“Inside, I’m screaming” – or another view of the Chinese ‘miracle’
There is quite a lot on my web site about China because I have visited the country three times and read several books about the subject. In many ways, the economic developments of the last three decades have been amazing and hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens have been lifted out of poverty.
But more educated Chinese are starting to appreciate that the political restrictions on citizens are suffocating them and in time the tensions between economic liberalism and political repression will become explosive. This is clear from a set of e-mails that I have received this weekend from a 25 year old Chinese man who recently graduated but faces the cronyism that dominates so much of Chinese life. He writes:
‘As you mentioned in your three-week trip to China blog,corrupion is everywhere in China,most of the rich people grab their fortune through bribing the government officers,especially in thereal estate and coal-mining industry.Actually almost every business,if you want to make it big,you have to involve in the government system deeply.The most powerful real estate tycoon or thediamond business tycoon,you name it,all have deep government background,sometimes even the Prime Minister is involved.In China,there is no truth,power is truth,for instance,if you are agovernment officer,not only yourself but your family members and other relatives benefit from it,not only financial benefit but also fame,if you have enough money,you can do whatever you want.
There is no basic human right,people do not have a chance to choose their own leader.Almost all of the monopoly companies is owned by the authoritarian government,like ChinaMobile company,and other petroleum companies,so they can put a lid on the people’s voice.
This is the real China through her citizens’ eyes,not as beautiful as foreigners like you witness,because foreigners only can see the scenery in China in a short period of time,but that’s not thesoul of the country.In fact most of its citizens are living in fire without even knowing it,because lack of kowledge,illiteracy,do not even know the 26 english letters.The media is strictlycontrolled by the government-the Chinese Communist Party,all the information his people can receive is filtered and controlled by the government,including the Internet,anynegative information about the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party reported by the US media is blocked by the Chinese government. In China,you even have no ways loggingin Facebook webpage.
As you mentioned in your three-week trip to China blog, there is no free or private media institution like American NBC, or CNN, or CBS.So the governmenthas done a good job in controlling all of his people from every aspects of life,from education to information.
In fact,if you are an ordinary chinese(I mean don’t have a rich family and a government officer background), if you don’t speak english well,so you can’t manage to study abroad,you’re gonnarot in China forever,because no matter how hard you try,you are not gonna make it.China is full of sweatshops which people work the longest time but earn the least money.I had beenworking in a manufacturing workshop for 1 year since I graduated from college. As college graduate, our salary is 23$ per day, but any foreign employee’s salary is 400-800$ per day, that’s pathetic, hopeless. Immigration is the only way,the only way responsible for yourself, for your children,and for your children’s children.”
My new Chinese correspondent concludes:
“It’s my pleasure to be your friend. I am living in a quiet world, but inside, I’m screaming, nobody cares. Now at least I have a friend to talk to, it’s you.Thank you.”