One Country, Two Conquests
Does anyone actually think that the Chinese are serious about this?
And those problems?
By "unity" there can be no doubt that President Hu means that Hong Kong and Macau need to submit to Beijing's directives. Note that President Hu isn't quoted as having apologized for blocking scheduled elections in Hong Kong earlier this year.
China makes a decent trading partner, and they've instituted some major reforms over the last twenty years that have expanded the relative freedoms of their citizens, but let's not forget that anyone who looks at a Chinese official the wrong way or doesn't jump high enough when ordered to can and will be detained without a trial, and possibly executed. The stifling of democracy in Hong Kong is only the beginning.
With regards to national security, it's all terribly frustrating because fighting our enemy (Islamic fundamentalists) reduces our ability to display a strong posture to our strategic rivals (China). If the Chinese government is salivating over Hong Kong and Macau, they're sexually aroused at the prospect of someday retaking Taiwan.
It's worth keeping a serious eye on. With that, I'm off to bed, I may post a couple of bits and pieces in the morning.
China's president Hu Jintao has urged the governments of Hong Kong and Macau to work harder at making a success of the "one country, two systems" formula.
He said the system that gave the two former colonies some degree of autonomy was successful, but admitted there were problems that still needed resolving.
And those problems?
"Macau's return to China in the last five years has brought great improvements," said President Hu, adding that citizens enjoyed extensive freedoms and democratic rights.
But he told Macau's officials they needed to promote greater unity, doing more to learn what people want and lose no time in meeting their needs.
By "unity" there can be no doubt that President Hu means that Hong Kong and Macau need to submit to Beijing's directives. Note that President Hu isn't quoted as having apologized for blocking scheduled elections in Hong Kong earlier this year.
China makes a decent trading partner, and they've instituted some major reforms over the last twenty years that have expanded the relative freedoms of their citizens, but let's not forget that anyone who looks at a Chinese official the wrong way or doesn't jump high enough when ordered to can and will be detained without a trial, and possibly executed. The stifling of democracy in Hong Kong is only the beginning.
With regards to national security, it's all terribly frustrating because fighting our enemy (Islamic fundamentalists) reduces our ability to display a strong posture to our strategic rivals (China). If the Chinese government is salivating over Hong Kong and Macau, they're sexually aroused at the prospect of someday retaking Taiwan.
It's worth keeping a serious eye on. With that, I'm off to bed, I may post a couple of bits and pieces in the morning.
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