Everything was controversial when i was in the Beijing Language & cultral Institute back 1992, my first introduction to the Chinese rules was addressed on the first day of school.
No foreigner is allowed to visit Chinese families, without prior permission from the police department. I was followed in campus as well as off campus, I was befriended by secret police, that was interested in my politic, and why I liked the Chinese woman.
Actually I was swamped with women 300 in the annex to my building, I had a very comfortable room, I shared with a Malaysian Chinese who had worked for Boots in the UK. I also socialised just outside the campus with hoods, that ran the black market currency exchange enjoying a few beers around a 45 gallon drum fire.
There was no running water in the hairdressers and staff slept in the shops, occasionally i took some back to my room for showers, it was quite pityful watching a vagabond drink water out of a pool of oily shit puddle on the ground, that smelled of urine, the whole dusty streets smelled of urine, after people came out of the newly opened bars, not many at that time. The meat wagon used to come and dump the half sliced pigs on the pissed smelling dirty road to be carted into the butchers, it wasn't a pleasant site. The food was revolting on the school campus, the stench unbearable as they queued up with their mess tins, I only once tried to eat there.
I have hands on experience in China of booze women and the black market, I broke every rule in the book while there, as it was experience and adventure i wanted, I was often humiliated for my bad student practise but what the hell, I was having a ball.
What plavt says is correct, Mao made unforgivable errors, I could say more, but you will have to wait for my autobiography but I can assure you the people with some power I met. My first sight of this power was at night as the Forbidden City was closing to all the Tourists in fact it was empty, yet the doors opened to the person who accompanied me around the Forbidden City, with no other people in sight.
Being there at that time was something I could never imagine, but the flood of feelings of history around me were quite overwhelming.
I believe the people that studied traditional language not simplified, and i was told by several, that history would be kept from the younger generation by simplifying the language.
So we have communism on one side, but how long is a piece of string when it comes to politics and enforcement, how strong is the power that holds the people in check. Democracy will be phased in, just like the market economy was phased in, by strategy of those in power now.
China is very capable and it is there time, though if things are not done correctly China will fall, like a ton of bricks, as the poor get more poor, and those long time job offers are no more....Though communism has held up by conning the people that, it has always been the rulers intentions to make it a market economy, the next step is how to phase in democracy and freedoms to ensure China is for its people. They are trying to stamp out corruption, the people are very aware of the corrupt leaders.
My point is that over 1 billion 300 million people are very difficult to satisfy, it could go up any time, at present only 300 million are getting a piece of the action.
Though it is true to say that if you are Chinese, you address them all, as they are all family, even though some disagree like Taiwan, you cannot cut the strings no matter were they live. Identity is the most important thing of our lives, so communists, may support Mao and his errors, if they didn't they would be executed.
It's getting more and more clear, that there are literally hundreds of thousands if not millions of non communistic Chinese, that are controlled by cadres and if they do step out of line, they will be punished facts not fiction.
The fact that Taiwan is well infiltrated by mainland Chinese and Singapore too, is the planting of seeds for the future as I see it, there will be little one can do, though I only see conflict by those that will never be communist of which numbers we do not know. Though China will be more difficult to take if the communists are smart enough to phase in democratic rule and free speech, that will happen in my opinion and the credit will be to the communist party of uniting there brothers and sisters against the world. Interesting stuff the Taiwanese Chinese and mainland with a Brit in the middle, I know when to shut up
It's a very rich history, Japanese I'm afraid cannot be compared Plavt, they had their time of success and blew it....a lot of bad feeling today I can assure you for those families that were slaughtered by the Japanese its really a sensitive issue, but Japan never had the initiative to mix with foreigners it wanted to dominate and remain pure like Hitler.
I think the Chinese are more prone to be hardworking and focused on infiltration into communities planting seeds, to reap the rewards and gaining trust like a wolf in sheep's clothes
Though China is rocky unstable and running risks of bubbles, and rebellion, its really a balancing act how on earth do you satisfy that kind of population. I think it will be done with the help of every nation, though the balance of wealth must be evenly distributed. There will be another oil conflict and confrontation before China sees democracy and the rate the world is going natural disasters and wars will settle the score of balance.
Nature is going to kick arse much more than it has done, just wait and see. People are the worst enemies of all life unfortunately
Eau2011
You have many valid points however empires are not built on small quibbles and speeches at Universities, it's done with an Iron fist like Rome did, and the Brits did. I'm sure China is well aware of its troubles, as it would have fallen along with Russia, but the mentality and focus is very different, they are adapting to evolution and change, democracy and free speech is the only way to save credibility of the communist party, so its more to do with patience building empires that suit all walks of life, in my opinion.
All the small ranters of equal rights may well have cause, but no real leverage at this time...just stamp on them or lock them up is the easiest, until it becomes a need for change.
(Bilfilsing:treating women like shit) For many years girl babies were killed at birth, as they were thought to be non productive today the young girls are kidnapped and sold on the black market, highly valued and out numbered. The women are treated more equal than British women believe it or not, they fought alongside the men in the revolution and earned there equality, they are strong minded women very individual and respectful to a degree, however treat one like shit, and you probably won't wake up in the morning, they are calculated and deliberate in what they do, were not talking of SPG's here. But hunger for wealth and family quite the opposite to most western mentality and your bank balance is the target for those that plan it. Many Singaporean men have been taken to the cleaners by mainland Chinese women and no doubt many foreigners too.
Even the local Chinese prefer to educate their children in English . .