{"id":223459,"date":"2010-01-24T20:14:21","date_gmt":"2010-01-25T01:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalvoicesonline.org\/?p=119445"},"modified":"2010-01-24T20:14:21","modified_gmt":"2010-01-25T01:14:21","slug":"china%e2%80%99s-orwellian-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/223459","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Orwellian Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Chan (\u9673\u51a0\u4e2d), an author from Hong Kong who is currently living in Beijing, has written a novel entitled The Fat Years: China, 2013<\/a><\/em> (\u76db\u4e16 \u2013 \u4e2d\u570b, 2013). The story happens in 2013, when China enters a new era of material prosperity and everyone is happy, while the western world enters another financial crisis. The novel is compared with George Orwell\u2019s classical political fable, 1984<\/a><\/em>. It is already published in Hong Kong and scheduled for publication in Taiwan, but will not be published in mainland China.<\/p>\n

China in 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

How will China look like in 2013? Zhang Tiezhi<\/a> (\u5f20\u94c1\u5fd7) of Taiwan\u2019s China Times<\/em> summarizes the social conditions as seen in the novel, which, to certain extents, are what we are witnessing now:<\/p>\n

\n

\u897f\u65b9\u56fd\u5bb6\u57282011\u5e74\u518d\u5ea6\u7206\u53d1\u7ecf\u6d4e\u5371\u673a\uff0c\u8fdb\u5165\u300c\u51b0\u706b\u671f\u300d\u800c\u9677\u5165\u957f\u671f\u505c\u6ede\u3002\u552f\u6709\u4e2d\u56fd\u5b89\u7136\u65e0\u6059\uff0c\u6bd4\u4eca\u65e5\u66f4\u4e3a\u5bcc\u5f3a\u3001\u66f4\u4e3a\u81ea\u4fe1\uff1b\u4eba\u6c11\u4eec\u5145\u6ee1\u5e78\u798f\u611f\uff0c\u751a\u81f3\u5f88high\u3002\u4e2d\u56fd\u7684\u76db\u4e16\u6765\u4e34\u4e86\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Western countries faced another economic crisis in 2011 and entered a prolonged \u2018ice and fire\u2019 period of stagnation.\u00a0 China, unharmed, becomes even stronger and more confident than today. People are happy, or even \u2018high\u2019. The Age of China has arrived.<\/p>\n

\n

\u4e66\u4e2d\u4e3b\u89d2\u8bf4\uff1a\u300c\u6211\u77e5\u9053\u4e2d\u56fd\u95ee\u9898\u8fd8\u5f88\u591a\uff0c\u4f46\u4f60\u60f3\u60f3\uff0c\u4ee5\u7f8e\u56fd\u4e3a\u7978\u9996\u7684\u53d1\u8fbe\u8d44\u672c\u4e3b\u4e49\u56fd\u5bb6\u81ea\u6211\u6467\u6b8b\uff0c\u4e8c\u96f6\u96f6\u516b\u5e74\u91d1\u878d\u6d77\u5578\u540e\uff0c\u7a0d\u6709\u8d77\u8272\u624d\u6ca1\u51e0\u5e74\uff0c\u53c8\u518d\u5ea6\u9677\u5165\u6ede\u80c0\u671f\u2026\u2026\uff0c\u81f3\u4eca\u672a\u80fd\u722c\u51fa\u8c37\u5e95\uff0c\u552f\u4e2d\u56fd\u80fd\u72ec\u5584\u5176\u8eab\u2026\u2026\u4e0d\u4ec5\u6539\u5199\u4e86\u56fd\u9645\u7ecf\u6d4e\u7684\u6e38\u620f\u89c4\u5219\uff0c\u66f4\u91cd\u8981\u7684\u662f\u793e\u4f1a\u6ca1\u6709\u52a8\u4e71\uff0c\u53cd\u800c\u66f4\u548c\u8c10\u3002\u771f\u4e0d\u7531\u4f60\u4e0d\u670d\u6c14\u3002\u300d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The main character said: \u2018I know China still has a lot of problems. But think about it, the developed capitalist countries, headed by the US, have destroyed themselves. They have only recovered from the 2008 crisis for a few years, and are now in deep troubles again\u2026 Only China can spare itself of the crisis\u2026 Not only has China rewritten the rules of the global economy, it has also maintained social harmony. You cannot but appreciate this.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\u5728\u4e66\u4e2d\u76842013\u5e74\u4e2d\u56fd\uff0c\u5317\u4eac\u6700\u91cd\u8981\u7684\u5b66\u672f\u4e66\u5e97\u4e07\u76db\u4e66\u56ed\u5012\u95ed\u4e86\uff0c\u81ea\u7531\u6d3e\u91cd\u9547\u520a\u7269\u300c\u5357\u65b9\u5468\u672b\u300d\u505c\u520a\uff0c\u4e66\u5e97\u4e2d\u4efb\u4f55\u5173\u4e8e\u53cd\u53f3\u3001\u6587\u9769\u7684\u4e66\u90fd\u6d88\u5931\u4e86\uff0c\u66fe\u7ecf\u8bb0\u8f7d\u4e00\u6bb5\u793e\u4f1a\u52a8\u4e71\u65f6\u671f\u7684\u62a5\u7eb8\u73b0\u5728\u4e5f\u90fd\u6d88\u5931\u4e86\u3002\u800c\u5c11\u6570\u62d2\u7edd\u9057\u5fd8\u5386\u53f2\u7684\u4eba\uff0c\u6210\u4e3a\u4e0e\u8fd9\u4e2a\u793e\u4f1a\u683c\u683c\u4e0d\u5165\u7684\u8fb9\u7f18\u4eba\uff0c\u751a\u81f3\u88ab\u89c6\u4e3a\u75af\u5b50\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the year of 2013 described by the book, Beijing\u2019s most important humanities bookshop, Wansheng, has closed down. The important liberal magazine, Southern Weekend<\/em>, has ceased to exist. You cannot find in any bookstores books about the anti-right campaigns and Cultural Revolution. Newspapers which recorded past periods of social instability are all gone. The few people who insist on having a memory of history are marginalized, or even treated as insane.<\/p>\n

Newspeak<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2013, so the book describes, China will also promote a set of national strategies, summarized in 10 points:<\/p>\n

\n

1. \u4e00\u515a\u9886\u5bfc\u7684\u6c11\u4e3b\u4e13\u653f\uff1b
\n2. \u7a33\u5b9a\u7b2c\u4e00\u7684\u4f9d\u6cd5\u6cbb\u56fd\uff1b
\n3. \u6267\u653f\u4e3a\u6c11\u7684\u5a01\u6743\u653f\u5e9c\uff1b
\n4. \u56fd\u5bb6\u8c03\u63a7\u7684\u5e02\u573a\u7ecf\u6d4e\uff1b
\n5. \u592e\u4f01\u4e3b\u5bfc\u7684\u516c\u5e73\u7ade\u4e89\uff1b
\n6. \u4e2d\u56fd\u7279\u8272\u7684\u79d1\u5b66\u53d1\u5c55\uff1b
\n7. \u4ee5\u6211\u4e3a\u4e3b\u7684\u548c\u8c10\u5916\u4ea4\uff1b
\n8. \u5355\u6c11\u65cf\u4e3b\u6743\u7684\u591a\u65cf\u7fa4\u5171\u548c\uff1b
\n9. \u540e\u897f\u65b9\u540e\u666e\u4e16\u7684\u4e3b\u4f53\u601d\u60f3\uff1b
\n10. \u4e2d\u534e\u6587\u660e\u4e3e\u4e16\u65e0\u53cc\u7684\u6c11\u65cf\u590d\u5174<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

1. Democratic dictatorship under one-party rule;
\n2. Rule-of-law with stability as top priority;
\n3. An authoritarian government which rules for the people;
\n4. A state-controlled market economy;
\n5. Fair competition dominated by state-owned enterprises;
\n6. Scientific development with Chinese characteristics;
\n7. A self-centered harmonious foreign diplomacy;
\n8. A single-ethnicity sovereignty with multiple ethnicities;
\n9. Post-western and post-universal values;
\n10. Renaissance of the matchless Chinese culture<\/p>\n

This is reminiscent of \u2018Newspeak<\/a>\u2019, which Liang Wendao<\/a> (\u6881\u6587\u9053) commented:<\/p>\n

\n

\u542c\u8d77\u6765\u597d\u50cf\u6ca1\u4ec0\u4e48\u4e86\u4e0d\u8d77\uff0c\u4f60\u4ed4\u7ec6\u770b\u4ed6\u4eec\u597d\u50cf\u6bcf\u4e00\u6837\u90fd\u662f\u77db\u76fe\u7684\u3002\u65e2\u7136\u662f\u592e\u4f01\u4e3b\u5bfc\uff0c\u4ed6\u53c8\u600e\u4e48\u80fd\u662f\u516c\u5e73\u516c\u6b63\u5462\uff1f\u65e2\u7136\u662f\u79d1\u5b66\u53d1\u5c55\uff0c\u600e\u4e48\u8fd8\u4f1a\u6709\u4e2d\u56fd\u7279\u8272\u5462\uff1f\u4f46\u662f\u65e0\u6240\u8c13\uff0c\u90a3\u4e2a\u5e74\u4ee3\u8fd9\u4e9b\u77db\u76fe\u7684\u8bcd\u90fd\u88ab\u7edf\u4e00\u8d77\u6765\u4e86\u3002\u4e45\u800c\u4e45\u4e4b\uff0c\u5927\u5bb6\u5c31\u9002\u5e94\u4e86\uff0c\u5c31\u6ca1\u95ee\u9898\u4e86\uff0c\u8fd9\u662f\u4e00\u4e9b\u65b0\u8bcd\u8bed\u561b\uff0c\u5bf9\u4e0d\u5bf9\uff0c\u7136\u540e\u81f3\u4e8e\u6211\u4eec\u73b0\u5728\u5f88\u591a\u4eba\u5173\u5fc3\u7684\u4ec0\u4e48\u4eba\u6743\u95ee\u9898\uff0c\u81ea\u7531\u95ee\u9898\uff0c\u90a3\u4e9b\u4e1c\u897f\u5230\u4e86\u90a3\u65f6\u5019\u4e5f\u4e0d\u91cd\u8981\u4e86\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Seems there is nothing special about them, but on closer look, each point is contradictory with itself. If it is state-owned enterprises dominated, how can it be fair? If it is scientific, how can it be Chinese? But never mind, in time these contradictory words will all be unified. After a while, people will become more familiar with them, wouldn\u2019t they? By that time, the so-called issues of human rights and freedom will become unimportant.<\/p>\n

Happiness without freedom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Will freedom and human rights become irrelevant in China? In a thoughtful twitter broadcast organized by Du Ting<\/a> (\u675c\u5a77) this month, the author himself and a Professor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Zhou Baosong (\u5468\u4fdd\u677e), touched upon the issues of freedom:<\/p>\n

\n

\u5468\u4fdd\u677e: \u5bf9\u5386\u53f2\u7684\u53cd\u601d\u5c31\u662f\u6df1\u5316\u5bf9\u95ee\u9898\u7684\u7406\u89e3\u3002\u76db\u4e16\u5230\u5e95\u600e\u6837\uff0c\u8fd9\u6837\u7684\u76db\u4e16\u662f\u5426\u503c\u5f97\u8ffd\u6c42\uff1f\u6211\u4eec\u9700\u8981\u601d\u8003\u3002\u81ea\u7531\u4e3a\u4f55\u5bf9\u6211\u4eec\u91cd\u8981\uff1f\u81ea\u7531\u4e0d\u662f\u72ec\u7acb\u5728\u5e78\u798f\u4ee5\u5916\uff0c\u81ea\u7531\u5c31\u662f\u5e78\u798f\u7684\u4e00 \u90e8\u5206\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Zhou: Reflections on history is essential to deepening our understanding of problems. Is such kind of \u2018fat years\u2019 what we are after? We need to think about that. Why is freedom so important to us? Freedom is not independent of happiness, freedom is part of happiness.<\/p>\n

\n

\u9648\u51a0\u4e2d: \u5e78\u798f\u548c\u81ea\u7531\u4e0d\u5bf9\u7b49\uff0c\u5269\u4e0b\u6ca1\u6709\u81ea\u7531\u7684\u5e78\u798f\uff0c\u4e16\u754c\u662f\u5426\u53ef\u4ee5\u81ea\u7136\u6301\u7eed\uff1f\u5728\u5167\u5730\u53ef\u4ee5\u770b\u5230\uff0c\u5b98\u8bdd\u5957\u8bdd\u8d8a\u6765\u8d8a\u5389\u5bb3\u3002\u5386\u53f2\u4e0a\u66fe\u7ecf\u6709\u8fc7\uff0c\u516b\u5341\u5e74\u4ee3\u8fdb\u884c\u8fc7\u53cd\u601d\uff0c\u8ba4\u4e3a\u5f71\u54cd\u4e86\u4e2d\u56fd\u7684\u53d1\u5c55\u3002\u5df4\u91d1\u8bf4\u4e86\uff0c\u8bf4\u771f\u8bdd\uff0c\u4f46\u662f\u8fd9\u4e9b\u5e74\u53c8\u56de\u6765\u4e86\uff0c\u6ca1\u6709\u4e86\u8bf4\u771f\u8bdd\u7684\u81ea\u7531\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Chan: With the inequality between happiness and freedom, resulting in happiness without freedom, could the world sustain itself naturally? In mainland, we can see that official \u2018newspeaks\u2019 are becoming more and more common. In the 1980s, the Chinese society went through a period of self-reflections. Ba Jin<\/a> spoke out, and spoke the truth. But in these years, we have fallen back. We have lost the freedom to speak the truth.<\/p>\n

\n

\u9648\u51a0\u4e2d: \u4e3a\u4f55\u53ea\u8981\u7528\u7684\u8bcd\u3001\u5b57\u8bed\u4e0d\u540c\uff0c\u5c31\u4e0d\u9ad8\u5174\u3002\u6211\u4eec\u77e5\u9053\uff0c\u5982\u679c\u53ea\u6709\u6b63\u9762\u7684\u53cd\u9988\uff0c\u6ca1\u6709\u8d1f\u9762\u7684\u53cd\u9988\uff0c\u662f\u975e\u5e38\u7cdf\u7cd5\u7684\u3002\u4e2d\u56fd\u53ea\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u58f0\u97f3\uff0c\u4e27\u5931\u4e86\u7ea0\u6b63\u9519\u8bef\u7684\u80fd\u529b\u3002\u6240\u4ee5\u81ea\u7531\u975e\u5e38\u91cd\u8981\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Chan: Why does [the government] become unhappy once the words used are inappropriate? We know that it would be terrible if there are only positive, but no negative, feedbacks. If China only has one voice, it will lose the ability to self-correct. Therefore, freedom is very important.<\/p>\n

Lord Patten<\/a>, the last governor of Hong Kong, said China promoted the idea that one could get rich without needing democracy. But he did not think that the Chinese model of \u2018authoritarian, illiberal, proto-capitalism\u2019 would win out, because it lacked the \u2018safety valves\u2019 provided by democracies during tough times. As Winston Churchill famously said, \u2018democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.\u2019<\/p>\n

[Note: publishingPERSPECTIVES<\/a> contains more extensive translations of news and commentaries related to the novel.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Chan (\u9673\u51a0\u4e2d), an author from Hong Kong who is currently living in Beijing, has written a novel entitled The Fat Years: China, 2013 (\u76db\u4e16 \u2013 \u4e2d\u570b, 2013). The story happens in 2013, when China enters a new era of material prosperity and everyone is happy, while the western world enters another financial crisis. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-223459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223459\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}