The China Teaching Web

Human and religious rights advocates worldwide were furious when President Clinton and Congress renewed China’s “most favored nation” status in 1997. I remember some of my more conservative friends lamenting to me that the traditionally strong U.S. stance on human rights was being betrayed by the government’s efforts to further economic ties with China. For the Christian Right in America, the renewal of MFN was simply another reason to despise President Clinton since religious rights have always been at the forefront of government crackdowns in China. 

More than ten years later many of the same advocates are engraged that President Bush has remained so quiet on the issue of human rights in Tibet. For many on the left and the right,  a phone call to Chairman Hu JinTao from the U.S. President in late March “expressing concern” was not the reaction that was hoped for. Instead, many have hoped that President Bush would follow in the footsteps of German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said last week that she would not attend the opening Olympic ceremonies in Beijing. So far, the only definitive statement that President Bush has made regarding the Olympics is that he will be there for the opening ceremonies in August.

But those who are angry with President Bush on his Tibet stance and those who were angry in the late 90′s with MFN have failed to recognize an important strategy in US policy toward China. It is simple really. Promoting change in a country can only be achieved if certain political, social and economic doors are left open. In the case of China, a country with a long history of isolationism, it is and always has been important to keep those doors open and to keep the money flowing. Yes, there is no question that money has been one of the main reasons why the United States has maintained such close ties with this Communist giant. But one must understand that money and goods are not the only commodities that flow into China from the West. These imported goods and capital are accompanied by information and new ideas from the West. 

One of the most important items of knowledge that has arrived from the West is the English language. The increase in international trade and foreign investment has made English an essential skill in China.  Of course, English does not teach itself. Thousands of teachers from around the world have found jobs in China’s schools, universities, and training centers.   These teachers are allowed to discuss almost any topic as long as it falls within a cultural discussion. Thus, millions of Chinese students (children and adults) have been heavily exposed to foreign cultures. The thoughts and ideas that are shared with them by the foreign teachers are not easily forgotten.

But the influx of money itself has made a world of difference in China. For the first time ever, people have extra cash in their pockets and the standard of living has steadily risen. As the economy continues to grow, there has been increasing pressure on the government to integrate social and economic changes in the country. The Chinese people have had an ever so sweet taste of wealth and freedom and they are coming back for more. The Chinese government has made many changes which have included the lessening of restrictions on the market and the institution of much needed labor laws. Although it is difficult to measure the quality of human rights in China, there is widespread evidence that they are improving. Close friends tell me that Hu JinTao has been much more open to allowing dissent as well as freedom of religion than previous chairmen. It is also said that Hu JinTao is a man who understand the modern world and that he recognizes the many mistakes have been made by the Chinese government in the recent past.

In fact, it may well be that the recent past is still haunting China when it comes to media reports from around the world. My friends do not deny the  stories  from the West of persecution against Christians and harsh crackdown on dissent in China. They simply say that China has changed dramatically under the leadership of Chairman Hu. They suggest that there are many stories being propagated by the West which occurred some years ago. Of course, in a country where the government and the media are the same entity, no one can really be sure.

What is certain is that some tragic events have taken place recently in Tibet. But President Bush, like President Clinton before him, recognizes that provoking China is no way to resolve the situation.  One of my foreign friends recently lamented, “The Chinese would have to drop a nuclear bomb on Tibet before Bush would say anything!” Whether or not that is true, the 2008 Olympics may very well be the world’s best chance to connect with the people and convince the Communist party once and for all that they should continue moving their country into a modern world. While the world may wish that this evolution would happen overnight, the process is by nature a long one. In a country of 1.3 billion people, social and political change can only move at a slow rate. But hopefully, the process will accelerate as the younger generation in China slowly replaces the status quo.