Unit 3 Lesson 1

Ignorance is Bliss? Graham, Christians, and China



In lieu of Franklin Graham's recent visit to Beijing, I thought it would be interesting to explore Christianity in China. Graham is taking a very politically correct role and so far seems to be side stepping the recent Chinese government crackdown on Christians. In his introductory comments he stated that, “The government of China is recognizing more and more that religious freedom is important and is seeing the value of personal faith.” While it would be nice to believe that the government has mellowed, their recent actions make it clear that that is not the case.


What Graham failed to mention is that the Chinese government still considers Christianity to be illegal and as recently as May 2nd police raided a gathering of about 40 church members. China also enforces a ban on missionary work of any kind and dozens of foreign missionaries are finding their visas revoked. Of the millions of Christians in China only about 20% are members of the government sanctioned Church. (Graham is scheduled to speak at one of these churches on Sunday.) The other 80% attend unregistered and/or unofficial churches and it is those churches that are experiencing the crackdown. “They don’t actually have permission from the government to meet together, so their activities are illegal and they can be arrested, they can serve time in prison, their meetings can be broken up because they don’t have that official government seal of approval on their meetings.” According to the China Aid Association, the number of reported cases of persecution of house churches is up over 30% from the same time last year.

Graham’s visit is coinciding with an increase in the government crackdown of house churches. Many feel that the CCP is trying to rid the country of any potential troublemakers before this summer’s Olympic games. Rather than address this problem and perhaps begin a discussion with the Chinese government, Graham is actively discouraging Chinese Christians from rising up and demonstrating against restrictive laws. Instead he told Christians that they “must obey the law as they work with authorities to resolve these areas of misunderstanding or where there is tension.” He continued, “I’m not here to condemn, I’m here to work with them and help to build better bridges of understanding between Christians and government.” (Los Angeles Times May 8, 2008). Such statements seem to demonstrate a naivety and or ignorance of what it means to live on the margins of a restrictive society. His comments suggesting ‘dialoguing’ between the two parties further this impression.




http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5798

Unit 3 Lesson 2

China and Japan: new bedfellows?

China’s relationship with Japan is reaching a new stage with Mr. Hu’s five-day visit there, the longest he has spent in any country other than China. The visit is significant for a number of reasons. Contrast Jiang Semin’s 1998 visit to Japan when he demanded an apology for Japanese war crimes with this week’s talk of pandas and ping pong playing. Hu certainly seems to be moving to a new kind of relationship with Japan. Surprisingly, he is letting the past stay in the past rather than using it to color or shape the present. This represents a major shift in Chinese attitudes and one cannot help but wonder what will be next.


This attitudinal shift is not one sided. Recently, the Japanese prime minister broke with the traditional visit to Yasukuni ( a Japanese shrine honoring “not just Japan’s dead but also executed war criminals.”) The Economist May 8, 2008. Surely the restraint he showed is paying off in spades.

But what does this cozy relationship represent for America? It is, admittedly, a bit worrisome. China has now become Japan’s biggest trading partner and is hungry for all of Japan’s technical know how. Japan, for its part, hopes to help China with environmental technology, as they are often the recipients of China’s pollution.

Still all is not roses. There is still the wide perception of Japan as the enemy and throughout much of the Chinese populace they are still hated. The meetings this week, however, point to the beginnings of a new relationship. According to the May 8th New York Times, Mr. Hu concluded his visit by stating that, “As neighbors, and as countries with an enormous influence on Asia and the world, China and Japan have no alternative but to walk the road of peace, friendship and cooperation.” America would be wrong to simply ignore the long term implications that such a new relationship would offer both China and Japan.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11332789
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/world/asia/08china.html?ref=asia

Two Chinas

Two Chinas
"In China City, Protestors See Pollution Risk of New Plant" by Edward Wong

The more I read, the larger the gap between urban and rural segments of Chinese society seems. Earlier, I had written about some of the environmental concerns involving the Yellow River. Aside from the pollution, there is the upsetting image of the complete loss of power on the part of those affected. There seems to be no organized large-scale protests and/or demonstrations.

Contrast that sense of almost inevitability to a recent New York Times article concerning a relatively large anti-pollution protest in Beijing. The protest is, for me, a positive sign. We have seen so many instances when the Chinese did not protest, that I was glad to see hundreds of people meeting to demonstrate against the building of a new state run petrochemical plant ($5.5 billion dollars worth of plant!). The protest was interesting for a number of reasons. First, its organization depended upon modern technology. The group was “organized through Web sites, blogs and cell phone text messages, illustrating how some Chinese are using digital technology to start civic movements, which are usually banned by the police. Organizers also used text messages to publicize their cause nationally.” Clearly this is technology not readily available to most farmers fighting to keep their land clear and to ward off the pollution and slow death of the Yellow River. Second, those involved were protesting against building the plant so close to a large urban center. Perhaps moving the plant out to the country where it can only affect the environment and the farmers is a better idea? Seems like a doubly whammy for the rural population and yet one more example of the every-widening disconnect between rural and urban China. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/world/asia/06china.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Food as a Barometer of Wealth

Food as a Barometer of Wealth

We have discussed the growing disparity between urban and rural areas in China, the result of a growing disparity of wealth between the two areas. There is a plethora of social and economic problems associated with the gap between these two social and economic groups - now we can add one more. A recent article in the International Herald Tribune mentions the growth of obesity amongst many young professionals in urban areas. This generation is the product of parents who scrimped and saved on ration cards and sees food as a tangible expression of their newfound wealth and prosperity, not only for themselves but also as a way of expressing their love for their children. Remember the Frontline piece we saw that discussed Wal-Mart’s selling of dairy to a nation that is essentially lactose intolerant? That problem continues as wealthy urbanites gobble up cheese and gulp down milk.

In some ways this doesn’t seem too far removed from societies of yore where one’s wealth was paraded not only in the clothes worn but also in the body upon which those clothes were draped. The conundrum for modern China is that their wealth allows them to become obese while media images tout a slim body. The result? - an upsurge in fitness and gym memberships.

The concept of obesity is upsetting enough (as if China did not already have enough health problems to worry about) but coupled with the hand to mouth existence of the majority of its rural population such indulgences and excesses are particularly troubling.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/09/business/foodside.php

Unit 2 Lesson 5: "Made in China"

Since taking this course “Made in China’ has a new meaning for me. It has always been there, on my clothes and in my shoeboxes but now those three words mean so much more. " 'Made in China' No Longer Cheap" by Charlotte Windle from the BBC points out just one of a myriad of implications of what it means for China to be producing on such a gigantic scale. The problems associated with the high output of goods are many and the plight of Chinese migrant workers represents just one of the issues.

Migrant workers come to urban areas from the countryside. Searching for a way in which to make a living, they are willing to leave family and home behind. In the city they often work long hours and live in dormitory type halls. That is if they are lucky, many migrant workers live in much less appealing ‘housing’ on the outskirts of cities. Regardless of where they are living it is how they are living which is an issue. They are not living at home; they are not living with their families. Thus it should come as no surprise that their positions are temporary. “At Flextronics, there are 4,000 workers 92% of whom are from out of town.” (Windle). Clearly this poses a huge issue for any company, many are “forced to replace a third of the workforce each year.” Another example is a Finnish company Alteams, “ which provides components for Nokia and Erickson mobile phones. It takes a full year to teach someone how to operate the heavy machinery. The average employee stays for less than two years.” (Windle)

Take a moment to consider what this means. China’s boom has been, in a large part, dependent upon their ability to supply cheap labor producing cheap goods which we rapidly buy up. Throughout our readings and discussions, a major theme has been the inability of China’s industries to design and innovate. They are relying on their cheap labor force to pull them onto the world stage. But what if that labor force is no longer there? What if the labor force is no longer cheap? What then? In some ways this may be like pulling the rug out from under China’s feet. They are going to have to look for alternatives. In other articles I read such alternatives consisted of better living conditions and/or some sort of subsidies so that workers would be able to move out of business owned housing and find housing of their own. And , of course, higher wages and better benefits.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Although China’s large population does almost guarantee companies that there will be a long line of people waiting to take on the open positions, can businesses long afford to keep training new employees only to lose a third of their work force every year? While there may be a steady supply of workers, business do not have steady supplies of money and will not be able to sustain such losses indefinitely. My prediction is that in a few years “Made in China’ will have a whole new meaning.

" 'Made in China' no Longer Cheap" by Charlotte Windle

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/en/web/article.php?article_id=50341

Bon Appetit China!

Zagat Guide a Sign of Beijing's Gastronomic Rise
by Anthony Kuhn

Driving home from work this story really caught my attention. You can listen to it on NPR.org. It concerns the new Zagat guide to restaurants in Beijing. As a chef, I was fascinated to hear that Daniel Boulud ( Of Boulud and Cirque 20oo fame) was opening a restaurant in China. It made me consider what that would mean for chinese cuisine. The whole concept of fine dining is new to China, something they have not really experienced before. It is not a chinese concept and therefore with the entrance of chefs like Boulud I wonder what will happen to food that is essentially ethnically "pure". This is not a new conundrum, it is is one found in cultures throughout the world but it entrance into the chinese mix is fascinating. Yet another nugget of information to consider as I think about China's position in the world.

In the interview Zagat commented that they were working on publishing an entire series of books aimed at Chinese tourists as their sheer numbers can not be denied and they represent the future of the tourist industry. Fascinating.

Unit 2 Lesson 3: Poking the Angry Dragon

China is everywhere in the news and not just because I am taking a class on modern China and, therefore, more aware of it. The Olympics have pushed China onto the world stage and now everyone has an opinion as to whether or not the country belongs there. But what does China think? How does China feel about being the center of attention? The latest issue of The Economist features this snarling dragon in its cover with the title "Angry China". The introductory article offers a fascinating look at the problems China faces as it walks onto the world stage.

China feels that it has earned its place on the world stage and cites the 2008 Olympics as their ticket in. The protests which have accompanied the torch relays throughout the world are seen as a case of sour grapes on the part of the West. To the Chinese, the protests are not indicative of their wrong doing but, rather, of the West's refusal to share the world stage. The Chinese government has effectively turned their citizens' gazes to the West rather than on problems closer to home, claiming that Western protests show a lack of respect for China. This could be an awkward and difficult policy to maintain. "While the government may distract Chinese people from their domestic discontents by breathing fire at foreigners, such anger, once roused, can run out of control." (The Economist)

China's position on the world stage is inevitable, they are simply too large to ignore. What China needs to understand, however, is that once they are on the world stage many of their domestic/internal affairs also become part foder for the world to discuss, criticize and demonstrate against. After the hoopla of the Olympics dies down, the Chinese people will once again turn their eyes inward. China's ills are not solely the product of the West. While we have a part in the pollution problems(we want our goods for next to nothing and damm the consequences), corruption and human rights abuses are China's alone. Eventually the populace is going to realize that the West is not their only enemy. The angry dragon is going to pull his head back in and begin to look critically at his own home. When that happens, the government had better be prepared with more than rhetoric blambasting the West.

The problem with poking an angry dragon is that you never know exactly where he is going to breath his fire. The Chinese government needs to be ready with fire extinguisher, reforms not rhetoric.

Unit 2 Lesson 4: China's Rebellious Youth?

From 1989 to 2008 what a difference a few decades makes! The images of Tiananmen square are vivid in my memory. Thousands of college students protesting, bringing along many workers with their energy and enthusiasm for holding the government accountable. But now, some twenty years later, that image no longer holds true. Tiananmen square, the symbol for resistance is now, for many Chinese college students, no more than a tourist site, a place to join together for a group photo. Two articles, "One Fourth of chinese Youth are Communist Youth League Members" (http://www.chinaview.cn/) and "China's Loyal Youth" (www. NYTimes.com) brought this point home to me.

The first article simply states that 25% of all party members are under 28 years of age. That's right, 25%! I find that figure to be both alarming and depressing. Especially alarming, at least to me, is that this figure represnts a rise of 2.9% from last year. Presently over 50% of the communist party members are students. The second article by Matthew Forney in the NY Times (April 13, 2008) states simply that "Educated young Chinese, far from being embarrassed or upset by their government's human-rights record, rank among the most patriotic, establishment-supporting people you'll meet." With all of the hoopla surrounding Tibet and the Olympic torch as it drifts around the world, it is shocking to learn that most young Chinese "strongly support their government's suppression of the recent Tibetan uprising." This made me rethink my image of the world as simply black and white, good and bad. In real life, once again, the heroes and villains are not so clearly labelled.

Forney gives many reasons for the nonchalance of the youth. As receptors of the Chinese economic boom, Chinese students are apt to fully support their government. In the competition to get into college, students spend all of their time studying and in China that can often mean learning one side of the story. For instance, a lot of class time is spent on China's long, conflict ridden relationship with the rest of the world but the horrors of the Cultural Revolution are quickly glossed over. This obviously leaves students with a slightly skewed sense of their own government and , even, of their own life histories. According to Forney, "educated young Chinese are the biggest beneficiaries of policies that have brought China more peace and prosperity than at any time in the past thousand years. They can't imagine why Tibetans would turn up their noses at rising incomes and the promise of a more prosperous future. The loss of a homeland just doesn't compute as a valid concern." Of course this may all change as the students graduate from the universities and begin to find their way through the corruption and bureaucracy of the world outside of academia. But for now, when looking for people who are protesting against China's human rights or environmental policies, do not look in the universities.

Unit 2 Lesson 1: China's Yellow River

I remember a picture book I had as a child. I can't remember the title but it had to do with a Chinese family living on the Yellow River. I guess, since I have never been to China, the image of the river in that book is the image I have carried in my head throughout the years. What a rude awakening to see the enclosed photo and to read the National Geographic article by Brook Larmer, "Can China Save the Yellow - Its Mother River?"

The article discusses the horrific pollution being pumped into the river by industry. The water is too poisonous to use for irrigation and animals which drink from it have died within hours.

The importance of water cannot be overstated. Obviously it is vital for crops/irrigation and for the wildlife that live in it and near its banks, but consider for a moment what the absence of water means. Yep you got it, a desert. Parts of the Yellow River Basin are becoming deserts, "creating a dust bowl that may dwart that of the American West in the 1930s, driving down grain production and pushing millions of 'environmental refugees' off the land." To date, about 3,000 of the 4,077 lakes found in the Qinghai region have already disappeared.

The damage is undeniable with the river changing colors from white, to purple to maroon depending on the amount and kind of waste being dumped into it. The question is, what is the response? What is the response of the government and of the people of China to the destruction of resources which can not be replaced? On the part of the people, there seems to be the start of a strong environmental movement. In the last 10 years environmental action groups have grown from a dozen or so to several thousand. The article interviewed members of Green Camel Bell, an environmental action group who felt that they were helping to make a difference. It should be noted that some environmentalists have been arrested and allegedly tortured. Nonetheless, the problem is not the outrage of Chinese citizens, but rather the lack of outrage on the part of the Chinese government. A farmer after complaining of the pollution was simply told, that his home was "uninhabitable" and that nothing further could be done. Government responses often seem designed to ward off large scale protests rather than to make large scale changes to established policies. For instance the government has just approved, "52 billion dollars in coal mining and chemical industries to be installed along a 500-mile stretch of the river north of Yinchuan." Needless to say such developments are having dramatic effects upon the rural community surrounding the River. It is effecting not only their crops but also their bodies. "Nearly two-thirds of China's rural population, more than 500 million people, use water contaminated by human or industrial waste. It's little wonder that gastrointestinal cancer is now the number one killer in the countryside." In the rush to the free market finish line, the Chinese government seems willing to sacrifice its water. As Larmer so aptly puts it, "Perhaps every revolution, even a capitalist one, eats its children."

Many look at the environmental policies of Mao and the Cultural Revolution with shock and a amazed kind of awe. It is thus terrifying to find that Mao is still very much driving the environmental policies of China today. Take the Water Transfer Project for instance. It "will siphon 12 trillion gallons of water a year from the Yangtze Basin and send it 700 miles north, passing beneath the Yellow River in two places. It's no surprise, given the Olympian scale of the project that it originated as one of Mao's pipe dreams." It seems clear that China is focused on the here and now rather than developing a sustainable environmental policy for the future.

The subsidies the government pays for water are a big part of the problem. If businesses and industries were forced to pay the true market price for water, I think they would be much more judicious in its use. This could also be a way of getting money to pay for the clean up of the damaged areas and invest money in researching long term solutions to the overwhelming problems the country's rivers now face.