President for the People

Yale University - Hu Jintao

On April the 21st 2006 the Chinese president Hu Jintao delivered an inspiring speech at Yale University. In his address he outlined some of the key elements which will drive the Chinese socialist economic reforms and opening up policies in the years to come. I was truly impressed as a foreign national living here in the PRC. His speech in some respects mirrored that which I have come to believe - both from a visual and intangible perspective based on my daily experiences while in China; as I talk with, and begin to understand the social structure of the Chinese people. I can not help but understand the importance and simplicity of his words. They reflect my new understanding of socialism, and its essence to the core.

“The Chinese civilization has always given prominence to the people and respect for people's dignity and value. Centuries ago, the Chinese already pointed out that “people are the foundation of a country; when the foundation is stable, the country is in peace.” Nothing is more valuable in the universe than human beings. The ancient Chinese emphasized the value of serving the people, enriching them, nourishing them, and benefiting them. We are pursuing today a people-oriented approach toward development because we believe that development must be for the people and by the people and its benefit should be shared among the people”.

“We care about people's value, rights and interests and freedom, the quality of their life, and their development potential and happiness index because our goal is to realize the all-around development of the people. Ensuring the right to survival and development remains China's top priority. We will vigorously promote social and economic development, protect people's freedom, democracy and human rights according to law, achieve social fairness and justice and enable the 1.3 billion Chinese people to live a happy life.” -- [1]

My view of Chinese civilization has been greatly altered in recent times. Having come from many years of living in both the United Kingdom and Australia - where the lack of real understanding towards China, and the Chinese, has fostered stereo typing and prejudice. Catch phrases such as; “Behind The Bamboo Curtain”, “The Great Firewall of China” and “The Iron Rice Bowl” - but to name a few; are a reflection of a Contemporary western mindsets, and sadly based on a lack of social understanding toward the people of China. Ignorance towards the social values China embraces directly conflicts; to some extent, the capitalist model. Take for example the western drive to over legislate. Whereas, China gives value to the intangible spirit of an individual’s freedom to rely on their own commonsense; in turn based on traditional community ethics. Such an approach was adopted in the case of fireworks at Spring Festival, after the lifting of a twelve year ban. To quote a CCTV9 News report – “Some times people would just prefer to have fun”. Having a culture based on solid values gives an inherent freedom to the people of China.

The west has seemingly lost cultural values, and the ability to evaluate reform based on them. The rewards of social happiness and the simplicity and joy it can bring, make a poor country like China a harmonious and stable society. Instead the west, preferring to limit personal freedom and adopt higher social values based on economic and market systems - not humanities. In the pursuit of a quick dollar maybe; we have legislated to excess, appease minority factions, and enforce by way of law governmental financial procurement. In an effort to drive our economies forward we have standardized life into a complicated network of legalities.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." -- Albert Einstein.

The time I have spent here has opened my eyes to a world of diversity. I see the promotion of family values, individual freedom, artistic and cultural expression - abundant in every day living. Even the poorest demographic have access to basic facilities and modern technologies - food, housing, basic health care, telecommunications and the internet. You do not need to be rich to live in China. China had, and still has great problems which it faces head-on and alone, although, united as a country. The eyes of the word focus on the negative aspects of its struggle. However, China’s great social challenges now and over the past fifty years have delivered its 1.3 Billion people from extreme poverty to sustainable living. The Chinese have struggled to bring unity to their many ethnic groups and regions with few casualties. I see a great deal to be learned from China, socially and economically, lessons in tolerance, understanding and forward development work in harmony with its people.

Reading between the lines of President Hu Jintao speech, I get the feeling, the problem China faces in opening up to the world is immense. And a direct threat to the foundations and values he so eloquently portrayed. The contradictive nature of Chinese culture; idiosyncrasies, and the inherent market freedoms adopted in the past, in turn have lead to sustainable living for most, Nevertheless they fundamentally, undermine and contradict the fabric and values of a western market economy. Today’s China is a stable and progressive society - A unique corporate where its foundations are the people it employs. Their individual enterprises are the backbone of the rural, provincial and developing regions. The national security of China is based on their intangible and communal assets working together as a whole. The people are the stability of the Chinese economy. Issues such as IPR and currency revaluation will affect the Chinese at a grass roots level. Bringing less control over China at a governmental level, as pressure to legislate, police and enforce to a higher and higher degree is place on government from world market economies based solely on profit margins that the greater population of Chinese can ill afford. The freedom the Chinese people and government once treasured so dearly will be cordial in comparison to the freedom they have come to enjoy through their relative isolation. And over time market forces will tear at the safety net which is the PRC.

However quickly the Americans, and the west are pushing for reform. I get the impression from my own experience here, and that of the words of the president. It is a matter that will be in the hands of our children to build bridges between our nations, in the hope we can foster a mutual respect and understanding of each others unique and diverse cultures.

On direct reflection I can only emphasize that China currently has something that the west has lost. In our pursuit for freedom we have managed to loose ourselves in a systemic mechanism which only dehumanizes our individuality – in our rush to adopt the perfect world, we lost the ability to dream. We have lost our innocence. I sincerely hope that in the pursuit of western values and materialism, China will retain President Hu Jintao core philosophy.


“Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends.”

“A composer cannot write enchanting melody with one note, and a painter cannot paint landscape with only one color. The world is a treasure house where the unique cultural achievements created by people of all countries are displayed. The culture of a nation tells a lot about the evolution of the nation's understanding of the world and life, both past and present. Culture thus embodies a nation's fundamental pursuit of mind and dictates its norms of behavior. The historical process of human development is one in which different civilizations interact with and enrich each other and all civilizations in human history have contributed to human progress in their own unique way.” -- [1]



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[1] Yale University - April the 21st 2006 - Hu Jintao

Written and compiled by

Benjamin D Hodson.