Can China Avoid the Soviet Union's Fate? | Asian American Issues

CAN CHINA AVOID THE SOVIET UNION'S FATE?

he People's Republic of China likes to compare itself with the United States. Both governments were forged to throw off the imperial yoke. Both are amalgams of many races and nationalities. Both are great continental powers capable of harnessing immense resources to promote national agendas around the world.
     Beijing's bosses cite these parallels to justify China's ambition of returning Taiwan to the fold -- forcibly if necessary -- and violently suppressing movements for Tibetan independence, Moslem separatism and religious tolerance. The party line: "In a few decades we will be as prosperous, unified and democratic as you Americans."
     Unfortunately, some observers see closer parallels to the former Soviet Union.
     Founded in 1910 to free Russian peasants from oppressive landowners and a weak imperial government, the Soviet government quickly and ruthlessly expanded into a superpower that rivaled the United States in military might and reach. On top of nearly 300 million citizens of several dozen captive nationalities, the Soviet Union became the puppetmasters of virtually every Eastern European government. By 1989 it was buckling under the burden of superpower competition. In 1991 the communists lost power to the reformist Yeltsin. The Soviet Union broke apart into Russia and a dozen independent republics. Today Russia is a nation of 150 million struggling to build a capitalist economy from the rubble of the communist meltdown.
     Among the Soviets' earliest converts were Mao Tsetung, Zhou Enlai and other young Chinese intellectuals who saw in communism salvation for the Chinese people from western imperialism and internal corruption. Mao's long struggle against Chiang Kaishek and the Kuomingtang would have ended disasterously without the support of dozens of ethnic minorities in northwestern China who believed his promise of ultimate political autonomy. Their help proved more valuable to Mao than the billions in American aid and direct military assistance to Chiang. By 1949 the Kuomingtang had fled to Taiwan and the PRC ruled the mainland.
     Beijing's bosses have been as ruthless as the Soviets in consolidating territory and suppressing separatist movements. But they have been far more successful in creating a functioning economy. They began capitalist reforms in 1979. By 2001 China's economy had become free enough to enter the World Trade Organization. For the past two decades it has grown at an average annual rate of 9%. Few of China's 1.25 billion go hungry and about 125 million enjoy living standards comparable to Malaysia and the Philippines. By some measure China has just surpassed Japan in GDP and will surpass the U.S. by 2025.
     But China's future as a united nation is far from assured.
     Even assuming peaceful reunification with Taiwan and victory over Tibetan separatists, Beijing's leaders face some big hurdles. They must integrate a billion subsistence-level farmers and workers into the consumer economy of the east coast or face ethnic discontent on a scale that would dwarf America's racial strife of the 1960s. Yet burdening the developed regions could breed separatist sentiment in Guangdong, Fujien, Manchuria and other regions. Over 100 languages and dialects are spoken in China. Long-suppressed religious minorities are becoming better organized thanks to the internet and other communications technology.
     Are China's prospects for staying united more like those of the U.S. or of the former Soviet Union?

(Updated )

JING CHA,

Oh, your handle means "police."

Actually I though your handle meant "penis lacking" or "golden tea."

I liked it better when your handled meant "penis lacking" myself.

AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 15:52:15 (PDT)

JC,

You cannot fire 6 missiles undetected. They are stealth planes not stealth missles. If you fire 6 missles at once, vector analysis will locate the plane in 1 sec, then they will be able to scrutize any signature in the area. Stealth technology is not wonder woman's invisible plane. It just makes the plane signature look like a bird or an insect.

AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 12:44:08 (PDT)

I like the way people call the thinkers NAZIs right away. If they actually had any intelligence at all they would know that the term "Nazi" refers to a member of a NAZI political party. Actually, Im a Republican.
JING CHA
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 10:45:40 (PDT)

AC Dropout----

#1 Wealth has lasted over 6 generations in my family. It changes form from investments --deals --etc,etc,etc but its still there.

#2 The entire world does not share the same environment, However all biomes on Earth can influence others. The majority of China's air pollution (as well as South Korea) is ACTUALLY produced in EUROPE and carried by the correaolis effects. The NSA has sooo much money and access to money that it can start anything from a $100K hamster study to a failing multi billion dollar aids research.

#3 My study is part of a multi million dollar contract by American Geologists by CHINA itself to help its new found environmental policy. If you VIEW CHINESE NEWS perhaps you have heard of how America is helping China clean the PU XI river?

I consider myself EQUALLY BLACK AND EQUALLY NATIVE AMERICAN but when people look at me theyll see a Black man. I always cut my hair short but I have fast growing Indian hair that gives me away after a few months. The beauty of being Native American is all the tax cuts I get.
Imagine what dillema my Children will have being Black, Pawnee and Chinese?
JING CHA
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 10:42:34 (PDT)

AC DROPOUT--------
Didn't Beijing shut down all the internet cafes in Beijing after the recent fire killed 24 people.

Beijing may have shut down a few of its cafes but the ones in Shanghai and Guang Dong are EXTREMLY active.

I spent over 80,000 equiptting my internet cafes with Pentium 3 450-550 Mhz Pcs and software. My biggest returns come from people playing Counterstrike and using TENCENT explorer.
I get about 76,000 US DOLLARS a year return. When Counterstrike Condition ZERO comes out, Im gonna have the software copied and distributed to save money. China doesnt really enforce copyrights.
JING CHA
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 10:34:07 (PDT)

JING CHA,

I don't doubt 61" is nice. I'm just saying I'm happy with my 50" plasma monitor. I don't hook up a computer to play games on it. There is a PS 2 machine hooked into the central entertainment closet.

I have a computer if I ever want to play games, acutally is a dual processor server machine, that I use as work station at home. The technicians that wired the house allows for ethernet connections and a central entertainment system that be used in almost every room. I work a lot so usually I don't have much time to use this stuff. But they are nice to have, nothing that changed my life.

It sounds like you are inexperienced in asian ways and just went to asia recently. Barber shops, sauna, and sexy phone calls in hotel rooms are standard affairs in Asia. But would it surprise you if you went into barber shops and saunas where sex was not offered, those establishment exist as well. Do you think every guy in China is getting sex when they go for their monthly trim? Do you think every woman in a Chinese barber shop is a potential prostitute? I think you need to get over the novelty of your discovery.

You sound like some Chinese business people I entertained in the city once. Took them to a strip club in Long Island and CT. They discovered the back rooms for private dances. And wouldn't shut up about it for the rest of their trip. Now won't they be surprised to discover on their next trip to USA, that not all strip clubs have back rooms for private dances.

China can effectively crack down on the sex trade, like the USA can effective shut down escort services. It's just too difficult to manage other people's sexual activities.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 09:33:19 (PDT)

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