Week of October 29, 1999
Week of October 29, 1999
The U.S. and China This Week
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SOCIETY: Civil Disobedience in China
SUMMARY:
Earlier this week, Falun Gong practitioners protested the government's actions
against their religion. Falun Gong members held passive protests in Tiananmen
Square as the National People’s Congress (NPC) convened to discuss a bill
outlawing religious cults, which would include Falun Gong. The bill instructs
local governments to differentiate between the leaders and followers of a
cult, as the followers can be reeducated, while the leaders must be punished.
The members gathered to sit quietly in the square. Because of their passive
manner, police had difficulty identifying Falun Gong practitioners, and went
from person to person asking if they practiced Falun Gong. Those who responded
yes were herded into a police van. Most of those arrested were given a warning
and released within 24 hours. Many vowed to return to the square and continue
their protest. This act of civil disobedience aims to send a message to the
government that the people's spirits are strong, and that the government faces
a battle in ridding the country of Falun Gong.
Before leaving on his trip to Europe and Africa, President Jiang Zemin ordered
that any challenges to the government must be "nipped in the bud," and emphasized
the need to promote socio-political stability. In part, this speech was aimed
at Falun Gong and other "cults." President Jiang perceives a definitive link
between underground religions and social unrest, a concept which has caused
the suppression of Falun Gong in the name of national stability. Along these
lines, police report finding evidence that Falun Gong members possess 59 classified
state documents, 20 top secret documents, gave classified documents to foreigners,
and have leaked state secrets. (By Chinese government definition, anything
that is not public knowledge is considered classified information.) According
to the Xinhua news agency, the group has political motives, and uses the Internet
to spread rumors which are having a negative effect on political and social
stability.
The government is clearly feeling threatened by Falun Gong. Whether Falun
Gong practitioners are just looking for something to believe in or are attempting
to spur political change, it is certain that a battle for the people's faith
is being fought between the government and "cults" or spiritual sects such
as Falun Gong.
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GOVERNMENT: Hu Jintao in a Position of Power
SUMMARY:
Preparing for his multinational tour, last week President Jiang Zemin made
Hu Jintao Acting Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Hu Jintao
was recently appointed Vice Chairman of the CMC although many top political
players were uncertain about his abilities to fulfill this role. Being made
Acting Chairman is a sign of Jiang's faith in Hu, but it is also a test of
Hu's abilities. Some analysts believe President Jiang left Hu in charge as
a way to maintain the status quo while Jiang was away visiting foreign powers.
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WORLD POLITICS: Indonesia Building Ties with China
SUMMARY:
Indonesia's recently elected President Abdurrahman Wahid said that a trip
to China would be his first official state visit. His explanation for choosing
China was that Beijing has consistently supported Indonesia in international
diplomatic matters. He has also made several references to his Chinese ancestry.
Recently, China objected to the inclusion of a reference to human rights
violations in East Timor in a draft resolution that went before the United
Nations Security Council. China also seems to be more supportive of Indonesia
as China tries to maintain regional stability and gain recognition as a regional
power.
Chinese-Indonesian relations have not always been so smooth. In 1965, Beijing
supported the Communist Party of Indonesia in a violent attempted coup that
led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians, including many
of Chinese ancestry. As the new millennium approaches, Indonesia and China
appear to be rebuilding their relationship and working to build an Asia-Pacific
which is mutually beneficial.
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SOCIETY: WORLD POLITICS: The Macao Handover
SUMMARY:
This Tuesday, Chinese President Jiang Zemin
met with Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio to discuss the December 19th handover
of Macao to China. Among the topics they discussed were: the whether Macao
would adopt the death penalty; the use of Portuguese as an official language
of Macao; and who will attend the handover ceremony.
To secure a smooth transition, President Sampaio
agreed to be among the delegation attending the ceremony. Portuguese officials
had earlier stated that they would definitely discuss human rights issues
with President Jiang. One controversial invitation to the changeover ceremony
was extended by Portuguese representatives to Vatican officials. China was
greatly angered by this invitation, because the Vatican officially recognizes
Taiwan as a country, while the People’s Republic regards Taiwan as a renegade
province.
Regarding the governing of Macao, President
Jiang says after the handover Macao will enjoy the privileges that go along
with the "one country, two systems" approach pioneered in 1997 with Hong Kong’s
reversion to Chinese rule. For the next fifty years, Macao will have a high
degree of autonomy and will maintain its capitalist system. With the return
of Macao, China will have regained control of two of the three most visible
territories it lost during the "100 years of foreign aggression". Control
of the most visible and the largest, Taiwan, still eludes the People’s Republic.
China hopes that a smooth transition in Macao will prove to Taiwan, the most
visible lost territory, that reunification can be accomplished for the betterment
of both.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: China's Response
to UN Peacekeeping activities in East Timor
SUMMARY:
This Tuesday, Chinese President Jiang Zemin
met with Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio to discuss the December 19th
handover of Macao to China. Among the topics they discussed were: the whether
Macao would adopt the death penalty; the use of Portuguese as an official
language of Macao; and who will attend the handover ceremony.
On Tuesday, China issued a statement considering
participating in the UN Administration of East Timor. Zhang Qiyue, a foreign
minister, explained that China has always supported UN resolution of the
East Timor situation. China voted in favor of the UN Security Council's
resolution to send peacekeeping forces, feels the UN is the best vehicle
for building stability in the region, and hopes to play a role in restoring
order in East Timor. As such, China has agreed to the resolution which gives
the UN Transitional Authority for East Timor (UNTAET) the power to rule
the region, and will contribute 5 civilian policemen to the UN effort. China
generally sends at least one observer to US peacekeeping or observer missions,
in accordance to UN rules which request each member of the security council
to send at least one person per mission.
The U.S. and China This Week
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