For more than half a century, more than half of the world’s population has experimented with the idea of communism, only to prove its incapacity to eliminate wealth disparity and class struggle. The modified ideology, similar to capitalism in economic pursuit and socialism in political endeavor, generated great wealth for China.
Prosperity might have continued had the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) established an open and democratic society.
However, under an authoritarian regime, China could not escape the disastrous result: a great depression.
Soaring unemployment and sinking deflation might push hundreds of millions of people into poverty, with millions at risk of starvation.
Young people in China have lost hope, with some committing mass suicide, such as the cases of four young people at Tiananmen Mountain and nine at Shangzhuang Bridge in Beijing.
The “cultural revolution 2.0,” featuring the “melt the pot to sell the iron” strategy, did not go as planned. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is reported to have been restrained. While unconfirmed, facts have emerged supporting a peaceful coup and challenge to Xi’s power. For example, Xi’s self-reproach was published in a government paper, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s (鄧小平) economic reform was celebrated and many of Xi’s allies were removed from key positions in the military, which is evidently under the command of Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠).
Xi’s days are numbered.
When a dictator is banished, it is important to ensure democracy and freedom. As institutions and culture need reform, it will be a long time before democracy can take root. A separation of powers, as advocated by Deng, would not ensure a peaceful transition of power, let alone democracy, freedom and hard-earned wealth.
New leaders should avoid making mistakes that have been made before.
To minimize corruption, it is crucial to establish local control and allow people to elect leaders they trust at all levels of government. The freedom to form political parties is essential for people to choose the lesser evil in all circumstances.
It is time for activists to form opposition parties in counties and provinces to voice opinions at the national level.
Checks and balances must be defined in the constitution, as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The independence of the judicial branch and rule of law must be respected. All laws must be passed by elected representatives to be legitimate.
The saying “no taxation without representation” recognizes the natural law that people are the rightful masters, voicing their opinions and paying taxes to enable a functional government.
The military must be independent of political parties, as reason should prevail over guns.
Chinese are talented and innovative. Under democracy, freedom and rule of law, they will create wealth through free enterprise, as vibrantly proved by Hong Kongers before 1997. They will become positive members of the world.
Meanwhile, an open and transparent culture will be vital to secure democracy and freedom.
However, lest we forget, economic woes are the reason for China’s implosion. To prevent further economic deterioration and political violence, with public officials being murdered at an alarming rate, unfinished housing units should be given to people who need shelter while the properties are still valuable and salvageable.
Distributing wealth to the masses might be the first step in jump-starting the economy and soothing public sentiment at this political crossroads.
James J.Y. Hsu is a retired professor of theoretical physics.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
Last week, 24 Republican representatives in the US Congress proposed a resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to abandon the US’ “one China” policy, calling it outdated, counterproductive and not reflective of reality, and to restore official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, enter bilateral free-trade agreement negotiations and support its entry into international organizations. That is an exciting and inspiring development. To help the US government and other nations further understand that Taiwan is not a part of China, that those “one China” policies are contrary to the fact that the two countries across the Taiwan Strait are independent and
RSS