beijing an excuse for war, China will have to accept the consequences of acting aggressively -- which Japan and South Korea would not tolerate.
Ready for the Asian Union?
As China and India rise to global economic powers, it's becoming clear that Asia would benefit from a common market in the model of the EU. But is Asia politically ready for such a leap? The East needs new visionary leaders to start the debate over its future.
China: Powerful But Irresponsible
Seoul, South Korea - North Korea is returning to the 6-party talks for the simple reason that it is running out of any more cards with which to intimidate the United States.
Beijing Has the Ball Now
Seoul, South Korea - North Korea's nuclear announcement may be the end of Kim Jong Il's brinkmanship diplomacy. But Beijing must use its leverage.
Mideast Stability Critical for Asia
Seoul, South Korea - The Asian Games slated to be held this year in Doha underscore the closing distance between Asia and the Middle East. The Middle East is Japan and South Korea's largest energy source and an increasingly vital oil supply line for China and India. These are the four biggest economies of Asia....
Africans Don’t Even Have Dirty Fuel
It is true that the poor in developing countries are the least to blame for global warming, but yet will suffer the most from it. Yet Africa's poor already lack many basic needs, and taking steps to fight global warming may bear even greater costs for them.
Appoint Bank Chief from Developing World
It is time to overhaul both the role and management of the World Bank and the IMF. Both institutions' primary clientele are developing countries. Their heads should therefore be selected from developing countries, and the headquarter of both must be moved to the developing world.
Don't Condemn Africa to Underdevelopment
Most African countries export raw materials to China and import labor-intensive manufactured goods. If this continues, the African continent could be condemned to underdevelopment.
Abandon Kyoto; Don't Be In Denial
Not surprisingly, the consequences of climate change are worst for Africa and developing countries -– although they are least responsible for climate change.
Soft Diplomacy Is More Effective
The use of brute force and might to 'promote' international security by the United States, as the world's only superpower has more often than not, turned the world against it. Surely, the lesson for China from forceful U.S. diplomatic interventions elsewhere must be that 'soft' diplomacy is in our uncertain, dangerous and complex world, a more effective strategy to achieve diplomatic ends.
