Zhao Ziyang (
If the Chinese leadership had taken Zhao's advice to adopt a liberal approach in dealing with the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the military would not have trampled over the protesters and China would not have faced an international boycott that hindered its economic development. Moreover, economic reform would have progressed hand-in-hand with political liberalization and the rift across the Taiwan Strait would not be so great. It is even possible that a stable cross-strait security structure would have been developed by now, rather than the two sides of the Strait eyeing each other with armed hostility.
Zhao had been expected to succeed Deng Xiaoping (
Zhao was the party secretary-general for just two years but he pioneered market reforms. During the Tiananmen Incident, he called for things to be dealt with through democratic and judicial means, thereby making a great contribution to his country. The Chinese leadership, however, have relegated Zhao and Hu Yaobang (
Today, China's economic and military might cannot be ignored. Although President Hu Jintao (
Democratic reform in China has stalled for 15 years since Zhao lost power. Although when Hu was preparing to take over the reins of power, he proposed reforms that might have moved the country closer to the rule of law, but these have since disappeared without trace. Last September, during the fourth plenary session of the 16th CCP Central Committee, Hu Jintao criticized former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev for his efforts at political liberalization and recommended adopting the methods of North Korea for the control of democratic sentiment and public opinion. He also called for the drawing up of an anti-secession bill as a weapon to be used against Taiwan.
As a leader of a regional power, Hu Jintao must learn that economic development and democratic reform are the wings of national development. The strength of both wings must be similar if development is to continue over the long term. Beijing can resist the calls of the public in the short term, but cannot ignore them indefinitely. To establish the foundation of long-term growth, to create cross-strait peace and international stability, Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jaibao (
In their recent op-ed “Trump Should Rein In Taiwan” in Foreign Policy magazine, Christopher Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim argued that the US should pressure President William Lai (賴清德) to “tone it down” to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait — as if Taiwan’s words are more of a threat to peace than Beijing’s actions. It is an old argument dressed up in new concern: that Washington must rein in Taipei to avoid war. However, this narrative gets it backward. Taiwan is not the problem; China is. Calls for a so-called “grand bargain” with Beijing — where the US pressures Taiwan into concessions
The term “assassin’s mace” originates from Chinese folklore, describing a concealed weapon used by a weaker hero to defeat a stronger adversary with an unexpected strike. In more general military parlance, the concept refers to an asymmetric capability that targets a critical vulnerability of an adversary. China has found its modern equivalent of the assassin’s mace with its high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons, which are nuclear warheads detonated at a high altitude, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation capable of disabling and destroying electronics. An assassin’s mace weapon possesses two essential characteristics: strategic surprise and the ability to neutralize a core dependency.
Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) said in a politburo speech late last month that his party must protect the “bottom line” to prevent systemic threats. The tone of his address was grave, revealing deep anxieties about China’s current state of affairs. Essentially, what he worries most about is systemic threats to China’s normal development as a country. The US-China trade war has turned white hot: China’s export orders have plummeted, Chinese firms and enterprises are shutting up shop, and local debt risks are mounting daily, causing China’s economy to flag externally and hemorrhage internally. China’s
During the “426 rally” organized by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party under the slogan “fight green communism, resist dictatorship,” leaders from the two opposition parties framed it as a battle against an allegedly authoritarian administration led by President William Lai (賴清德). While criticism of the government can be a healthy expression of a vibrant, pluralistic society, and protests are quite common in Taiwan, the discourse of the 426 rally nonetheless betrayed troubling signs of collective amnesia. Specifically, the KMT, which imposed 38 years of martial law in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987, has never fully faced its
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