The fifty questions on China

Preface to the Revised Edition
About China
Question 1: Why must we differentiate between the "Chinese Communist Party" (CCP) and "China"?
為何一定要區分「中共」和「中國」？
Question 2: The most certain thing about China is its uncertainty.
中國最確定的一件事就是「不確定性」
Question 3：Rule by Profit, Die by Profit
以利益治國者必亡於利益
Question4:  China’s Political Situation in the Next Five Years
關於習近平二十大報告，中國未來五年政治形勢
Question5: Three Misunderstandings about China
對中國的三個似是而非的認識
Question6: "What is the social nature of China?
中國的社會性質是什麼？

About Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?
Question 7: How to understand the Chinese Communist Party?
如何認識中國共產黨？
Question 8: Why is today's Chinese Communist Party described as "corrupt but invincible"?
為什麼說今天的中國共產黨是「腐而不敗」？
Question 9: Was Deng Xiaoping truly the "chief architect" of China's reform and opening-up?
鄧小平真的是中國改革開放的「總設計師」嗎？
Question 10: What are the differences between me and Prof. Ezra F. Vogel regarding Deng Xiaoping?
關於鄧小平，我與傅高義的分歧在哪裡？
Question 11: Who is Xi Jinping's father?
習近平是誰的兒子？
Question 12: What is the significance of Zhao Ziyang?
趙紫陽的意義是什麼？
Question 13: Why is it said that the Crown Prince Party is not a monolithic group?
為什麼說太子黨也不是鐵板一塊？
Question 14: What is the political character of the Crown Prince Party?
太子黨的政治性格是什麼？
Question15. What is the Chinese Communist Party Really Afraid Of?
中共的恐惧匪夷所思
Question 16: Why Does Xi Jinping Remain on the Throne?
為什麼習近平仍能穩坐江山？
Question 17: Why we should not pin our hopes on a Gorbachev in the Chinese Communist Party?
為什麼不能寄希望於中共出現戈巴契夫？

How to view the reality of China
Question 18: How should we evaluate China's reform and opening up?
如何評價中國的「改革開放」？
Question 19: Is China's economic development really successful?
中國經濟發展真的很成功嗎？
Question 20: If China's reform is described as "tearing-apart reform," then who are the tearers?
如果說中國改革是「撕裂式改革」，那麼，誰是撕裂者？
Question 21: What is the triangular power struggle in Chinese politics?
什麼是中國政治的「三角博弈」？
Question 22:  Who will topple the China Tower?
是誰讓大廈倒下？
Question 23: How to view Chinese nationalism?
如何看待中國的民族主義？


About the Future of China
Question 24: Will the Ferguson Prophecy Come True?
弗格森預言會實現嗎？
Question 25: Will the Chinese Communist Party Learn from Russia’s Failure? Don’t Indulge in Wishful Thinking
中共會從俄羅斯的失敗得到教訓？別一廂情願
Question 26: Looking at China from the “Putin’s Lesson”
從普京的教訓看中國
Question 27:  China’s Replication of the Russian Model
中國對俄羅斯模式的複製
Question 28: Why does faster economic growth lead to greater social instability?
為什麼經濟增長越快，社會越不穩定？
Question29:  Why do Chinese people remain silent?
中國人為什麼不說話？
Question 30: Why can Chinese people tolerate smog?
為甚麼中國人可以忍受霧霾？
Question 31: Why Should We Read "People's Daily" to Understand Chinese Politics?
為甚麼要了解中國政治就要看《人民日報》？
Question 32: The people's distrust of the government is the biggest hidden concern for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
人民對政府的不信任是中共的最大隱憂
Question 33: How do you view the "Little Pink" phenomenon?
如何看待“小粉红”现象？
Question 34: China could have been different from what it is today.
中國曾經可以不是今天這樣

About China's Pro-Democracy Movement
Question 35: "Putting Human Rights First" is Treating the Symptom, Not the Root Cause
“人權優先”的治標不治本
Question 36: Wang Juntao's Political Views
王軍濤的政治主張
Question 37: Why do we need to establish the "Dialogue China" think tank?
我們為什麼要成立“對話中國”智庫
Question 38: Do Chinese people not want democracy?
中國人不想要民主嗎？
Question 39: How does the Chinese Communist Party suppress opposition forces?
中共是如何壓制反對力量的
Question 40: Why is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) so afraid of the "June 4th" incident?
中共對“六四”為甚麼這麼怕？
Question 41: Why hasn't China's middle class become advocates for democracy?
為什麼中國的中產階級沒有成為民主推動者？
Question 42: Does globalization necessarily benefit China's democratization?
全球化一定對中國的民主化有利嗎？
Question 43: Why is being anti-communist considered a form of civilizational construction?
為什麼說反共是一種文明建設？

About Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet
Question 44: Do All Chinese Support Reunification of Taiwan with the Mainland?
中國人真的都是統派嗎？
Question 45: What is the Reason for the Chinese Communist Party’s Frequent Provocations Against Taiwan?
中共對台動作頻繁是為了什麼？
Question 46: Why did Hong Kong people endure until they could bear no more?
香港人為什麼忍無可忍？
Question 47: Why did "One Country, Two Systems" completely fail?
一國兩制因為什麼而徹底失敗？
Question 48:The Xinjiang issue has become like a tinderbox.
新疆問題已經如乾柴烈火
Question 49: Is the Tibet issue really unsolvable?
西藏問題真的無解嗎？

In Conclusion    
Question 50: Why will China's totalitarianism collapse?
中國的極權將會因為什麼而崩潰？

 

自序

Preface to the Revised Edition

　　What are the basic issues most relevant to China today ? In September 2015, I published a book entitled 70 Questions about China, which was later reprinted with the addition of ten more questions as 80 Questions about China. Now, four years later, I am taking the two previous versions of the book as a foundation,removing some issues that are no longer relevant and adding some new issues and explanations that have cropped in recent years, I have now produced this book 50 Questions about China.

　　The number of questions actually is a reflection of the number of issues facing China today.

　The reasons behind my writing this book are twofold.First, I feel that certain sc　holars in the West and in Taiwan are misleading many people with their misinterpretations of China. Second, I hope to reach all of those who care deeply about China's future development. Through this book, I hope to clarify our understanding of China.

　　1.
　　Let us first start with the China scholars.

　　In recent years, whether we examine economists from some Western countries, including some Nobel laureates in economics, or the so-called China experts in Taiwan, we find they have consistently presented an idyllic picture of prosperity on the mainland. This image is based on China's long-term rapid economic growth, its role as a global economic leader,the idea that it has become the manufacturing factory of the world, and the near-mythical portrayal of the power of Chinese consumption, along with images of the towering skyscrapers in Chinese cities.

　　Many scholars truly excel in this art of merely praising the positive.

　　Of course, we cannot say that everything these scholars are saying is wrong. In fact, most of their arguments can be corroborated with real-world evidence and with various data that support their views. However, the problem is that this tells only one-half of China's development story and it completely ignores the other half. There is much talk about prosperity but little mention of issues such as the erosion of labor rights. These　commentators applaud the speed of construction in China but they are unwilling to mention the number of casualties due to shoddy projects. They acknowledge the economic achievements of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) but they remain blind to its numerous political shortcomings. Although such descriptions are accurate, the methodology of these observers is flawed　because only one side is presented.

　　Moreover, whether intentionally or unintentionally, these analysts avoid one very critical question: to what extent is what we are seeing in China genuine? This question is crucial, perhaps too crucial, which may be why it is rarely considered.

　　The purpose of the book is to reveal some things about China that are often overlooked due to "self-censorship." Of course, I am not claiming that what is presented here constitutes the entire truth about China, but I hope that this discussion of 50 issues related to China will serve as a necessary supplement to our thinking about China. At the very least, both positive and negative opinions should be heard, and just because our stance is one of opposition, our voices should not be ignored.

　　2:
　　Next, let us consider the students:

　　Young students today are becoming increasingly interested in China-related issues. After all, China is becoming closer to all of us, and it is impossible today not to care about what happens there . However, our discussions in university classrooms and in the media have traditionally been too narrow-minded when it comes to issues related to China. Our discussions about China have either focused on the relationship between Xi Jinping and the Crown Prince Party and/or his relationship with the factionalists, or about whether the "new normal" of economic growth will bring about a new Chinese “miracle” or will result in a "hard landing," and so on.

　　As a result: Current discussions about China mainly focus on only two perspectives: politics and economics. I believe this is the source of our biggest misunderstanding about China.

　　Why do I say this? Although China may be a “normal” country, Chinese society is definitely not a “normal” society. In Chinese society, there are political as well as economic distortions. If we only look at China from a political or economic perspective and ignore issues such as the collective mentality, the moral standards, the psychological issues related to the single-child generation, the historical memory of state violence, the overall prevalence of lies and deceptions, and so forth, we will never truly understand China. We would only be touching the surface and the true nature of the regime would remain obscured. No country can be truly understood by solely looking at its political and economic features, and in this respect China is certainly no different.

　　My goal here is to present China not only based on its political and economic qualities but also to examine issues such as culture, ethics, national characteristics, family relationships,historical memory, major events, among others, This picture of China, combined with its current political and economic features, will present a more complete representation of the country. Only with a complete picture of China can we possibly come to understand the real China today.

　　I must admit that deeply understanding China is a particularly challenging task because China's development has been unique and complex. I actually agree with formulation of the concept of "Chinese characteristics" proposed by the CCP. Indeed, China has its own peculiarities, making it difficult to draw simple inferences based solely on its historical experiences. I cannot claim that the 50 questions presented here necessarily encompass the entire picture about China, but I hope that through the discussion in this book, I have gone beyond the existing discourse and presented a fuller and more accurate description of China.

　　I know some may argue that I am only critical of the CCP, and thus I am too "radical" or simply "irrational." But, in fact, I do not accept academic statements that demand only "rationality, objectivity, and neutrality" because such viewpoints that are lacking in emotion obscure the true nature of any society, Chinese society included.

　　3.
　　I want to express here my gratitude to those many online friends who have silently supported me. Their encouragement on Facebook has been a tremendous driving force for me to continue moving forward. In particular, the earnest words from many young students in China have deeply moved and inspired me, letting me know that there is still hope for China.

　　I also want to thank the many teachers and mentors in Taiwan who have offered their help, especially Mr. Chen Hongzheng, who has consistently encouraged and supported me in my research and writing on China. I must give special thanks to the "Summer Star Historical Research Fund" based in the United States for sponsoring this writing project. Without this assistance, I would not have had the leisure time to engage in the extensive reading and contemplation that became the basis for this book.

　　I am also grateful to my colleague and good friend at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, Yao Renduo, for writing the preface . His comments have stimulated many of my thoughts, so in this new edition, I have retained his original preface unchanged word for word.

　　I want to thank my late mother, Ms. Wang Lingyun. During her short visit to Taiwan, although she was suffering from pneumonia, she carefully proofread the Chinese version of this book. There is no support that warms and encourages me more than the practical help I received from my mother throughout my life.

　　Finally, I also want to express my gratitude to all those who continuously smear, spread rumors about, and slander me, including the so-called "50 cent army" (the internet trolls).

　　Regardless of their motives, such despicable behavior only serves one purpose for me – it motivates me to strive for greater achievements and to make more efforts to respond to their negative attacks with positive energy.