Pomfret: China's Transformation -1/3

John Pomfret - foreign correspondent and former Beijing bureau chief of the Washington Post as well as author of the acclaimed "Chinese Lessons" - discusses the ideological and economic transformation of China over the past 30 years and how the US should interact with it.

PLEASE READ MY COMMENTS ON THE VIDEO BEFORE WATCHING.

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[KashifHKhan]

PART 5:

China poses a major challenge to Western policy makers on account of its ability to export an "alternative model" consisting of economic development coupled with authoritarian rule. Some Asian and African countries already have expressed in the Chinese model. Despite this, I agree that US should treat China as a "normal country" - and, not - as a "special case" (as has been its policy). Chinese crave respect and recognition; they do not want to be pressured or lectured by US.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART 4:

Despite the massive economic boom - and the concomitant rise in standards of living - Chinese govt realizes societal need to fill a "moral vacuum". It is thus allowing banned philosophical works such as Confucius to return. It also understands people's desire for "clear rules" and a "fair shake" in everyday matters and is trying to fulfill this without the need of a Western democratic system. It is worth noting that most Chinese are not convinced of the value of right to vote.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART 3:

It is interesting to hear that contrary to popular perception in the West: (a) economic reform in China was a "bottom-up" - and not, "top-down" - phenomenon, (b) economic reform was taken by Communist Party as a means to keep itself in power on account of growing unrest in the countryside, and (c) Communist Party deserves "credit" for prevention of disintegration of country in a civil war; the differences in opinions between various factions is enough to tear China apart.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART 2:

Communist Party's methods of protecting itself are interesting: (a) public discussion in media of historical party abuses is tightly controlled to provide just enough steam to come out to keep people happy, (b) public demonstrations are discouraged as they can easily turn against govt, (c) public protests are dealt by eliminating leaders and "buying off" the rest, and (d) protests are not allowed to become national via prevention of collaboration between local/regional leaders.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART 1:

It is instructive to hear: (a) Mao understood the power of history and controlled its teaching in Chinese classrooms in order to legitimize the Communist regime, and (b) Mao's successor, Xiaoping, tapped into people's desperate need "to forget" (the excesses of the Cultural Revolution under Mao) by giving them an opportunity to "look forward" and "get rich". "Looking back" - via free examination of the past - would have led people to know that they were still "in control".

-Kashif

[nockey]

i dont get it...wen he says that forget the past..but school still teachs about Mao and his history...

[kristianguy]

What do you mean by "right thing"? Are you speaking of taking the lead in internet censorship, imprisoning journalists and civil rights activists, or blocking efforts by the UN to resolve issues of nuclear weapons proliferation and human rights atrocities? Perhaps you mean something more historical like the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the Cultural Revolution, or the Great Leap Forward. As for your claim that China is becoming more democratic, tell that to Liu Xiaobo (look him up).

[otterboxiphone]

China did the right thing and it is getting more and more democratic.