China Can’t Afford to Blunder this Opportunity
In the dark days following September 11th, 2001, one of the only points of light was the international outpouring of sympathy and shows of solidarity with America. Had the US leadership been wise, it could have turned that moment of tragedy into a starting point for stronger international relations and united foreign policy. Certainly it is naive to believe that the international community would have suddenly come together and formed a Utopian paradise. Yet there is no doubt that conciliatory policy–instead of blatant arrogance–would have paved the way for much more positive outcomes on a number of fronts.
Had the Bush Administration taken the opportunity to form coalitions on issues like nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea, global warming (specifically the Kyoto Protocol), and logical position on the difficult regime in Iraq, rather than unilaterally promoting its own extreme agenda, other nations would have followed. America had the opportunity to be a moral leader. Yet the leadership miscalculated the situation, believing that countries would fall in line because it would be too difficult to oppose a country that had just experience such a severe tragedy.
The conditions in post-earthquake China are hardly the same. The devastation in Sichuan was a natural catastrophe, not a violent, man-induced act. Yet the sympathy in the international community is similar. For months the Chinese government had been receiving scathing coverage from the international press on a wide range of issues including Tibet, Darfur, pollution, human rights and product safety. And in two minutes, suddenly all of those critics fell silent, like too many villages in Sichuan.
A danger now exists that the silence of these critics could be interpreted as giving license to arrogant policies. It is the Bush mistake, and China cannot afford to duplicate it. It would be an error and gross miscalculation to continue to push flawed policies–perhaps even more forcefully–with the idea that the disaster would serve as a shield for criticism.
Instead, think about the opportunity that sits before the Chinese government. Not only does it have the sympathy of the international community, but also the full support of the people inside the country. What better opening could there be to make progress on difficult issues like Tibet, where the government seems to understand that something needs to be done? Or Darfur, where it is stuck in a rut, paralyzed to figure out a way to play a positive roll in the genocide.
If China decided to turn the tragedy of this earthquake into a starting point for dialogue on the tough issues it faces, there would be an incredibly warm international reception. Much as George W. Bush was given a chance to build something good out of unspeakable devastation, so too does the Chinese government. We now know too well from the American experience what happens when leaders fail to recognize the positive potential following a disaster. The seeds of hope can only grow from the soil of despair if leaders are brave enough to plant them.
At this potential turning point in Chinese international relations, the government can’t afford to blunder this opportunity.
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