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HONG KONG, TESTOSTERONE &
BIRTH OF THE ASIAN CENTURY
PAGE 8 OF 8
| It's foolish to expect China, or any nation, to keep putting up with constant attacks on its dignity when it's in a position to retaliate. |
e have never believed the appointment of a provisional legislature
was justified," sniffed a State Department spokesperson. "There is a perfectly
good legislature in place, a democratically elected legislature." He added that
the U.S. Consul-General had "made it very clear" to Chinese officials that Ms
Albright would not attend the swearing-in.
In her act of political protest Albright was joining officials of British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand--presenting China with what looked like a united western front--a perfect example of the kind of pointlessly provocative gesture that confirms China's worst suspicions about the west's lack of respect for an Asian giant. It goes without saying that testosterone poisoning crosses gender lines. In fact, its effects are sometimes most glaring in female politicians. Back in 1982 then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher almost sank talks with China even before they got underway by insisting right up front that the treaties under which Britain took Hong Kong were perfectly legal.
"There are treaties in existence," sniffed the Iron Lady. "We stick by our treaties."
The Chinese response was predictably cold, and it was days before talks resumed on a constructive footing.
Then there's crotchety hawk Jessie Helms, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who threatened to deny visas to the prominent Hong Kong citizens appointed to the Provisional Legislature for being members of "an illegitimate body". This was right after the U.S. Congress extended a hero's welcome to Martin Lee, leader of Hong Kong's Democratic Party. That kind of loose talk apparently prompted Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to postpone a planned U.S. trip.
The U.S.'s hostile and provocative stance may originate from principled notions, but they reveal a shocking lack of respect for the world's most populous nation and the U.S.'s second biggest trading partner. It's hard to imagine the U.S. behaving so provocatively toward a non-Asian nation of comparable importance. Two explanations suggest themselves--both are disturbing. One is that racism at various levels of U.S. leadership poisons our foreign relations with Asian nations, giving unintended levels of offense. The other is that there is in place a policy deliberately calculated to provoke China toward hostility, possibly to give the U.S. a pretext for hostile action or for increasing arms sales to other Asian nations like Japan, Taiwan and Corea.
Provocative U.S. actions like Albright's sanctimonious refusal to attend the inauguration can only goad Beijing into tightening up its reins on Hong Kong to spite western demands, even where such moves go against its stated objectives. That may boost the U.S.'s moral standing to further antagonize China, but would produce no benefit to the peoples of Hong Kong, China, the U.S. or any other nation. If anything, it will produce more repression and economic suffering as China shifts from its present course of rapid economic liberalization toward strengthening its armed forces for a possible war with the U.S.
Whether or not it discomfits the U.S. and other western nations, China and Asia will continue to grow in wealth and power relative to the U.S. for at least the next half century Nothing the U.S. can do short of nuking Asian capitols will change that fact. On the other hand, if the U.S. is sincere in the desire to see democracy flourish throughout Asia, it should simply applaud as China travels further down the capitalist road. No nation beset by poverty and strong, aggressive rivals--as China clearly is--moves willingly toward democracy. As our Vietnam adventure has shown, not even the U.S. is powerful or wealthy enough to prop up democracy in lands that simply can't afford it.
If we accept these realities, we can see the futility of a U.S. policy of antagonizing China over democracy. It's foolish to expect China, or any nation, to keep putting up with constant attacks on its dignity when it's in a position to retaliate. If anything, China has shown remarkable restraint in the face of steady provocation from the west, especially considering its history of victimization at the hands of western nations.
President Clinton is showing that he is better than his campaign rhetoric about China. Thankfully he's no Lyndon Johnson and seems to understand the dangers of testosterone poisoning in our international relations. His administration went a long way toward building a constructive relationship with China by delinking its so-called human rights record from economic issues like MFN status or WTO membership. In recent months President Clinton has made clear the U.S. desire to see a strong and prosperous China and the intention to treat China with the same level of dignity as has been shown Russia. Unfortunately, China won't be persuaded of his sincerity until his administration refrains from provocative statements about democracy. The Chinese haven't forgotten that the western powers, including the U.S., who inflicted so much suffering on China were democracies with what might be called atrocious human-rights records. China, unfortunately, was too weak to fight back--and paid dearly for its weakness. That's the one lesson China has learned so far from its dealings with the west.
If and when democracy finally arrives in China, it won't be because its leaders were pushed by foreign threats and insults but because its citizens are ready to pay for it.
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