August 18, 2004

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Theory and practice

The 100th anniversary of Deng Xiapong's birth is leading to fawning articles about the Great Helmsman, with his socialist construction theory being considered a major advance in Communist Theory. Which it was, given it basically junked most of what Mao taught and instead set China on the path to a market economy with Chinese characteristics instead. To this day Jiang Zemin, who's Three Represents theory remains a mystery to anyone who tries to make sense of it, no doubt resents his inability to stamp a similar groundbreaking theory on Chinese Communism.

But in every era theories are re-invented to conform to the facts on the ground. The SCMP reports Deng was, according to Li Peng, the former Chinese Premier, a pragmatist at heart. Deng was behind the Tiananmen crackdown, the Three Gorges Dam and everything else that happened in China of import during his reign. He also told Li, when he started as Premier, he needed to grow a backbone and become more assertive. The little man didn't mess around.

What is surprising is that experience has shown Deng's theory of "one country, two systems" has been "misinterpreted" according to the head of China's Taiwanese affairs. The official, according to the SCMP, he said

...the interpretation of the principle as a rule that Beijing should not intervene in the affairs of Hong Kong had resulted in political rows in the special administrative region...proposed that we should not intervene in the actual operation of Hong Kong affairs ... but we have implemented it by refraining from intervening in any of Hong Kong's affairs.

Mr Yu said the principle of non-interference had allowed foreign powers to sow discord between Hong Kong politicians and the central government...

"What Comrade Xiaoping meant by not intervening in the actual operation of Hong Kong affairs is not the same as not intervening in all Hong Kong affairs. "The central government has taken note of this."

In short: Beijing feels like the f*cked up in Hong Kong by letting the genie out the bottle. How did they do this? By putting democracy in black and white in Hong Kong's Basic Law. China created it's own problem with Hong Kong, no matter what spin they choose to put on it now. The new problem is how to deal with a potential re-unification with Taiwan, which now has an established democracy. The lessons China has learnt from its experience with Hong Kong will not bode well for Taiwan.

The effects of Deng's theories have caused huge changes in China in the last 20 years. They will keep causing more for years to come. Mr. Yu is said "I think we have not yet fully understood Deng Xiaoping's theory." The theory is well-understood; it's practice is not.

posted by Simon on 08.18.04 at 10:34 AM in the




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