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2 SPEAKING FREELY Let us now praise Hu
Jintao By Michael Chang
wonder what
the author of the article in the Wall Street
Journal has to say this time around.
Let's
carefully examine Hu's achievements for the past
four years, to appreciate this unique and gifted
once-in-lifetime politician. What has separated
him from his predecessors and contemporaries
around the world are as follows:
The
SARS crisis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome
broke out in
China in 2003, shortly after
Hu succeeded Jiang. At the outset, China was
seemingly unprepared for the epidemic, and was
accused by the World Health Organization of
willfully underreporting SARS cases. Hu swiftly
replaced China's minister of health, Zhang
Yongkang - a Jiang protege - along with Beijing
mayor Meng Xuenong, Hu's own man, and put the
nation's resources toward the national effort to
fight SARS.
The Hong Kong political
crisis. In 2003, the Hong Kong government
endeavored to pass anti-sedition legislation in
the face of massive opposition from Hong Kong
people. The Chinese central government publicly
voiced its support for chief executive Tung
Chee-hwa, but quietly worked toward his removal
from the office. The legislation was withdrawn,
the chief executive replaced, protests died down,
normalcy returned. Many believed that the entire
crisis was handled with dexterity and
thoroughness, typical of Hu's quiet style. Hu
remains a popular figure in Hong Kong today.
The Anti-Secession Law. China's
strategy for confronting Taiwan's independence
movement has long been a show of force through
military exercises held when there was a
presidential election to be held in Taiwan. Time
and again, military intimidation had produced the
exact opposite effect, resulting in the ultimate
victory of the Democratic Progressive Party,
diehard advocates of ultimate independence.
The Hu-Wen government swiftly adjusted its
strategy shortly after taking over the helm. The
Anti-Secession Law was enacted in 2005. It
stipulates that China reserves the right to use
force to prevent de jure independence but also
states that as long as Taiwan doesn't declare
independence, it won't be attacked by the
mainland. This is a stance consistent with the
United States' national interest and that of the
rest of the the world community.
As a
result, whenever Taiwanese President Chen
Shui-bian provokes the mainland by announcing an
intent to hold a referendum for independence, by
applying for United Nations membership or by
amending the existing constitution to change
Taiwan's official name, it also becomes the
responsibility of the US, often assisted by the
European Union and the UN, to do the necessary
damage control, not just China alone.
Maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan
Strait is something China can live with
comfortably for the time being, while it continues
to modernize its military capabilities and sustain
its economic growth. No doubt, in the opinion of
this author, the Hu-Wen government deserves high
marks for implementing this brilliant strategy.
Harmonious society. As a result of
recent years' rapid economic growth, especially in
the coastal provinces, the gap between the rich
and the poor in China has widened to an alarming
degree, bringing disorder, corruption, street
crime, and environmental hazards with no relief in
sight. Concluding that some drastic actions have
to be taken before the very foundation of the
nation was eroded, the Hu-Wen government in 2004,
among other things, introduced the concept of
harmonious society and called for a national moral
restoration. This is a long-term process and it
may take decades before its effects can be felt.
International standing. Under Hu's
and Wen's leadership, China's international
standing has reached a new plateau, winning new
friends and admirers. Its status as a responsible
stakeholder has been certified time and again, as
evidenced by its leading role in handling of the
North Korean crisis, by its lavish but prudent
investments and economic assistance on the African
continent, and by its dominance in consumer-goods
production for the entire world, the US in
particular, enabling the latter to control
otherwise rampaging inflation.
China has
earned the title of worldwide infrastructure
builder, making its industrial-power presence felt
around world. These are by no means small
achievements, and they came into full fruition
only within the past few years. Attacks by the
West on China's religious persecution and
human-rights violations are declining, replaced by
the persistent rumors and innuendos of China's
military threat to the world and the US in
particular, and by China's overtaking the US as
the leading economic power by 2020.
The
inevitability of that is, of course, subject to
speculation and interpretation, but the facts
remain that the Hu-Wen government has
fundamentally changed the world's view on China
and changed the world as well, something that is
truly unprecedented in the history of mankind.
Firmly in control There is no
denying that Hu has his share of critics and
detractors, especially within China, who
constantly plot for his sudden downfall. Yet to
the consternation of his foes, he remains
immensely popular among Chinese people. Thanks to
the advent of the Internet age, his successes as
well as failures since he took over the helm are
an open book that has been fully exposed for
scrutiny not only by the Chinese people but also
by the whole world. Adding up the pluses and
minuses of his administration, its totality is
still mighty impressive and will definitely put
the rest of the world to shame.
On the eve
of the CCP's 17th National Congress, rumors flew
portraying the Hu-Wen government as being in an
intensive internal dogfight to control the
meeting. These are unsubstantial stories, aimed at
creating political instability in China. Yet all
indications point to the contrary, that Hu and Wen
are in firm control of the agendas and directions
for the next five years and possibly beyond,
reflecting the will of the Chinese people to award
a second five-year term for a job well done.
Michael Chang was born in
Shanghai and grew up in Taiwan. He earned a master
of business administration degree from San
Francisco State University. He is owner/president
of General Realty and Investment Inc in
California. He can be reached at
mttchang@verizon.net.
Speaking
Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows
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