When i was in China in 2001, i’ve been in a town where they were just having elections for a municipal government. I’ve also seen a Falung Gong demo in Beijing – no police rallying against them, even though they were watching.
If you consider the PRC to be a repressive dictatorship, i suggest people visiting Singapore. I know in which one i would enjoy most freedom…
Also, people tend to forget that it lasted until well into the 1980s before the RoC actually became a democracy. Prior to that it was effectively a semi-military dictatorship under the Guomindang, with occasional repressions of student uprisings not unlike the Tienanmen incident (the same is true for South Korea until only some ten years ago). The freedom on Taiwan is a very recent one, and the PRC is definately heading in the same direction.
There is a huge difference between people who’ve been to China and still be critical like Arthur. And those who are simply anti-Chinese because of some Cold War illusions like Grey Area.
The PRC doesn’t want war with Taiwan and most Chinese see themselves as a third world power under pressure from an US that is intent on separating China from Taiwan.
Most Chinese believe that given time, the two nations will be united in one form or another. As long as there isn’t an outright declaration, there won’t be war.
This is in spite of US intervention that separated Taiwan from China in the first place.
Now, PII, why did you bring up this subject? Do you want a flamewar?
Taiwan/China always brings up the worse from Chinese speakers on either side of the strait and from Cold War Americans and Britons who go on their tirade about “evil” Chinese.
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