By Brian Low
China’s Jiang Zemin is on tour. The leader of the world’s most populous nation just arrived in France after visiting Great Britain last week. There are calls for governments to refuse graceful diplomatic relations with Zemin due to China’s outrageous stance on human rights. Oddly enough, it makes good sense to ignore these petitions.
Who are we kidding? China isn’t exactly a poster-child for human rights.
A recent case highlights this: in the past few weeks, the Chinese government arrested hundreds of members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement for their beliefs. There were widespread reports of police beatings-one resulting in death. On Tuesday, several dozen adherents were arrested for conducting a silent, non-violent protest in Beijing. They were protesting the recent ban of Falun Gong’s practice in China, and expressing their concern for a law being drafted to outlaw all such “cults.”
In fairness to the Chinese authorities, this Falun Gong “cult” did seem like a pretty big threat to security. Drawing from elements of Taoism and Buddhism, it promoted such subversive doctrines as truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance. Or maybe it was the practice of traditional breathing exercises that made them so dangerous. If that’s not a threat to national security, what is? I know that I’m always looking over my shoulder in fear of those truthful, benevolent, forbearing traditional breathers. Fortunately, Chinese authorities are urging increased vigilance by law enforcement against such “cults.” The lenient Chinese authorities have promised, however, that ordinary followers of Falun Gong will not be punished if they renounce their beliefs. Gee, how clement of the Chinese Thought-Police. And the fate of those who refuse to bow to the Chinese Inquisition? My guess is a circus where they could be thrown to the lions. Or maybe pots of boiling oil. Who knows? Maybe China’s progressiveness will only tolerate throwing them in jail indefinitely.
Thank you Nero, er, I mean Zemin. Is it any wonder these people are fleeing the place by the boatload?
Given the human rights situation in China, of which the Falun Gong fiasco is only indicative, there are numerous calls to deny Zemin the diplomatic courtesies generally extended to heads of state as he rounds out his European tour. Though it would be simply delightful to give this guy a really good snub, there are a few good reasons why the West should resist the temptation.
First off, extreme positions are rarely productive. When do human rights become extreme? The minute you started dealing with China. If we insist on absolutes, we’ll just get ignored and nothing will ever happen for human rights in China. Politics is the art of the possible. By meeting with Zemin, we keep it that way.
Another reason that the West needs to accept visits from Zemin is so that we have a forum to bring up the human rights violations. For all their usefulness, advice from human rights Non-Government Organizations will simply never carry as much weight with China as will advice from other heads of state. It is important to keep bringing despots into situations where they have no choice but to sit down and talk about problems back home.
And lastly, Zemin needs to be welcomed wherever he goes so that he can see exactly what the world thinks of him. Every time he sees the lines of protesters, every time he hears their jeers, every time a Tibetan flag is unfurled in his face, Zemin cannot help but be reminded of exactly what is wrong with China. That’s where we come in. If we didn’t welcome him with open arms, we’d never have the chance to tell him what a rotten sob he is.
China has human rights problems, that much is clear. But it is important that we keep the dialogue open with it if we ever want to see real change.
It could happen.