Open Letter to the Chinese People

An open letter to the Chinese people.

Greetings,

It is with great humility that I present this letter to the entire great Chinese people; those in the People’s Republic of China, those in semi autonomous Hong Kong, those in Taiwan, and even, or maybe especially to those in the Chinese overseas community (undoubtedly in every nation on earth, and probably in every town of any size on the planet).

First of all, let me say, WOW, you are an awesome people.  Your historical accomplishments and contributions are simply beyond description.  From ice cream and noodles to the compass, the Great Wall to taming rivers and irrigating immense farmlands, you have made innumerable contributions to the world.  Your works and work ethic continue to inspire and challenge the rest of us humans.

Without a doubt, Chinese culture has been one of the great civilizing influences in the world, but- important news flash here- it is not the only civilizing influence in the world, and is arguably not even the most important one historically.  One must also give a nod to, among other great civilizing influences, mathematics and philosophy from India and Arabia, science from Europe, and the art of self government and cultural integration of my own America. 

The point here, and the purpose of this letter, is that as China at long last ascends to her rightful place as one of the world’s leading cultures, it is important that she leaves behind some old attitudes from the past, attitudes of chauvinism and national superiority that are no longer helpful.  In short, as China, the People’s Republic of China that is, takes its place at the table of power; the leaders in Beijing should be encouraged to work on the issues of trust and credibility. 

These twin issues come up repeatedly in the list of concerns that follow.  These concerns, examined singly and as a whole, cause a neutral observer to suspect that the leaders in Beijing are using an understandable, even laudable drive toward national development to conceal a strategy to go beyond sitting as an equal at the table of world powers, and to instead sit as the dominant, hegemonic force at that table.  In other words, it frankly looks like they might be trying to take over the world.  Such a course would threaten the well being of the world, and the interests and well being of all the Chinese people. Let’s consider the list.

The first concern to look at is the South China Sea; specifically Beijing’s aggressive stance that the Nine dash line has somehow become an international boundary that other nations must respect.  This policy would essentially make the South China Sea a Chinese lake; violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China’s neighbors, like Vietnam and the Philippines, allow China to claim ownership of the ocean resources in this international area, and constitute an attack on the concept of freedom of the high seas, which is a pillar of international prosperity. The World court has already ruled against China on this issue, but the government in Beijing has ignored that ruling. This South China Sea dispute, by itself, causes the world community to question how much China can be trusted, and the credibility of her claims to benevolent international leadership.

The next concern to look at is China’s trade practices, especially as they relate to the United States.  Let’s face it, America has been giving China a break for a long time, allowing a huge, around half a Trillion dollars a year, trade surplus in China’s favor (and that is just a low ball estimate).  The unbalanced trade surplus is not, as Beijing claims, just a result of China producing lower cost goods, although that is a major factor in the trade disparity. 

In addition to low cost workers, China has been erecting trade barriers to American goods, manipulating her currency to lower the cost of Chinese exports, erecting unprecedented technology controls on American companies doing business in China, and then finally, just outright cheating and stealing America’s technological and intellectual innovations.  Some will deny that there has been technology theft going on, but just a cursory look at some of China’s military aircraft and the fact of their clone like similarity to American aircraft is strong evidence that industrial and military espionage has been going on.

Additionally, China along with Russia and a few other countries has long objected to the dollar being the world’s reserve currency, which is the currency that everyone uses, holds and trades with.  However, in the recent trade and tariff dispute with the Trump administration, the leaders in Beijing sacrificed the Yuan’s position moving toward reserve currency status by devaluing the Yuan to gain short term advantage against the dollar.  That move, along with the other questionable trade practices, call into question Beijing’s credibility and how much they can be trusted.

One of the most promising aspects of China’s development is what is called the “Belt and Road” initiative; a project to connect via infrastructure, the nations of Asia, Africa, and Europe.  The star of this project is the enviable Chinese high speed rail system. I understand that some of these trains operate at such high altitudes that the passenger cars must be pressurized for the safety of the public.  What an amazing technological achievement, one to be proud of.

No thinking person is against this kind of new development, as it generally helps to increase the prosperity of all. Consider how America’s infrastructure, connecting both coasts of North America by rail and truck, facilitates trade for all.  A shipping container unloaded in Los Angeles allows products to be sold in east coast New York for almost the same low prices as on the west coast.  The same benefits will hold true for the Belt and Road initiative, it will enhance the prosperity of all nations, but especially the prosperity of the nation at the center of the development.

However, even with this happy narrative, the powers in Beijing managed to hit a sour note.  While extending credit to many of their partner nations in this development, China’s government has enticed or pressured the partners to overextend their credit.  When those loans become due, and default looms, Beijing uses that situation to pressure the “partner” into signing away control of the developing ports or facilities, giving China permanent control.  This so called “debt trap” gambit makes it to where Chinese interests gather more than their share of the profits, meanwhile rendering the “partner” nation into a permanent state of impoverishment and dependence.  Once again, many are left wondering if Beijing can be trusted, and if their stated benevolent intentions are credible.

Another area of concern is the way that the Chinese government has been suppressing and persecuting religious minorities.  This includes Christians, members of Falun Gong, Muslims, and others.  This is very concerning.

Not to compare China to Nazi Germany, but early on in the Nazi movement, before it was time to disguise their true intentions, some of their leaders wrote that Christianity must be rooted out of the German mind, since the Nazis intended to carry out policies that would be abhorrent to Christians.  It is simply a fact that oppressive empires don’t thrive in free nations, but only in nations whose people are well controlled.  While it is true that religion in China is an internal affair for China, the policies squashing freedom of religion are symptomatic of a dictatorship readying itself for international domination.  Once again, sour notes questioning China’s trust and credibility are heard.

The final area of concern is Hong Kong, and that comes up as part of China’s trust and credibility problem because of the agreement the People’s Republic of China signed guaranteeing Hong Kong could keep her freedom and free self government for at least fifty years. It hasn’t been 25 years, and yet the PRC is pushing to dictate to and control politics in Hong Kong.  This stance is not very credible on China’s part.

At this point I wish to make a personal statement, taken from my life experience.  In 1989, at the time of the Tiananmen Square rallies and tragedy, I was living in the San Francisco Bay area.  At the end of the tragedy, there was a demonstration called to support the students, at Justin Herman Plaza.  I remember three important things from that day.

First of all, it is the only time in my life I was embarrassed to be an American because I was the only non-Chinese American to show up.  All were invited, but mine was the only reddish gray head, about a foot higher than most of the ten thousand people of Chinese ancestry in the plaza.

The second thing I remember was the wonderful classic music composition played with traditional Chinese instruments.  There were no words, but the music created in my mind the image of a dragon, and spoke of how good it is to be a friend with a dragon, and how terrible it is when the dragon turns on the people and becomes their oppressor.  I don’t know the name of the composition, but I am sure some of you do.

My third memory of the day was the debate I didn’t have, and wish I had.  There was one Chinese gentleman standing alone on a pedestal, wearing a sign criticizing the wild nature of American society, and extolling the virtues of a stable and peaceful society.  If I had not been the only European American in the crowd, I would have challenged this gentleman to a debate.  I would have asked him to take the part of Confucius, which I am sure he would have been happy to do since he was advocating Confucianism, while I would have been just as happy to take the part of Thomas Jefferson.

Once the terms of debate were set, I would have let the esteemed gentleman go first to make his point.  After he had talked about the anger, confusion, and violence in American society and compared it to the order and contentment in China, I would have made my only point.

“You assert that China is content and peaceful.  My objection is one of epistemology, which is the science of knowledge.  How, I ask, do you know that China is so idyllic? 

Any person who is not content is silenced, imprisoned or executed.  Any voice which disagrees with Beijing’s policies is silenced.  In such a vast nation, a nation with well over a billion souls, you have no credible way of knowing the conditions of people’s lives and the sentiments they hold.  Without the kind of free speech and freedom of the press that Thomas Jefferson extolled, you have no credible way of ascertaining if you are actually making progress toward your worthy goal of a Confucian society.

I see China as a nation on a theatrical stage.  The curtain is drawn in front of the stage, and on the curtain is painted beautiful idyllic scenes of life in a Confucian paradise.  However, once in a while, blood curdling screams are heard from behind the curtain, and even more rarely, some severed human body part flies out through an opening in the curtain.  It is quickly retrieved by a government official wearing a smiling face, assuring the audience that all is well.  But, we in the audience remain unconvinced.”

“By all means,” I would have finished in my debate,”Seek the good and harmonious society Confucius calls for.  I seek similar goals for America.  However, know that your quest can be successful, and credible, only if it is done in the free light of day, with the authorities at all levels of government being accountable to the people they are supposed to serve.”

I have long regretted that the debate was never held, but perhaps today is the day for it, since the issue of Confucianism versus American liberty seems to be boiling to the surface once again.  Certainly, the principle that liberty and transparent accountability must precede cultural harmony has never loomed larger.

Let me make three points to conclude this letter.  The first point is the sense or feeling that the government in Beijing, while it projects an image of single minded purpose, is actually very sensitive to the opinions and hopes of the Chinese people, even, and once again maybe especially, those of the overseas Chinese community.  If the Chinese people decide to lead in a different direction, the leaders in Beijing will surely follow.

My second point is that my reading of Chinese history reveals that the emperors in Beijing did not believe in treating with other nations as equals.  Either the other nation was in some sense a vassal of the emperor, or they weren’t allowed to be part of the Chinese economy.  Does the idea still hold sway in Beijing that any who would do business with the middle kingdom must be under Beijing’s thumb?  More importantly, does that idea still hold sway in the hearts and minds of the great Chinese people?  Is there no sense of doing mutually beneficial business among equals who treat each other fairly and in an open handed honest way?

The thinking that either I am dominant over others, or others will be dominant over me is a false, immature way of thinking.  This sentiment must be cast out of the hearts of the Chinese people and onto the dust bin of history, as only a world view that embraces an international structure composed of nations who stand equal to one another will sustain over time.  Constantly trying to establish and maintain an empire over others will provoke great opposition in the wider world, and stifling that opposition will drain China’s energy while perpetually increasing the causes of international conflict.

My third concluding point is that as things now stand, the lines of accountability are unclear in China, so it is not clear if the people hold the reins of the dragon, or the dragon holds the reins that control the people. 

The full technological development of the Chinese nation is inevitable.  Only a fool would try to stop that already speeding train.  When Beijing claims otherwise, and says that foreign forces are trying to stop that development, they are merely using a distracting appeal to nationalistic pride to continue on their agenda.  The real question of this time is whether or not the greater Chinese people can resist that tempting siren song of nationalistic pride, and instead insist that their government be transparently accountable, and work for the true best interests of the Chinese people, and not the short term greedy gains of the elite few in Beijing and Shanghai who are singing that seductive song.

I write this letter to directly plead with and warn you, the great Chinese people, that you would be foolish to follow the path of revenge for what is thought of as an era of national humiliation.  You simply must not allow a possibly criminally corrupt regime to use your prestige, your children, and your admirable culture to advance their evil and greedy machinations.  They will try to dominate the rest of the world in a way that will drain you; emotionally, culturally, morally, and eventually economically.

 If the great Chinese people can do that, can rise up above the well worn patterns of history and actually model the behavior of a well intentioned international leader, then her inevitable ascendance to leading nation status will be a long term boon to the Chinese people, and a blessing to the world for generations to come.

With Sincere Best Wishes,

 An admiring American Friend

Permission is hereby given for anyone so inclined to translate this letter into
the Chinese language and publish it far and wide.  The author asks only that any translation
be an honest one, and of the entire letter.

 2019-09-16