Some people are already calling the 21st Century the "Chinese Century", but whether it will be or not remains to be seen. Its economic and military power continue to expand at an astonishing rate, but its political system remains effectively unchanged. The Chinese Communist Party remains as firmly entrenched in power as the day it crushed the pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989, and untold numbers of Chinese citizens remain in prison for their pro-democracy activities. The only part of China that enjoys any kind of genuine democratic freedom is Hong Kong, thanks to the pre-1997 agreement between China and the United Kingdom.
But apparently there are voices from within the Chinese establishment that are beginning, perhaps hesitantly, to call for change. One such person is General Liu Yazhou, who is a two-star general and the political commissar for the National Defense University. He recently printed an article in a Hong Kong periodical, in which he called on China to adopt American-style democracy and do away with its present authoritarian system. Failure to do so, General Yazhou warns, will mean that China will inevitably collapse in a manner similar to that of the Soviet Union.
It's virtually impossible to gain much insight into the mindset that exists within the military and political leadership of China. But it is certainly surprising to see a high-ranking and apparently influential Chinese general speaking in such terms. As the Chinese economy continues to gain steam, as relations between China and Taiwan continue to warm, and as China's place in the world becomes ever more important, Global Citizens can only hope that steps toward a genuine democracy in China begin to be taken.
Perhaps this General Liu Yazhou fellow will be worth keeping an eye on.
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