It has accrued to me I actually want to make some end-of-decade observations, done-to-death though that theme may be. I’m not one for making lists, and grading isn’t my forte either, so just few randon toughts about some things I’ve noticed have changed in China during this curious and exceptional period, one which might some day be recognized as “The decade when the civil revolution begun in China”. (Giving the snailish pace in which changes accrue here, I’m not so sure I’ll live to see this recognition though).
These are just my personal impressions. I might be, as the dear old party would have put it, absolutely wrong. About some or all of what is mentioned bellow.
But what of that? what are obscure blogs for? Here goes
The win of the Olympic bid in 2001 and the accession to the WTO the same year have changed both the Beijing landscape and much of China’s economy. Remember those crippled state owned banks? China’s first orderly change of government in late 2002, followed by that famous SARS press conference (In which the new leadership publicly admitted a cover-up). High hopes for new era of transparency in our time were to be crushed long before 2003 was over, with a new wave of detentions and restrictions, but not before another astounding show of supposed openness downed on the public – the abolishing of the abhoreable 收容 (shourong) detention camps, later to be replaced by none-less-awful black jails.
It was a decade when the government eased (in many cases abolished completely) grain taxes on farmers, thus stopping much of the abuse of power by party’s tax collectors in rural areas, forcing them to find other sources of income: most often collaboration with land developers in shameless, heartless land-grab. It was a decade of many, many, rural incidents everywhere. And perhaps growing awareness of legal rights among peasants. A trickle of human rights lawyers and journalists coming to the countryside to organize tax revolts, appeals or law suits has turned into a flood of bloggers, or just ordinary urban Chinese suddenly interested in learning how 70% of their country’s population lives. I remember the shock of meeting a sole backpacker from Guangzhou somewhere in Gansu province in 2002, when virtually all domestic tourism happened in big, identical hats wearing groups. Students vacation endeavours and the wonderful curiosity of so many young Chinese also resulted in a handful of charities, NGO’s and rural initiatives. It seems to me as if a new bond is shaping up between different population groups, bringing China closer to being a true civil society. No wonder the party apparatus is nervous.
For the not-to-be-mentioned evil cult, this decade meant not only persecution, supposedly to the verge of obliteration in it’s native land, but also a steady rise beyond China’s borders and Chinese society - consequently bringing a change in focus, perhaps a change in ideology too.
Beijing became a nicer place to live – especially for those with sufficient income, but also for the somewhat less fortunate, thanks to all the infrastructure upgrade and greening of the city. It became, however, a very expensive place to live, way out of reach for many native daughters of this town.
Environmental awareness soared, even in the dirtiest of towns and villages. Unfortunately, with little real results so far.
The Cultural Revolution went from being a taboo to becoming a favourite converation topic in family gatherings, complete with horror stories and sighs over bygone days.
And just before the beginning of a new and exciting decade, I have made it all the way to page four of a real Chinese language book. A personal record.
Happy (belated) New Year