Nicholas Kristof: China's Political Freedom Likely To Increase

Interviewee: Nicholas D. Kristof, Columnist, The New York Times
Interviewer: Bernard Gwertzman, Consulting Editor, CFR.org

New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, along with his wife Sheryl WuDunn, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for their coverage of the events in 1989 in Tiananmen Square where the Chinese government brutally cracked down on pro-reform protestors, killing hundreds. Reflecting on the events twenty years later, Kristof says that Chinese leaders have shown themselves to be exceptional economic managers. "[T]hat is one reason why China has more and more leverage internationally, and why we end up going to Beijing hat in hand." He says that for the majority of Chinese today, events of 1989 are not very significant, but among the elite and intellectuals Tiananmen certainly matters. "[T]here certainly are voices within the Communist Party who would like to see the verdict on Tiananmen changed, but who know that's not going politically anywhere right now--that would be too divisive."

Kristof says China is likely to evolve toward more political freedom, following Asian models such as South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, or Indonesia. "[I]n each of those cases you had a rising middle class, you had increasing education standards, [and] more and more interaction with the rest of the world. As a result, each of those things tended to undermine the dictatorship and create aspirations for more political participation in varying degrees," he says.

This week, while the American media is taking note of the terrible events that the occurred in Tiananmen Square twenty years ago, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is in Beijing praising the Chinese economy and assuring the Chinese that the U.S. economy will stay strong in this difficult time. I wondered what this tells us about the future.

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Comments

[Prakosh]

This is the typical sentiment from those who want to increase the use of China's manufacturing base to increase the coffers of American business at the expense of the rest of us. Read "in The Jaws Of The Dragon" (2008) by Eamonn Fingleton. In this book Fingleton traces the evolution of such positive statements regarding the possibility of increasing freedom within China. And shows that no matter what kinds of improvements have come about--the internet, the increasing trade, the increasing interaction between American businesses and Chinese Businesses, there has been very little change in the ways that China deals with internal problems. in fact, the American business interests are far more likely to become instruments of the oppression than contribute in any meaningful way with an opening or increase in Freedom. In other word, once again the American population is duped by their belief in their experts who keep telling them lies. Kristof, in spite of his reputation being another one.

[notwhatUwant2hear]

China to HIlary: we are calling the shots now; we own you and your country too.
Yeah, we will buy more of your debt and then we will own the American children too.

[BabblingBrooks]

Hmmm...freedom in China likely to increase? That's pretty much assured, given that it can't decrease all that much from where it is now!

[MikeDu]

All China needs is one 'shock' to go back to 'business as usual', politically. Now that I think of it all America needs to return to 'business as usual' is one shock, itself. Its said that Cheney lights candles in hopeful prayer for another 9-11 so the Right can then be returned to power.

[Ping]

South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, or Indonesia are not shining examples of democracy and freedom.

[Dr Manhattan]

Maybe and maybe not. One thing is certain, China isn't being swarmed by political refugees from these countries seeking asylum. Especially not from Taiwan.

[leonel]

ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION SHOULD LEAD TO POLITICAL DIVERSIFICATION.
CHINA HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXPAND ONE PARTY RULE TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE SIMILAR CHALLENGES.

China has huge challenge in figuring out how to balance political freedom to keep up with economic freedom or growth. It is not likely to let other political parties develop and not take path other countries have taken in political evolution. In other words, political evolution has to keep happening from the local level up. More autonomous behavior on the local level and public seeing that economic diversity and freedom is the better way to make progress.

There is not likely to be the political infighting that has led many countries to have political parties debate policies and create unstable and unpredictable national direction. Trend is also likely to be followed in other developing countries if there is going to be fast progress in democratization around the world. Another country that needs to figure out how to get democratized and has huge possibility of growth but is stymied is Saudi Arabia. Iran, in contrasting style, has to make progress but has religious elite that allows elections in which pragmatic leaders may be elected from competing political parties because of past experience.

Around the world, there is growing awareness that each country has to figure out how to deal with economic globalization by creating democratic reforms with whatever system is better for them, whether one-party internal reforms or multi-party elections.