The Chinese Conundrum

There is currently a great divide in China, one that as I see it, threatens the very vitality of their country.  For this divide I will highlight two articles I read a few days apart that deal with two totally different aspects of Chinese society.  The first, read either yesterday or the day before, deals with the rise of the technology sector within China and their drive to become the leader in computer technology and innovation.  (Article here)  The article essentially highlights the great advances that they have made in just 30 years from being the defacto assembler of computer components, to one of the great centers of innovation when it comes to new technology.  If you look at just this article you would think that China is doing really well.  You would think that they are constantly seeking to improve their situation and compete on a global level with other countries.  But all that gets tainted when you read an article like the one I read today on child abductions, kidnapping, and the growing problem of child trafficking.  (Click here for article)  This brief article talks about the arrest of hundreds of people involved with the trafficking of children.  The problem arises in part because of the one child law that China imposes on its citizens in an attempt to keep the population lower and manageable.  Because of the one child law, some families are likely to sell their children, especially if they are girls, in an attempt to have a boy.  It is a sad and depressing to hear of this occurring in a nation that has a rising middle class, growing economy, and such technological aspirations. 

Yet there it is laid out in plain sight, the good and the ugly.  Now let me be perfectly clear and say that I only know about China what I read about China in the news and it seems that half is good press and the other half negative.  It seems that it is a constant struggle in Chinese society to find the balance.  Personally, I feel that it is mostly the fault of the government.  Being a communist country and still feeling the need to control their public image, the government is too involved in the every day lives of its citizens.  The Chinese government feels the need to have a say in almost anything that occurs within the borders of their country.  They want to control their image so they censor the Internet, they want to become the top leaders in technology so they pump more money into that sector, they don't like what people say so they make them disappear.  It seems that the divide one sees when looking at China is in part created by their government.  Too often it seems the government acts without considering all the impacts of their decisions (gee, sounds like the U.S. government at times).  They are solely concerned with maintaining their positive image whether it means promoting whats working in their country, i.e. technology and innovation, or sweeping other problems under the rug, i.e. child trafficking, disappearing critics.   This is a problem that I feel will become more and more prevalent as China becomes an ever bigger player in the world economy. 

How long will China simply be able to sweep its problems under the rug before they alienate themselves.  Currently, they don't really have to worry about it because most the world's major economic players are struggling and still looking to China for monetary assistance.  Who in their right mind would overtly criticize a country who is providing them with money?  But what happens when economies around the world stabilize and start improving?  What happens when we stop looking for monetary assistance from China?  That is the day of reckoning for China (if it ever arrives).  When countries stop needing assistance, criticism of the Chinese government will increase and they will arrive at a point where they can either face their demons and move past them or crumble under them.  I know on one hand that China is attempting to avoid that day of reckoning ever coming.  They want to remain at the top so they can do what they want without too much criticism.  Yet I am of the belief that everything goes in cycles, countries rise and countries fall, that's all there is too it.  How long it will take for China to cycle back down is anyone's guess, but it will happen at some point.  The countries that succeed in managing their downturn survive, the ones that don't suffer and struggle to maintain peace.  For their own sake, I hope that China can see how its policies are divisive and self serving, but I have my doubts if that will ever happen.  For now, lets just hope that children in China will not be sold or trafficked around the world to the degree that they are now.