The China Trap
Crimson | Max A. Palys
Crimson writer Palys acknowledges recent protests against the Chinese government’s human rights abuses, explaining that “Perhaps, some may hope, this is finally the moment: At last, America can act to support protestors and topple our great authoritarian opponent.” What seems like it might be an article supporting possible change within China, the piece takes a sharp turn, calling on America to “stop throwing pity parties” and upon Harvard to “set a shining example” of collaboration with China, including re-establishment of Harvard’s presence on the mainland and cooperation with China “founded on cultural exchange and the free flow of information.”
After listing human rights abuses, zero-Covid ramifications, the authoritarian rise of Xi Jinping, pessimism around the state of U.S.-China relations, anti-Asian hate crimes, and “right-wing vitriol about the alleged Chinese fabrication of the ‘Wuhan virus,’ Palys concludes that “such a grim assessment of China will not lead the United States anywhere.”
Palys explains that China is “prosperous and strong,” and that “married with wide-ranging use of modern technology, the authoritarian structure of the Chinese government results in a highly digitized, efficient society.” He cites WeChat as an example—a “service that combines features ranging from mobile payments to social media to video games. Nearly all activity is subject to oversight by the Chinese Communist Party. This hyper-centralized system sounds foreign and unreasonable to American ears but is simply a fact of life for Chinese citizens.”
In fact, Palys says, “It’s time Americans stop throwing pity parties and give up on trying to regain bygone dominance. Instead, we should chart a new course of bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and China, one founded on cultural exchange and the free flow of information.”
The way forward? All roads lead through Harvard. “A strong first step toward great cooperation would be [Harvard’s] re-institution of the Beijing Academy,” he writes, which Harvard relocated to Taiwan. “[Harvard] students should at least be given the option to study in the mainland…[and] not shy away from the mainland altogether in favor of a more ‘politically correct’ approach.”
“Amid broader political uncertainty,” he concludes, “closer ties between our institution and China have the opportunity to set a shining example of cooperation and trust.”
Related:
The Free Speech Crisis Colleges Ignore (Chronicle, 12/7/22)
Harvard Affiliates Rally in Solidarity With Chinese Citizens Protesting Covid-19 Restrictions, State Censorship (Crimson, 11/30/22)
The Harvard Connection (Spectator, 5/26/22)
