Thanks, but No Thanks

[Randy W]

An interesting article in the Global Times about Western awards to Chinese dissidents. Interesting in no small part because of the mention made of the "political turmoil at the Tian'anmen Square 25 years ago" in the days leading up to the "May 35"/June 4 25th anniversary of the "turmoil"

 

 

Law-breakers will always be losers

US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has announced to present the 2014 "Democracy Award" to two Chinese prisoners Liu Xiaobo and Xu Zhiyong and the ceremony will be held later this week. Some overseas anti-China forces have been whooping up the political turmoil at the Tian'anmen Square 25 years ago by initiating various "commemorative activities." The NED has laboriously racked its brain to present the "Democracy Award" to Liu and Xu at the end of May.

. . .

Established in 1983 at the peak of the Cold War, the NED was a new form of leverage particularly designed by the government of Ronald Reagan to supplement the role of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Its fund is allocated directly by the US government and all its programs serve the US national interests. It once helped Uyghur separatist Rebiya Kadeer settle down in the US. Alan Weinstein, one of the founders of the NED, explained in 1991, "A lot of what we [NED] do was done 25 years ago covertly by the CIA."

Against the backdrop of China's unprecedented rise, a myriad of ideologically-related awards have been presented by the US and Western Europe to Chinese candidates more and more frequently. However, they have chosen opponents of China's current institutions instead of those who made a positive contribution to national development.

Political dissidents have forged an alliance with Western forces in the name of "universal values." As the increasingly powerful Beijing is mired in a geopolitical gridlock with Washington, such an alliance further facilitates the West in winning the game.

During the past 25 years, dissidents who have confronted China's political system through illegal means have been doomed and even Western endorsement could not turn the tide. China will enjoy better development in the future and they will continue being regarded as losers.

 

 

[Mick]

I personally think Washington and Bejing have been in close concert for a long time, in spite of outward rhetoric. I was living in China on the 10th anniversary of June 4th. It was the run up to that anniversary that was quite interesting. The government, although they refrained from mentioning it, was getting a bit antsy about potential demonstrations. Then, on May 8th, 1999 - just a little over three weeks before the anniversary - NATO bombers "mistakenly" bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people. Within hours, the streets were filled with demonstrators in all cities around China and the press had a field day. I was confined to my apartment for almost a week. Bottles and bricks were hurled through my window at 2am on the night the bombing happened. Massive demonstrations took place for about five days, then stopped abruptly and everything returned to normal, except for a press-inspired nationalistic fervor. I am convinced that there is no way that embassy was bombed accidentally. This was also at the time of Chinese run up to admission to the WTO and there were a few sticking points in the negotiations with the U.S. All of a sudden, the sticking points were resolved. Call me a fool, but I think China and the U.S. acted in concert. "You bomb our embassy so we can get people in the streets and blowing off steam before June 4th and we will agree to you conditions on the WTO deal." June 4th came and went without incident as people were still focused on Belgrade and China's progression in the WTO.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Mick (see edit history)

[Greg.D.]

Even a Chinese guy I know told me the US bombed the embassy because it was housing communications for one of the bad guys and that the US had discussed this with China prior to bombing it. Now, I realize that is not the universally accepted explanation but, as you attest Mick, it led to an incredible backlash against USA at the time. And, we know now that protests and anger directed against other countries and their governments is always allowed in China .....

Greg

[Allon]

Those who have left China since the "June 4th Incident" have been told about what really happened. Unfortunately, the word gets back slowly.

 

But they will eventually find out, and matched with their own skepticism about the Chinese government, it makes for a testy situation.