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.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not
RSS