Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the Communist Party's rule in China. This article shows how they have been preparing for the celebrations, and also remarks on how much change has taken place. Clearly there has been significant economic progress as the party has embraced many (capitalist) reforms, but also considerable suffering, as seen during the Cultural Revolution, the Great Famine of the 1950s and the crackdowns after the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989. The Communist Party is now prepared to admit that mistakes were made, and that Chairman Mao was about "70% Correct" but it is unlikely they will encourage a full assessment of China's recent history.
PS: Here is the China Daily's official coverage of the celebrations. For alternative points of view, here is the BBC's Beijing correspondent's final thoughts on the country before he left his post, and Amnesty International's Chinese Issues website.
PS: Here is John Simpson's report on the 60th Anniversary celebrations, and links to other articles on China.
Whilst it is possible to admire Mao's ability to have remained in such respected power for over 15 years; it cannot be forgotten that his policies and mistakes attributed to the deaths of millions of people.
ReplyDeleteHe himself may have believed the cultural revolution, the cult of personality and other such policies necessary to truly revolutionise China, but this is not too dissimilar to the views of Adolf Hitler, a character known worldwidely for his atrocities.
Perhaps this can be put down to the ignorance of the public, as so few are aware of the story of China's modern history. I wonder if the future generations of China will worship Mao in the same fashion of their ancestors, or are we going to witness a lot less proclaimations of 'Long Live Chairman Mao'