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A bright activist lost in a blind system

February 20, 2007

(Cheng Guangcheng)

It was an unforgettable year for Chinese people. With a forthcoming golden pig year, a soaring stock market with people’s high expectation and dazzling preparations for the Olympics, China is attracting the whole world’s attention.

Unfortunately, the Lunar New Year is not a festival for everyone, at least not for Chen Guangcheng and his family. A feature article in last week’s Time reminded me of this Chinese blind activist, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison last September.

As a self-schooled legal activist, Chen was a representative role at the forefront of a growing civil rights movement who drew international attention to human rights issues in rural areas. Last August, after talking to Time about the forced abortion cases he investigated in Linyi County, Shangdong Province, the authorities started harassing him.

In April 2006, Chen was named by Time as “one of the 100 people most influential in shaping our world,” alongside Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, who was also ranked in the list.

But such a story only brings to light the sharp differences of China’s speedy development. When people were cheering for the Premier’s successful African journey, it was difficult for them to hear those alternative voices, especially in rural areas, where lack of legal knowledge is still the main obstacle preventing individuals from claiming their legitimate rights.

As a blind legal activist, Chen Guangcheng was a rare voice in China’s vast rural areas. But for him, there is still a long way to go, not only in darkness, but also in a blind system.

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China: learning to invest in peace

February 13, 2007

(Picture from Xinhu News Agency)

Can China build, not only the pipelines and roads, but also the peace in Africa? That was the question posed in last week’s Economist.

It is not an easy task for Hu Jintao, China’s president, on his eight-nation tour of Africa. Following last November’s Sino-African festival in Beijing, Mr Hu’s latest visit is definitely a good chance for the hungry dragon to grab more from Africa, rather than the headachy issues such as human rights or internal peace.

China, of course, has been good for all in many ways in Africa. Despite building roads, railways and powers stations, it also provides scholarships and helps in training the local engineers. All looks so familiar, if compared with Mao’s China fifty years ago, when China was the pioneer in the “third world” with great credit.

Today, however, China has turned out to be a typical example of the “realistic diplomacy”. It ordered Boeing aircrafts to ease the American Congress; it hosted African leaders in Beijing, including those who still have the relations with Taiwan; it even sternly criticized North Korea, its firm alliance (at least during the past fifty years), for Kim Jong il’s hazard nuclear programme. Mr Hu’s gesture provides a hint: the country’s interests are much more important than the ideology.

With a billion dollar investment, undoubtedly, Africa’s peace is a critical element of China’s sustaining development. The tragedy in Darfur, for instance, is completely a new challenge to Mr Hu, but also a great chance for China to show its muscle in Africa.

As an emerging superpower, the honour and the profit are both important to China. But how to balance the interests and the reputation is still a puzzle for the chewing dragon.

Categories: My eyes

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