Sharing the Playground

The dragon has awakened, but it hasn’t turned out to be the ferocious creature that most feared. Once China opened its doors to the west and international markets, it has made a credible attempt to engage its neighbors through goodwill and to become a responsible power. Membership in the UN and WTO has likewise shown China capable of being a team player. China’s notion of its superiority is accompanied by the obligation to set a moral standard for the rest of the world- ironic, since corruption is rampant and transparency is not its strong suit. Nevertheless, China recognizes that the only way to gain the stature it longs for is through reunification of the region. On the western front, SCO strengthens China’s ties with Russia and its former states, and to the south ASEAN continues to forge a strong trade relationship with China. Africa and Australia are eager to supply China with the necessary raw materials to stoke the fires of economic reforms and for the US, China has provided primarily a cheap labor pool. So, with China’s hot economy and everyone getting a piece of the pie where does that put the US? Hopefully, the US welcomes the development between China and its neighbors since maintaining stability keeps the economy in line. With China underwriting a considerable chunk of our national debt, the US needs the Chinese economy to retain that stability. Anything that could jeopardize Chinese markets, spells trouble for everyone especially the US. The spreading roots of globalization firmly anchor our economic destinies as nations grow more interdependent. The US is so heavily invested and overextended in the Mideast at this point, that growing tensions elsewhere, would likely find us coming up short in our response. The US would do well to support even handed partnerships that mutually benefit all parties involved. In terms of its foreign policy with China’s new best friends, the US should continue to invest in these countries and strengthen its own trade agreements with them. The continued threat of terrorism world wide calls for all hands on deck to conquer this menace, so the stronger the alliances, the greater likelihood of a united front. The US does not want to stand alone either if faced with escalating tensions between China and Taiwan. Support from Asian neighbors would signal to China that although trade relationships are welcomed and valued, bullying its territorial possessions is totally unacceptable. Our international reputation has been battered of late and we too need to be setting the moral benchmarks.

Peaceful Coexistence Not Likely

Doak Barnett’s 1993 article, Chinese Turkestan, showcases Xinjiang’s metamorphosis from 1950’s poor, primitive outpost to the current modernized city inhabited by Uighurs and an ever growing Han population. Barnett is awed by the changes he witnesses and reports that Han and Uighurs coexist rather peacefully. Fast forward a dozen years later and the Uighurs and Han Chinese aren’t so cozy anymore. This remote western region has always been at the crossroads between China and Central Asia, as traders traveled the Silk Road to enter China through the back door. The civil war of the 1940’s offered the Uighurs the opportunity to establish their own country, East Turkestan, but the effort was short lived when the CCP invaded and brought the Uighur back into the Chinese fold as the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. As economic reforms continue at full throttle, Beijing has pushed westward to develop its more remote regions and a flood of Han Chinese from the surrounding provinces have arrived in Xinjiang looking for opportunities. The increase in the Han population and the rise of terrorism has made the Uighur strangers in a strange land. While the Han live in apartment high rises and shop in local department stores, many Uighurs adhere to more ethnic traditions, visiting kebab stalls, shopping in the bazaars and attending mosques. Xinjiang's skyline mimics those of larger cities and billboards in Chinese hawk the latest commodities. Economic reforms have transformed the city, but generally, the two groups do not mix even though they often share the same workplace. Following the September 11th attacks though, life for the Uighur grew more difficult as a 2006 Time Asia article notes (http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/xinjiang/cover2.html). Beijing, ever vigilant in its monitoring of any “separatist” moves by the Uighur, grew fearful of alliances with Al-Queda that might stir up new attempts at civil unrest. Uprisings in the early 90’s and again in ’97 prompted the CCP to initiate the “Strike Hard Campaign” to ensure containment of any separatist sympathizers. Additionally, the government stepped up economic development in the region, and imported Han Chinese laborers to build roads, highways and rail lines; the ultimate intent was to dilute the Uighur population and build a greater Chinese identity. The campaign also brought greater surveillance by police and the PLA who detained suspects and infiltrated mosques. Islamic clerics were forced to attend “patriotic education” sessions, the Uighur language was banned and Mandarin required in the universities and schools. Local language texts were also scrutinized for any overtones of separatist rhetoric. After the 9/11 attacks, under pressure from the U.S., the Uighur were once again targeted by the CCP because of their Islamic beliefs. Although far removed from Beijing, the Uighur have not escaped repression of religion and cultural practices. Recent months have once again seen clashes between Uighur protestors and Chinese police. Xinjiang may well be on the margins both geographically and culturally, but they continue to struggle with maintaining their ethnic identity as the east encroaches and overtakes the region. The Han are not going away and the Uighur will grumble, but not openly. There is still a small segment that refuses to give up the fight, but for the remainder the challenge is to accommodate a changing landscape while retaining their identity. Although the government may consider the Uighur Chinese, the Uighur know otherwise.

Who's That Knocking at the Door?

A fortuitous gift lay on my office chair this week- the May 2008 special issue of National Geographic. Colleagues, aware of my MALS course and tired (I feel certain) of hearing me reference China regularly, left this month’s copy for my perusal. China- Inside the Dragon, cover to cover, is a fascinating portrayal of the complexities of our Eastern neighbor. Page after page of National Geographic’s outstanding photography unfolds providing a visual backdrop to so many of our readings. The photos of the dazzling urban areas such as Shanghai give testament to China’s rising economic star. Several pages later though are reminders of those who are less enchanted by modernization, but who are, all the same, impacted by what goes on in the big city as they struggle to maintain their ethnic identities and traditions. One ethnic minority, the Dong, goes quietly about its everyday business as modernization encroaches upon its village, while another minority group, the Tibetans, have taken on the Chinese government in their bid to retain their centuries’ old religious beliefs.


Novelist Amy Tan’s article, Village on the Edge of Time, visits the mountainous region of Dimen in South China, home to the Dong. Five clans, totaling 2,372, populate this poor, remote village in Guizhou where most villagers harvest, plow and plant rice fields and bring in less than $100 annually. Their presence of more than a thousand years in the area has given rise to preserving their history through song. Every aspect of life, from manners to chores, is recorded in songs that are passed from generation to generation. Tan’s depiction of this distinctive culture portrays an ethnic minority that cannot escape the modernization that flourishes beyond its borders. Television came to the region seven years ago and by 2006 cell phones were able to reach remote areas. By 2007, almost the entire village owned phones, primarily to stay in touch with the 1200 working age youth that have left to work elsewhere. It is now a village of very old, raising very young. Women in their 70’s strap their grandchildren onto their backs as they hike three miles up the mountains to tend their fields. Tan details the lives of the za, elderly women who teach the younger generation the songs of the clan, and the council of eleven elders who oversee the social welfare and civil conduct according to the Dong code of conduct. Feng Shui masters treat maladies with herbs and drive unhappy ancestoral ghosts from individuals who experience their wrath. While urban life slowly seeps into the village, the Dong continue to quietly farm and sing of the past. To read Tan’s article and view both a narrated slide show and video, go to: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china/guizhou/amy-tan-text

Tibetans, on the other hand, are standing four square opposed to China’s imposition of modernity and seek to regain their sovereignty and maintain the practice of their religious beliefs. Tibetan protests and clashes with the Chinese army have filled the news for the last month. Like the Dong, Tibetans reside in a remote mountainous region that geographically has kept them on the margins of economic development. China’s push westward with its plan of economic reform though has put the Tibetans and the Chinese at loggerheads. Roads, an airport and now the super rail system have opened Tibet to an eastern onslaught of Chinese visitors and residents. Chinese residents have constructed businesses everywhere, changing the landscape dramatically and furthering the resentment that most Tibetans feel with regard to the Chinese. Nevertheless, there are those Tibetans who accede that the Chinese presence has brought schools and hospitals to the area, something the Tibetan government could not provide. Lewis Simon’s article, Moving Forward, Holding On, displays the animosity each group feels toward the other and the underlying distrust that is mounting as Tibetans fear China’s real motive is to exploit the vast natural resources it commands. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/tibetans/simons-text/1

China has produced staggering results in the eastern region, but the question remains whether it can produce economic miracles in the countryside without destroying what was once the backbone of Mao’s social system.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work We Go..

While American parents worried about the toxic effects on their children from toys imported from China, few, I would wager, have given too much consideration to the Chinese child laborers likewise subjected to those same toxins. Child laborers contribute to the pool of cheap labor that keeps the wheels of Chinese production turning. As the population ages, China faces a shrinking labor pool that is beginning to exert changes in employment practices. Industries and factories are discovering the need to compete for employees, giving employees leverage in higher salary demands and better working conditions. If employees don’t like what they see, they vote with their feet by moving on to a better place of employment. Workers vigilantly check their cell phones for text messages from others who keep them abreast of where the best wages can be found. (New York Times, Help Wanted: China Finds Itself with a Labor Shortage, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/international/asia/03china.html?scp=38&sq=child+labor+in+china&st=nyt ). As migrant workers move on to greener pastures, child laborers fill the void, particularly in factories. The high drop out rate of students from schools in the countryside assures an ample supply of these underage workers. Although China designates 16 as the legal age for employment, hiring underage workers is not uncommon especially in small private industries and factories where oversight is negligible. The China Labor Bulletin’s report on child labor, Small Hands (http://www.china-labour.org.hk/en/files/share/File/general/Child_labour_report_1.pdf- ) categorizes six groups of child laborers: 1) those who work as part of an apprentice program, 2) those attending work study schools, 3) those working with their families in a business or as household helpers, 4) casual workers who perform odd jobs, work with a construction crew, in restaurants, or as nannies for a limited amount of time 5) regular workers who have contracts with a small enterprise in a city, and 6) forced laborers. The Bulletin report observes poverty and the high drop out rate to be the two largest factors contributing to the availability of child laborers. The Chinese compulsory education system requires six years of primary school, followed by three years of middle school. While the education is compulsory and free, numerous fees place a large burden on cash strapped families. By the second year of middle school, many parents pull their children out when grades are low and the tuition for high school looms ahead. Inadequate funding of rural schools leaves most children with a poor basic education, making middle and high school a significant struggle even for the best of students. The prohibitive cost of university makes this stepping stone to a better life a virtual impossibility for most. A college degree used to be a vehicle for success in the urban areas, where one could attain a job and with it a residency card. These days it is easier to find work, and residency requirements have been lifted in most major cities, so a college degree offers limited benefits in view of the cost.