Monday, May 25, 2015

Hu Xijin, Global Times Editor, Says China Would Be North Korea Without Liu, Ai, and Pu

Hu Xijin on the cover of his book:
"Complicated China."
On May 23, 2015, the following posts appeared on the verified personal Sina Weibo of Hu Xijin (胡锡进), editor-in-chief of the state sponsored Global Times:

8:46 am
Without those such as Liu, Ai, & Pu, China would be North Korea. Without the forces restraining those people, China would be Egypt, the Ukraine. Without certain external pressures, China might stagnate. Without the state's ability to restrain and master its political conflicts, China would inevitably fall apart. Complementary forces are molding and pushing China, and if these complementary forces can ultimately follow the example of the last 30 years, then it can only be for the greatest good of China. Some people don't understand this sort of talk, but this is the logic by which society progresses. 
没有刘、艾、浦等,中国就是朝鲜。没有制约他们的力量,中国就是埃及、乌克兰。没有来自外部的一些压力,中国可能停滞。没有国家的抵制能力和政治上的对立自主,中国必将溃散。合力在塑造、推动中国,合力的最终方向如这三十几年的样子,实乃中国之大幸。一些人听不懂这些话,但社会在按这个逻辑前进。
Original URL: http://www.weibo.com/1989660417/Cj7PF4USD

2:10 pm
Liu, Ai, and Pu represent a class of people. I am willing to believe that, viewed from a longer historical perspective, their positive impact on social progress is something more than nothing. But this kind of positive impact is only what exists and remains after they have been subjected to powerful restrictions. Sometimes social progress derives its benefits from a tortured path of conflict, and the key is that this society retains control over the process, intensity, and direction of that conflict. Those who, when faced with enormous influence of Western value systems, would wipe out the destructive forces of Liu, Ai, and Pu, deserve our respect. 
刘艾浦是一类人的代称。我愿意相信,从历史长河去观看,他们对社会进步的正面意义不是零。但这种正面意义只有在他们受到强大制约时才会存在和残留。社会进步有时会从对抗中曲折受益,关键是这个社会能够驾驭对抗的过程、烈度和方向。那些敢于在西方价值观颇具影响时消除刘艾蒲破坏力的力量是可敬的。
Original URL: http://www.weibo.com/1989660417/Cj9X3v1sq


10:58 pm
I went ahead and deleted today's posts myself after I saw the disagreements and emotions of certain Internet users. I've been in transit all day, and got off a plane just now. Here's wishing everyone a good weekend. (This post will also get deleted eventually). 
我删掉了今天发的微博,是我看到一些网友的不同意见和情绪后主动删的。我今天不停坐交通工具,刚又下飞机。祝大家周末快乐。(这条过会也删啊。)
Original URL: http://www.weibo.com/1989660417/Cjdpe3jRw


That post was deleted shortly before noon on May 24.

According to a Global Time’s editorial published on April 16, 2011 entitled “West's Support of Ai Weiwei Abnormal”:
As a Chinese citizen, Ai undoubtedly enjoys favorable treatment from the West, which constitutes an intrusion of China's legal system. The Western bias toward Ai results from his confrontational attitude to the government.
. . . .
The majority of this group has enjoyed the freedom to criticize almost everything, bringing them both fame and wealth. China has entered an era of unprecedented political tolerance. 
Take Ai's case as an example: He has won more media coverage and fame than many of his peers in recent years, mostly thanks to his biting comments and confrontational activities. 
The belief that there is political persecution in China is a fallacy.  Instead, the country is witnessing the unfolding of democracy. 
On March 31, 2015, Hu, writing under the pseudonym “Shan Renping” published and editorial on the Global Times website entitled “Hyping Dissidents Leaves Anti-China Western Critics With Egg on Their Faces.” Some excerpts:
In China, more people know of Ai Weiwei's political stance rather than his arts achievement. Few people in China can understand his performance art, but he is hailed as a master of art in the West, for obvious reasons.  Some Chinese artists know how to play trick and benefit from it by defying political systems while being exploited by the West. 
On May 8, 2014, Hu wrote in an editorial entitled “Legal Activists Must Also Respect Rule of Law”:
Pu Zhiqiang, a Beijing-based civil rights lawyer, was detained by Beijing police on Tuesday on the charge of provoking troubles, according to his relatives, an event which drew sympathetic comments on social media.
. . . .
The problem is some of them have deliberately crossed the bottom line of the rule of law. It was reported that Pu was detained after he attended an anniversary event to commemorate the June 4th incident. . . . [S]uch an event, which is related to the most sensitive political issue in China, has clearly crossed the red line of law.
. . . .
These activist lawyers, to some extent, have inspired the whole society to look into the past, but these lawyers themselves have lost the ability of self-introspection. They must regain self-awareness and realize that they are not the commandos or authoritative forces to improve China's rule law.
On November 1, 2010, the Global Times published an editorial entitled “Nobel Winner Holds Deep Hatred for China.” Some excerpts:
From the mid-1990s, Liu began to work for a company in the US subsidized by a CIA-backed foundation. He was well paid, and even during his imprisonment Liu has continued to be paid every month. 
Despite his contempt for China and its people Liu has always claimed that his activities are his responsibility as a Chinese citizen. However, his words and acts have exposed the hypocrisy of his "honest image." 
Liu's anti-government remarks and articles have been merely a means of earning money.
"Your life will become more meaningful if you have a certain amount of money" is his mantra in support of his "lifelong cause" against the Chinese government. 
To ensure his income, Liu has made unremitting efforts to work for the anti-China Western forces, reviling the government and the socialist system. 
He has also utilized the Internet in an attempt to get more people to join his attempt to change China's current political system and overthrow the government led by the Chinese Communist Party. 
Liu's remarks and acts are already beyond the scope of freedom of speech and his proposals, which aim at implanting Western political institutions in China and overthrowing the CPC's leadership, contravene the country's Constitution and laws.
In December 2008, Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison on the charge of subversion.
These screenshots were taken on May 24, 2015, and show that Baidu PostBar (Tieba 贴吧) had banned the topics “Liu Xiaobo” (刘晓波), “Ai Weiwei” (艾未未), and Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强).




Translation: Xu Zhiyong's Statement in His Own Defense

 Source: https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/694913.html China Digital Times: On April 10, 2023, Xu Zhiyong, a well-known human rights de...