ON CHINA’S SELF INTEREST: WHY CHINA CAN BE BETTER.

An essay on why China should pursue better human rights and foreign policies. (Piece written in November 2021)

These two areas, though apparently delinked from each other, are instead connected and each represents two sides of the same philosophy. Liberal democracies should stop lecturing Beijing while continuing raising the issue of human rights and express solidarity to Taiwan without jeopardizing their adherence to their One China Policy but it is in the best interest of China to reform.

Last Tuesday, finally President Xi of China and President Biden of the United States of America held their virtual summit and as it was reported, was a lengthy and frank conversation.

There were warnings from both sides about crossing what each of the two nations consider certain “red lines” but at the same time summit and its future follow ups could herald a new era where competition and rivalry between the two great superpowers, while won’t scale down, can be managed without any risky escalations.

As President Biden said, we need to ensure certain “guardrails”, a way to ensure some commonly agreed “rules” that, if respected, will avoid that ongoing differences between the two countries might veer, accidentally or intentionally, into a conflict.

If we also consider the agreement reached in Glasgow on the cooperation in the area of climate change that, as vague as it might be, could also pave the way for the creation of a common front against climate change, the United States and China could realistically have better relationships in future.

Yet this desired outcome will depend on several key issues that both sides must tackle.

On the one hand the capacity of the United States and its allies to reassure, once again, that any solidarity towards Taiwan should not be seen as a break of their One China Policy.

On the other’s, Beijing should change tactics and positioning in regards to Taiwan and at the same time, also undertake a profound rethinking of its policy in matter of human rights and political freedoms.

On Taiwan, the entire world understands the importance attached by China over it and there is no wonder when Chinese officials do not show any hesitation at threatening the use force to fulfil the goal of unifying the mainland with what is considered a rebel island.

At the same time, the international community is cognizant of the dreams and aspirations of the people of Taiwan and of the significant progress made there in matter of democracy and human rights.

Democracy and human rights are what bounds Taiwan with the so called liberal democracies around the world and the differences in the political system and culture existing between Beijing and Taipei are the biggest stumbling blocks to any immediate reconciliation and ultimately any possible unification between the two.

Equally important to consider is the fact that Taiwan has developed its own identity that now is markedly different from that of the mainland.

As consequence, its inhabitants have clear opinions on the future of their homeland.

Pursuing the Status Quo at any cost

Ideally any process of reconciliation and ultimate unification should be based on the common will of the people of China and Taiwan and at the moment, clearly, such desire does not exist in the latter.

Does it mean that Taiwan should be encouraged to pursue a dangerous pathway that would, sooner than later, force China to intervene and overtake the island?

Should the overtures shown towards Taiwan by the EU, Australia and the USA be seen through the prism of an encouragement towards independence or rather just as a push back towards what is widely perceived as China’s consistent pattern of micro-aggressions?

I would dare to think that the second alternative is the one that should guide policy makers in Beijing rather than interpreting, for example, an official visit by a delegation of the EU Parliament or the visit of an ex PM minister of Australia as acts that would encourage Taiwan towards formal independence

There is no government in the West or liberal world that would whatsoever imagine to formally nudge Taipei towards independence from China and this is something that the leaders in Beijing must acknowledge.

Any initiative of solidarity towards Taiwan must be framed through the prism of contrasting what is more and more perceived as Beijing’s prowess and belligerent tone towards a territory still considered an integral part of its territory.

As per now and for the foreseeable future, there is nothing the world can do to convince or persuade China over its claims towards Taiwan.

The West understands this and that’s why, also considering the latest decisions of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party, the liberal democracies of the West must focus on maintaining the status quo.

In practice it means for the liberal world to do whatever it can to restrain from actions towards Taiwan that would propel Beijing to assert its muscles as way to reiterate what it perceives as its inalienable right over the territory.

At the same time Beijing should do whatever it can to refrain itself from over bullying Taiwan as we saw in the recent months with actions that visibly project its massive military capabilities.

The preservation of the status quo should be the overarching goal from all the sides of the equation.

If the western, liberal world would agree on lessening the tensions over Taiwan, at the same time China should step back from its aggressive rhetoric and reinstate a policy that would avoid, at any cost, the use of the force against Taiwan as long as the current status quo is maintained.

Human Rights in China

Then, the issue of human rights in China.

This is something not directly linked to Beijing’s position over Taiwan but it can be central in helping China develop better relations with the West and enhance its image globally, helping, by default, easing any tensions about Taiwan.

No one expects China to turn itself into a liberal democracy also because it is widely acknowledged that liberal democracies, as per now, are structurally flowed and are in need of a fix.

I am not talking about an authoritarian type of “retrofitting” but instead I am referring to a rethinking of the meaning of participatory and deliberative democracy that means giving more power to the people rather than relying all the powers on elected officials.

China must find its own reform path

Interestingly this is an area where China has some experience and this could also offer an interesting space where China’s political system could gradually evolve and mature towards a different political set up.

That’s why the leadership of China, while promoting more bottom up genuine participatory practices, also loosen up its grip on human rights not just because this is what the West preaches but because it is in the overall interest of the Chinese Communist Party to do so.

The Chinese leadership must understand that giving its own people a higher say in the domain of policy making and ensuring them a stronger “universal” human rights framework, is not only going to pay off internally in terms of meeting its people’s aspirations in terms of freedom and agency but it can be instrumental to gain wider respectability around the world.

More citizen’s participation in the public life should be a goal to be pursued by the Chinese Government but this should be done on its own terms.

It needs to find its own model rather that recipes prescribed by the West but with this, a rethinking on human rights, including censorship, must also be dealt with.

The Case of Hong Kong

The same can be said for Hong Kong.

The current legislation imposing broad restrictions on people’s freedoms is paying off in the short term but it is alienating the citizens of what was supposed to be a special territory under China’s control.

When the protesters invaded the local legislature, something that should have been avoided at any cost, a clear red line was crossed and now Hongkongers are paying a very high price.

Yet one thing is clear: through coercion and force, people will never develop love for mainland. Order comes first in the hierarchy of goals set in Beijing but governing a territory with high levels of resentments towards it is going to be not only counterproductive but also expensive.

Self Interest demands change

Beijing should see it as an act of strategic self-interest rather than appeasement to the West.

After all, the world over has developed a great deal of admiration for the outstanding achievements China obtained over the last three decades.

Its fight against poverty, no matter how much top down, is something that can be replicated, though with the right adjustments, and scaled.

China has also been contributing exponentially, though sometimes in controversial way (but this is the nature of all the international aid system, after all) to the development of many emerging and developing nations.

In many ways China is a force for good.

Yet any time a Chinese personality who dares to speak against the system disappears, be a global financier, an actress or a tennis player like Peng Shuai who is out of communication since she alleged sexual abuses by a former high ranking official, Beijing is not helping itself but simply reinforcing its authoritarianism brand that people around the world simply deplore and look with disdain.

The current imprisonment of independent journalist Zhang Zhan who had courageously shed lights on the coronavirus’s outbreak is a shame.

The fact that RSF 2021 Press Freedom Award, in the category “Courage” has been given to Zhang Zhan is very significant.

In improving its human rights, a task that, let’s be clear, a vast majority of western democracies, should not shy away as well, China would certainly benefits its own people but at the same time it would dissipate the distrust and uneasiness many still feel about when dealing with Beijing.

Moreover allowing more criticisms and dissent would overall benefit China’s policy making process.

A major change in policy in the area of human rights would greatly enhance China’s legitimate path to pursue total self-determination and development and a more open system in China could greatly help enhancing Beijing’s own rise and the way it is perceived globally.

After all so far its style of fixing problems internally is what dominates its policy overseas as we are witnessing with Australia, Lithuania and in the past with Norway.

Aggressive postures at global levels as in South China Sea should transition towards a different type of diplomacy, one that does not back down but rather pursue its core interests through assertiveness but also through more dialogue and diplomacy.

This is the case for China to maintain its own right to self-development and prosperity but through different tactics and a profound internal change.

If China finds a new approach to global relations based on more internal openness and less menacing postures overseas, then more people will look at China more positively and, as result, Beijing’s goodwill will greatly be enhanced around the world.

It is in the best interest of Beijing to be seen less as a threat and more as peaceful partner for co-prosperity as it often rhetorically claims to be.

China has a lot to contribute to the world and it must play a pivotal role in fighting the biggest threats faced by the humanity, starting from climate change.

Yet only a new and resolute position toward solving any future dispute over Taiwan through peaceful means and a different type of diplomacy that would mirror an internal reckoning with essential freedoms and rights, would project President Xi and its country towards the respect that they should deserve if such shift would occur.

Changing postures and attitudes on Taiwan does not mean renouncing to the idea of a future reunification and a stronger human rights protection system does not imply a subjugation to the West’s ideals and preaching.

The Way forward

As in the past, China must find its own way to solve these conundrums.

The west and the liberal world recognize China as a formidable competitor but also as a key and indispensable partner.

The West and China should keep talking human rights not as a one way only conversation but as a two ways discussion.

Speaking up about human rights abuses in China, something that must be continued, does not give the West’s a free license to bossy around Beijing.

Interestingly liberal democracies must change and reform themselves in order to retain their credibility as viable and effective systems able to deliver the common good for their people.

More dialogue on sensitive issues will also lessen the chances of possible provocations that would hurt Beijing’s sensibilities but it is important that China finds its own ways to reform and open up.

A new era of tough competition characterized by “hard” but civil talking the way President Xi and President Biden modeled, could herald a new era of cooperation that the world desperately needs.

Will the West tone down its rhetoric against Beijing and embark on a process of dialogue with a nation like China that deserved to be treated on equal basis?

Will China seize this opportunity and the needed foresight to take the path of self-reform?

Views are personal