if you look at the situation only the chinks are guilty of overreach
-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Xi Jingping: The Chinese Hitler Leading China to Disaster
- Thread starter tiongsrshit
- Start date
If xi die tomorrow sun will come out virus will go away life back to normal
The chinese are currently engaged in border disputes with 17 nations. That is alot of nations.
And read here Singpore too? This is news to me.
https://theprint.in/theprint-essent...putes-with-its-neighbours-on-land-sea/461115/
Not just India, Tibet — China has 17 territorial disputes with its neighbours, on land & sea
China has disputes with Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar and Tibet.
PIA KRISHNANKUTTY 15 July, 2020 12:16 pm IST
I think SG raised an objection and then withdrew a formal complaint. means our SG govt has no balls to fight
What is new? CCP bastards are good at killing their own kind. Mao kill tens of millions. And the dumbfuck Tiongs still worship him like God today
How come malaysia is not on the list?
China's Xi Jinping facing widespread opposition in his own party, insider claims | China
Cai Xia said Chinese president Xi Jinping’s ‘unchecked power’ had exacerbated the coronavirus crisis. Photograph: Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images
Lily Kuo in Beijing
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
A former professor at China’s elite Central Party School has issued an unprecedented rebuke of the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, accusing him of “killing a country” and claiming that many more want out of the ruling Chinese Communist party.
Cai Xia, a prominent professor who taught at the school, a higher education institution for top officials, was expelled from the party on Monday after an audio recording of remarks she made that were critical of Xi was leaked online in June. She is no longer in China. The school said in a notice that Cai, a professor at the party school since 1992, had made comments that “damaged the country’s reputation” and were full of “serious political problems”.
In her first interview with English-language media since her expulsion, Cai told the Guardian she was “happy to be expelled”.
“Under the regime of Xi, the Chinese Communist party is not a force for progress for China. In fact, it is an obstacle to China’s progress,” she said. “I believe I am not the only one who wants to leave this party. More people would like to withdraw or quit this party,” she said. “I had intended to quit the party years ago when there was no more room to speak and my voice was completely blocked.”
The comments from someone once firmly part of the establishment – several of China’s leaders such as Mao Zedong and Hu Jintao, as well as Xi were head of the Central Party School – are remarkable and potentially dangerous for the Chinese leadership. Cai is the latest prominent public intellectual to be punished for criticising Xi.
Cai initially spoke to the Guardian in June after the recording was first released. On that occasion she went further in her denunciation of Xi, blaming him for making China “an enemy” of the world, in comments that will reverberate across the party and the country, where such public criticism from within the party establishment is extremely rare.
On Tuesday, Cai, who initially asked that her June interview not be published because of threats she and her family received, said she was now willing to speak out. “I have much more freedom now. My speech is free from any constraints. I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she said.
Cai XiaPhotograph: Supplied
She said there was widespread opposition within the party but few dared to speak out, afraid of political retaliation in the form of internal party discipline and corruption charges. In this environment, Xi’s “unchecked power” and hold on all major decision-making had led to inevitable mistakes such as in the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Cai.
Beijing has blamed the suppression of information about the outbreak in Wuhan on local officials. Chinese health officials said on 20 January that the virus was contagious, weeks after it had emerged in December. But a speech published by the party magazine Qiushi showed that Xi met the politburo and gave instructions on the needed virus response on 7 January, almost two weeks before the public was warned.
“If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? In other words, the fact that people were concealing the news from him is the result of the system,” said Cai. “But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?”
Cai, who said she had wanted to leave the party since 2016 as the space for discussion within the party shrank dramatically, also blamed the country’s international problems on Xi.
“When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unlimited,” she said. “He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. In other words, whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
“It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding towards disaster.”
Cai said she believed that discontent within the party was widespread, especially among her generation as well as among middle and higher-level officials who came up through the party during China’s reform era under Deng Xiaoping, and later as China fully integrated into the global economy following its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
“Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand which direction is right and which is a dead end,” she said. “We are among a group of cadres who started in our posts after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.”
Cai said on Tuesday: “Many of my good friends who saw the news of me being expelled are cheering. They think this is a good thing.”
Topics
Lily Kuo in Beijing
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
A former professor at China’s elite Central Party School has issued an unprecedented rebuke of the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, accusing him of “killing a country” and claiming that many more want out of the ruling Chinese Communist party.
Cai Xia, a prominent professor who taught at the school, a higher education institution for top officials, was expelled from the party on Monday after an audio recording of remarks she made that were critical of Xi was leaked online in June. She is no longer in China. The school said in a notice that Cai, a professor at the party school since 1992, had made comments that “damaged the country’s reputation” and were full of “serious political problems”.
In her first interview with English-language media since her expulsion, Cai told the Guardian she was “happy to be expelled”.
“Under the regime of Xi, the Chinese Communist party is not a force for progress for China. In fact, it is an obstacle to China’s progress,” she said. “I believe I am not the only one who wants to leave this party. More people would like to withdraw or quit this party,” she said. “I had intended to quit the party years ago when there was no more room to speak and my voice was completely blocked.”
The comments from someone once firmly part of the establishment – several of China’s leaders such as Mao Zedong and Hu Jintao, as well as Xi were head of the Central Party School – are remarkable and potentially dangerous for the Chinese leadership. Cai is the latest prominent public intellectual to be punished for criticising Xi.
Cai initially spoke to the Guardian in June after the recording was first released. On that occasion she went further in her denunciation of Xi, blaming him for making China “an enemy” of the world, in comments that will reverberate across the party and the country, where such public criticism from within the party establishment is extremely rare.
On Tuesday, Cai, who initially asked that her June interview not be published because of threats she and her family received, said she was now willing to speak out. “I have much more freedom now. My speech is free from any constraints. I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she said.
Cai XiaPhotograph: Supplied
She said there was widespread opposition within the party but few dared to speak out, afraid of political retaliation in the form of internal party discipline and corruption charges. In this environment, Xi’s “unchecked power” and hold on all major decision-making had led to inevitable mistakes such as in the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Cai.
Beijing has blamed the suppression of information about the outbreak in Wuhan on local officials. Chinese health officials said on 20 January that the virus was contagious, weeks after it had emerged in December. But a speech published by the party magazine Qiushi showed that Xi met the politburo and gave instructions on the needed virus response on 7 January, almost two weeks before the public was warned.
“If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? In other words, the fact that people were concealing the news from him is the result of the system,” said Cai. “But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?”
Cai, who said she had wanted to leave the party since 2016 as the space for discussion within the party shrank dramatically, also blamed the country’s international problems on Xi.
“When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unlimited,” she said. “He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. In other words, whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
“It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding towards disaster.”
Cai said she believed that discontent within the party was widespread, especially among her generation as well as among middle and higher-level officials who came up through the party during China’s reform era under Deng Xiaoping, and later as China fully integrated into the global economy following its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
“Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand which direction is right and which is a dead end,” she said. “We are among a group of cadres who started in our posts after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.”
Cai said on Tuesday: “Many of my good friends who saw the news of me being expelled are cheering. They think this is a good thing.”
Topics
'He killed a party and a country': a Chinese insider hits out at Xi Jinping
An edited transcript of an interview with Cai Xia, who was expelled from the Communist party on Monday
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
Last modified on Tue 18 Aug 2020 18.35 AEST
790
Cai Xia is a a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School. Photograph: Supplied
For years, Cai Xia, a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School, has watched the ruling Communist party decay from the inside. Now she is out.
On Monday she was expelled from the party, two months after an audio recording of her describing the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, as a “mafia boss” was leaked online.
In an interview with the Guardian in June, Cai went even further in her denunciation of Xi, discussing what she considered to be his mistakes as a leader and why she believed a democratic transition would take place one day. Then she asked that her comments not be published because of threats that she and her family had received.
Now that she has been expelled and is outside of China, Cai says she is free to speak. “My speech is free from any constraints. Now I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she told the Guardian on Tuesday.
The following is an edited transcript of the June interview, Cai’s first after the audio recording was published.
Q: In your speech you said Xi forced through the amendment of China’s constitution to abolish term limits in 2018, giving him the ability to stay in power indefinitely. Why was that such a turning point?
He forced the third plenum of the national congress to swallow it like dog shit. He first completed it and then forced everyone to accept it. This is obviously going backwards politically. Even with these two major issues, no one came forward to oppose it.
That shows that the Communist party of China has become a political zombie. The party has no ability to correct errors. So he singlehandedly killed a party and a country, showing that even when confronted with such a major question of altering the constitution, the party has no power to stop him.
Q: What do you mean he killed a party and a country?
When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unchecked. Under the Chinese system, starting with Mao, no one can restrict or limit the power of the highest leader. That is why you had disasters like the Cultural Revolution.
Q: Do you think a disaster like the Cultural Revolution could happen again?
Not just something like the Cultural Revolution. You can see the confrontation between China and the United States. He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. Whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
Q: What benefit is there to making China an enemy of the world? Why would he do that?
There are several factors. Among them is that he wants to consolidate his own position and authority. Considering domestic economic and social tensions, as well as those in the party of the last few years, he will think of ways to divert the attention of the Chinese public, provoking conflict with other countries, for example encouraging anti-American sentiment and the recent clash between China and India.
Q: Why is it inevitable that he would make mistakes?
Because of the power he holds, he can punish whoever he wants so no one dares to give him different opinions and no one dares to report the real situation to him. Since people don’t tell him the truth or hide it from him, he doesn’t necessarily know the truth. So it is inevitable that he will make wrong decisions.
It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding toward disaster.
Q: In what ways is the country moving toward disaster?
Because people cannot speak the truth, Wuhan’s epidemic spread across the country and the whole world and everyone has been harmed. Chinese citizens have borne the brunt and among Chinese people, people in Wuhan suffered the most.
We have so many people dead, including people like Li Wenliang who should not have died. About the number of deaths, up to now China has not even said a real death number. Actually, the disaster for Chinese people has already begun. There is large-scale unemployment, soaring commodity prices, and the people at the bottom cannot survive.
Q: So you think the epidemic started because Xi did not receive the real information?
At the beginning he did not get the real news, but he said in a meeting on 7 January that the situation was under his personal command. If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? Officials at all levels hide the truth and report only when they cannot cover up any more. But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?
Q: Why do you think the party has no power to stop Xi?
The system itself has meant that many party members and cadres have corruption issues. Therefore if you are not clean, you don’t dare object. Secondly, even if you are not corrupt, he will make up corruption charges. If he says you are corrupt, you are corrupt.
Third, the disciplinary code for party members [adopted in 2016] contain a measure that says you cannot distort the policies of the party. As long as you express a different opinion, you are in violation of party discipline, and he can use that to deal with you. Before, you could still speak out and you would be subjected to enormous pressure, but they couldn’t prevent you from speaking.
Q: You said in your remarks that many people in the party “know what is going on in their hearts” and that there must be reform. How common is this view?
I think within the CCP 70%, and among middle- and high-level officials the proportion may be even higher. For many of these cadres, their thinking was most deeply affected by the reform era under Deng Xiaoping. When China joined the World Trade Organization [in 2001], we fully entered the global economy.
Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand in which direction is right and which is a dead end. We are among a group of cadres who took up our positions after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.
Q: You said that after changing the constitution to abolish term limits, the Chinese Communist party (CCP) would die a death without a burial. What do you mean by that?
China is bound to go through political transformation, toward democracy, political freedom, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is the inevitable trend of modern human political civilisation. China will enter this stage sooner or later.
Because the CCP has been in power since 1949, they have made many mistakes and even crimes. Between 1959 to 1961, nearly 40 million people starved to death. The anti-rightist movement of 1957 and the Cultural Revolution hurt almost all Chinese elites and intellectuals. Also the Tiananmen protests in 1989 when the CCP used its army to shoot the people. No matter what, this is unacceptable to Chinese people. It is the People’s Liberation Army, right? It is the people’s country.
Yet we see corruption within the party and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. In the future when China transitions to a democracy, all of these will be seen as the major mistakes or the sin of the CCP.
Q: Why are you so sure China will go through this democratic transition?
Sooner or later we must go in this direction. Democracy, freedom and the rule of law, are the most basic values and expectations of human. People yearn for freedom and freedom is only possible when people’s rights are protected, right? To protect these rights you need a system based on democracy and rule of law. Only when human rights are protected, can people be free, and freedom is human nature.
Q: When do you think this could happen?
I am not a fortune teller. I can only say that this trend is inevitable. History is long and within that five, 10 years is nothing, even 100 years is short, passing by almost in a flash.
Q: You say that civil society in China has been destroyed. What can people who want to push for change do?
Now it is completely impossible for people to organise. WeChat groups are shut down every day. The CCP is using epidemic prevention as an excuse to increase high-tech surveillance of people. They can imprison you for any little thing.
So the first is to knock down the Great Fire Wall and topple the information blockade. Once more people know what is really going on, you can’t stop them and everyone will want to speak out. Actually, I think the international community can do more to fight China’s authoritarian system in terms of human rights by pushing for the first and most basic human right – freedom of speech.
Q: What about on an individual basis? What can people do?
Everyone should work to get real news and information. Do not let yourselves be deceived and do not lie to yourselves. This is very important. As long as there is real information, people will begin thinking.
Secondly, everyone must defend their right to speak and use whatever ways possible to express their opinions. If everyone can defend their own rights, if every person can speak for themselves, overcome fear, defend their rights and express themselves – when each of us can be human beings and not slaves to compromise – then social change will happen as quickly as is possible.
Since you're here ...
… we have a small favour to ask. You've read 29 articles in the last eleven months. And you’re not alone; millions are flocking to the Guardian for quality news every day. We believe everyone deserves access to factual information, and analysis that has authority and integrity. That’s why, unlike many others, we made a choice: to keep Guardian reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
As an open, independent news organisation we investigate, interrogate and expose the actions of those in power, without fear. With no shareholders or billionaire owner, our journalism is free from political and commercial bias – this makes us different. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and stand in solidarity with those who are calling for a fairer future. With your help we can make a difference.
We’re determined to provide journalism that helps each of us better understand the world, and take actions that challenge, unite, and inspire change – in times of crisis and beyond. Our work would not be possible without our readers, who now support our work from 180 countries around the world.
Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
An edited transcript of an interview with Cai Xia, who was expelled from the Communist party on Monday
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
Last modified on Tue 18 Aug 2020 18.35 AEST
790
For years, Cai Xia, a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School, has watched the ruling Communist party decay from the inside. Now she is out.
On Monday she was expelled from the party, two months after an audio recording of her describing the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, as a “mafia boss” was leaked online.
In an interview with the Guardian in June, Cai went even further in her denunciation of Xi, discussing what she considered to be his mistakes as a leader and why she believed a democratic transition would take place one day. Then she asked that her comments not be published because of threats that she and her family had received.
Now that she has been expelled and is outside of China, Cai says she is free to speak. “My speech is free from any constraints. Now I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she told the Guardian on Tuesday.
The following is an edited transcript of the June interview, Cai’s first after the audio recording was published.
Q: In your speech you said Xi forced through the amendment of China’s constitution to abolish term limits in 2018, giving him the ability to stay in power indefinitely. Why was that such a turning point?
He forced the third plenum of the national congress to swallow it like dog shit. He first completed it and then forced everyone to accept it. This is obviously going backwards politically. Even with these two major issues, no one came forward to oppose it.
That shows that the Communist party of China has become a political zombie. The party has no ability to correct errors. So he singlehandedly killed a party and a country, showing that even when confronted with such a major question of altering the constitution, the party has no power to stop him.
Q: What do you mean he killed a party and a country?
When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unchecked. Under the Chinese system, starting with Mao, no one can restrict or limit the power of the highest leader. That is why you had disasters like the Cultural Revolution.
Q: Do you think a disaster like the Cultural Revolution could happen again?
Not just something like the Cultural Revolution. You can see the confrontation between China and the United States. He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. Whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
Q: What benefit is there to making China an enemy of the world? Why would he do that?
There are several factors. Among them is that he wants to consolidate his own position and authority. Considering domestic economic and social tensions, as well as those in the party of the last few years, he will think of ways to divert the attention of the Chinese public, provoking conflict with other countries, for example encouraging anti-American sentiment and the recent clash between China and India.
Q: Why is it inevitable that he would make mistakes?
Because of the power he holds, he can punish whoever he wants so no one dares to give him different opinions and no one dares to report the real situation to him. Since people don’t tell him the truth or hide it from him, he doesn’t necessarily know the truth. So it is inevitable that he will make wrong decisions.
It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding toward disaster.
Q: In what ways is the country moving toward disaster?
Because people cannot speak the truth, Wuhan’s epidemic spread across the country and the whole world and everyone has been harmed. Chinese citizens have borne the brunt and among Chinese people, people in Wuhan suffered the most.
We have so many people dead, including people like Li Wenliang who should not have died. About the number of deaths, up to now China has not even said a real death number. Actually, the disaster for Chinese people has already begun. There is large-scale unemployment, soaring commodity prices, and the people at the bottom cannot survive.
Q: So you think the epidemic started because Xi did not receive the real information?
At the beginning he did not get the real news, but he said in a meeting on 7 January that the situation was under his personal command. If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? Officials at all levels hide the truth and report only when they cannot cover up any more. But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?
Q: Why do you think the party has no power to stop Xi?
The system itself has meant that many party members and cadres have corruption issues. Therefore if you are not clean, you don’t dare object. Secondly, even if you are not corrupt, he will make up corruption charges. If he says you are corrupt, you are corrupt.
Third, the disciplinary code for party members [adopted in 2016] contain a measure that says you cannot distort the policies of the party. As long as you express a different opinion, you are in violation of party discipline, and he can use that to deal with you. Before, you could still speak out and you would be subjected to enormous pressure, but they couldn’t prevent you from speaking.
Q: You said in your remarks that many people in the party “know what is going on in their hearts” and that there must be reform. How common is this view?
I think within the CCP 70%, and among middle- and high-level officials the proportion may be even higher. For many of these cadres, their thinking was most deeply affected by the reform era under Deng Xiaoping. When China joined the World Trade Organization [in 2001], we fully entered the global economy.
Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand in which direction is right and which is a dead end. We are among a group of cadres who took up our positions after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.
Q: You said that after changing the constitution to abolish term limits, the Chinese Communist party (CCP) would die a death without a burial. What do you mean by that?
China is bound to go through political transformation, toward democracy, political freedom, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is the inevitable trend of modern human political civilisation. China will enter this stage sooner or later.
Because the CCP has been in power since 1949, they have made many mistakes and even crimes. Between 1959 to 1961, nearly 40 million people starved to death. The anti-rightist movement of 1957 and the Cultural Revolution hurt almost all Chinese elites and intellectuals. Also the Tiananmen protests in 1989 when the CCP used its army to shoot the people. No matter what, this is unacceptable to Chinese people. It is the People’s Liberation Army, right? It is the people’s country.
Yet we see corruption within the party and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. In the future when China transitions to a democracy, all of these will be seen as the major mistakes or the sin of the CCP.
Q: Why are you so sure China will go through this democratic transition?
Sooner or later we must go in this direction. Democracy, freedom and the rule of law, are the most basic values and expectations of human. People yearn for freedom and freedom is only possible when people’s rights are protected, right? To protect these rights you need a system based on democracy and rule of law. Only when human rights are protected, can people be free, and freedom is human nature.
Q: When do you think this could happen?
I am not a fortune teller. I can only say that this trend is inevitable. History is long and within that five, 10 years is nothing, even 100 years is short, passing by almost in a flash.
Q: You say that civil society in China has been destroyed. What can people who want to push for change do?
Now it is completely impossible for people to organise. WeChat groups are shut down every day. The CCP is using epidemic prevention as an excuse to increase high-tech surveillance of people. They can imprison you for any little thing.
So the first is to knock down the Great Fire Wall and topple the information blockade. Once more people know what is really going on, you can’t stop them and everyone will want to speak out. Actually, I think the international community can do more to fight China’s authoritarian system in terms of human rights by pushing for the first and most basic human right – freedom of speech.
Q: What about on an individual basis? What can people do?
Everyone should work to get real news and information. Do not let yourselves be deceived and do not lie to yourselves. This is very important. As long as there is real information, people will begin thinking.
Secondly, everyone must defend their right to speak and use whatever ways possible to express their opinions. If everyone can defend their own rights, if every person can speak for themselves, overcome fear, defend their rights and express themselves – when each of us can be human beings and not slaves to compromise – then social change will happen as quickly as is possible.
Since you're here ...
… we have a small favour to ask. You've read 29 articles in the last eleven months. And you’re not alone; millions are flocking to the Guardian for quality news every day. We believe everyone deserves access to factual information, and analysis that has authority and integrity. That’s why, unlike many others, we made a choice: to keep Guardian reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
As an open, independent news organisation we investigate, interrogate and expose the actions of those in power, without fear. With no shareholders or billionaire owner, our journalism is free from political and commercial bias – this makes us different. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and stand in solidarity with those who are calling for a fairer future. With your help we can make a difference.
We’re determined to provide journalism that helps each of us better understand the world, and take actions that challenge, unite, and inspire change – in times of crisis and beyond. Our work would not be possible without our readers, who now support our work from 180 countries around the world.
Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
'He killed a party and a country': a Chinese insider hits out at Xi Jinping
An edited transcript of an interview with Cai Xia, who was expelled from the Communist party on Monday
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
Last modified on Tue 18 Aug 2020 18.35 AEST
790
Cai Xia is a a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School. Photograph: Supplied
For years, Cai Xia, a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School, has watched the ruling Communist party decay from the inside. Now she is out.
On Monday she was expelled from the party, two months after an audio recording of her describing the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, as a “mafia boss” was leaked online.
In an interview with the Guardian in June, Cai went even further in her denunciation of Xi, discussing what she considered to be his mistakes as a leader and why she believed a democratic transition would take place one day. Then she asked that her comments not be published because of threats that she and her family had received.
Now that she has been expelled and is outside of China, Cai says she is free to speak. “My speech is free from any constraints. Now I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she told the Guardian on Tuesday.
The following is an edited transcript of the June interview, Cai’s first after the audio recording was published.
Q: In your speech you said Xi forced through the amendment of China’s constitution to abolish term limits in 2018, giving him the ability to stay in power indefinitely. Why was that such a turning point?
He forced the third plenum of the national congress to swallow it like dog shit. He first completed it and then forced everyone to accept it. This is obviously going backwards politically. Even with these two major issues, no one came forward to oppose it.
That shows that the Communist party of China has become a political zombie. The party has no ability to correct errors. So he singlehandedly killed a party and a country, showing that even when confronted with such a major question of altering the constitution, the party has no power to stop him.
Q: What do you mean he killed a party and a country?
When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unchecked. Under the Chinese system, starting with Mao, no one can restrict or limit the power of the highest leader. That is why you had disasters like the Cultural Revolution.
Q: Do you think a disaster like the Cultural Revolution could happen again?
Not just something like the Cultural Revolution. You can see the confrontation between China and the United States. He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. Whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
Q: What benefit is there to making China an enemy of the world? Why would he do that?
There are several factors. Among them is that he wants to consolidate his own position and authority. Considering domestic economic and social tensions, as well as those in the party of the last few years, he will think of ways to divert the attention of the Chinese public, provoking conflict with other countries, for example encouraging anti-American sentiment and the recent clash between China and India.
Q: Why is it inevitable that he would make mistakes?
Because of the power he holds, he can punish whoever he wants so no one dares to give him different opinions and no one dares to report the real situation to him. Since people don’t tell him the truth or hide it from him, he doesn’t necessarily know the truth. So it is inevitable that he will make wrong decisions.
It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding toward disaster.
Q: In what ways is the country moving toward disaster?
Because people cannot speak the truth, Wuhan’s epidemic spread across the country and the whole world and everyone has been harmed. Chinese citizens have borne the brunt and among Chinese people, people in Wuhan suffered the most.
We have so many people dead, including people like Li Wenliang who should not have died. About the number of deaths, up to now China has not even said a real death number. Actually, the disaster for Chinese people has already begun. There is large-scale unemployment, soaring commodity prices, and the people at the bottom cannot survive.
Q: So you think the epidemic started because Xi did not receive the real information?
At the beginning he did not get the real news, but he said in a meeting on 7 January that the situation was under his personal command. If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? Officials at all levels hide the truth and report only when they cannot cover up any more. But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?
Q: Why do you think the party has no power to stop Xi?
The system itself has meant that many party members and cadres have corruption issues. Therefore if you are not clean, you don’t dare object. Secondly, even if you are not corrupt, he will make up corruption charges. If he says you are corrupt, you are corrupt.
Third, the disciplinary code for party members [adopted in 2016] contain a measure that says you cannot distort the policies of the party. As long as you express a different opinion, you are in violation of party discipline, and he can use that to deal with you. Before, you could still speak out and you would be subjected to enormous pressure, but they couldn’t prevent you from speaking.
Q: You said in your remarks that many people in the party “know what is going on in their hearts” and that there must be reform. How common is this view?
I think within the CCP 70%, and among middle- and high-level officials the proportion may be even higher. For many of these cadres, their thinking was most deeply affected by the reform era under Deng Xiaoping. When China joined the World Trade Organization [in 2001], we fully entered the global economy.
Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand in which direction is right and which is a dead end. We are among a group of cadres who took up our positions after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.
Q: You said that after changing the constitution to abolish term limits, the Chinese Communist party (CCP) would die a death without a burial. What do you mean by that?
China is bound to go through political transformation, toward democracy, political freedom, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is the inevitable trend of modern human political civilisation. China will enter this stage sooner or later.
Because the CCP has been in power since 1949, they have made many mistakes and even crimes. Between 1959 to 1961, nearly 40 million people starved to death. The anti-rightist movement of 1957 and the Cultural Revolution hurt almost all Chinese elites and intellectuals. Also the Tiananmen protests in 1989 when the CCP used its army to shoot the people. No matter what, this is unacceptable to Chinese people. It is the People’s Liberation Army, right? It is the people’s country.
Yet we see corruption within the party and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. In the future when China transitions to a democracy, all of these will be seen as the major mistakes or the sin of the CCP.
Q: Why are you so sure China will go through this democratic transition?
Sooner or later we must go in this direction. Democracy, freedom and the rule of law, are the most basic values and expectations of human. People yearn for freedom and freedom is only possible when people’s rights are protected, right? To protect these rights you need a system based on democracy and rule of law. Only when human rights are protected, can people be free, and freedom is human nature.
Q: When do you think this could happen?
I am not a fortune teller. I can only say that this trend is inevitable. History is long and within that five, 10 years is nothing, even 100 years is short, passing by almost in a flash.
Q: You say that civil society in China has been destroyed. What can people who want to push for change do?
Now it is completely impossible for people to organise. WeChat groups are shut down every day. The CCP is using epidemic prevention as an excuse to increase high-tech surveillance of people. They can imprison you for any little thing.
So the first is to knock down the Great Fire Wall and topple the information blockade. Once more people know what is really going on, you can’t stop them and everyone will want to speak out. Actually, I think the international community can do more to fight China’s authoritarian system in terms of human rights by pushing for the first and most basic human right – freedom of speech.
Q: What about on an individual basis? What can people do?
Everyone should work to get real news and information. Do not let yourselves be deceived and do not lie to yourselves. This is very important. As long as there is real information, people will begin thinking.
Secondly, everyone must defend their right to speak and use whatever ways possible to express their opinions. If everyone can defend their own rights, if every person can speak for themselves, overcome fear, defend their rights and express themselves – when each of us can be human beings and not slaves to compromise – then social change will happen as quickly as is possible.
Since you're here ...
… we have a small favour to ask. You've read 29 articles in the last eleven months. And you’re not alone; millions are flocking to the Guardian for quality news every day. We believe everyone deserves access to factual information, and analysis that has authority and integrity. That’s why, unlike many others, we made a choice: to keep Guardian reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
As an open, independent news organisation we investigate, interrogate and expose the actions of those in power, without fear. With no shareholders or billionaire owner, our journalism is free from political and commercial bias – this makes us different. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and stand in solidarity with those who are calling for a fairer future. With your help we can make a difference.
We’re determined to provide journalism that helps each of us better understand the world, and take actions that challenge, unite, and inspire change – in times of crisis and beyond. Our work would not be possible without our readers, who now support our work from 180 countries around the world.
Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
yes sir, that is happening. the CCP is in disarray, fighting and dont forget Xi is a crazy guy who might be trying to kill us all. Communism DOES spread like a PRC Virus. Why else was the Vietnam and Korean Wars fought? We gotta stop crazy man Xi
Interesting. Discord within the ranks portends all is not well un the CCP
'He killed a party and a country': a Chinese insider hits out at Xi Jinping
An edited transcript of an interview with Cai Xia, who was expelled from the Communist party on Monday
Tue 18 Aug 2020 17.31 AEST
Last modified on Tue 18 Aug 2020 18.35 AEST
790
Cai Xia is a a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School. Photograph: Supplied
For years, Cai Xia, a former professor at China’s elite Central Party School, has watched the ruling Communist party decay from the inside. Now she is out.
On Monday she was expelled from the party, two months after an audio recording of her describing the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, as a “mafia boss” was leaked online.
In an interview with the Guardian in June, Cai went even further in her denunciation of Xi, discussing what she considered to be his mistakes as a leader and why she believed a democratic transition would take place one day. Then she asked that her comments not be published because of threats that she and her family had received.
Now that she has been expelled and is outside of China, Cai says she is free to speak. “My speech is free from any constraints. Now I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she told the Guardian on Tuesday.
The following is an edited transcript of the June interview, Cai’s first after the audio recording was published.
Q: In your speech you said Xi forced through the amendment of China’s constitution to abolish term limits in 2018, giving him the ability to stay in power indefinitely. Why was that such a turning point?
He forced the third plenum of the national congress to swallow it like dog shit. He first completed it and then forced everyone to accept it. This is obviously going backwards politically. Even with these two major issues, no one came forward to oppose it.
That shows that the Communist party of China has become a political zombie. The party has no ability to correct errors. So he singlehandedly killed a party and a country, showing that even when confronted with such a major question of altering the constitution, the party has no power to stop him.
Q: What do you mean he killed a party and a country?
When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unchecked. Under the Chinese system, starting with Mao, no one can restrict or limit the power of the highest leader. That is why you had disasters like the Cultural Revolution.
Q: Do you think a disaster like the Cultural Revolution could happen again?
Not just something like the Cultural Revolution. You can see the confrontation between China and the United States. He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. Whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken.
Q: What benefit is there to making China an enemy of the world? Why would he do that?
There are several factors. Among them is that he wants to consolidate his own position and authority. Considering domestic economic and social tensions, as well as those in the party of the last few years, he will think of ways to divert the attention of the Chinese public, provoking conflict with other countries, for example encouraging anti-American sentiment and the recent clash between China and India.
Q: Why is it inevitable that he would make mistakes?
Because of the power he holds, he can punish whoever he wants so no one dares to give him different opinions and no one dares to report the real situation to him. Since people don’t tell him the truth or hide it from him, he doesn’t necessarily know the truth. So it is inevitable that he will make wrong decisions.
It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding toward disaster.
Q: In what ways is the country moving toward disaster?
Because people cannot speak the truth, Wuhan’s epidemic spread across the country and the whole world and everyone has been harmed. Chinese citizens have borne the brunt and among Chinese people, people in Wuhan suffered the most.
We have so many people dead, including people like Li Wenliang who should not have died. About the number of deaths, up to now China has not even said a real death number. Actually, the disaster for Chinese people has already begun. There is large-scale unemployment, soaring commodity prices, and the people at the bottom cannot survive.
Q: So you think the epidemic started because Xi did not receive the real information?
At the beginning he did not get the real news, but he said in a meeting on 7 January that the situation was under his personal command. If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? Officials at all levels hide the truth and report only when they cannot cover up any more. But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?
Q: Why do you think the party has no power to stop Xi?
The system itself has meant that many party members and cadres have corruption issues. Therefore if you are not clean, you don’t dare object. Secondly, even if you are not corrupt, he will make up corruption charges. If he says you are corrupt, you are corrupt.
Third, the disciplinary code for party members [adopted in 2016] contain a measure that says you cannot distort the policies of the party. As long as you express a different opinion, you are in violation of party discipline, and he can use that to deal with you. Before, you could still speak out and you would be subjected to enormous pressure, but they couldn’t prevent you from speaking.
Q: You said in your remarks that many people in the party “know what is going on in their hearts” and that there must be reform. How common is this view?
I think within the CCP 70%, and among middle- and high-level officials the proportion may be even higher. For many of these cadres, their thinking was most deeply affected by the reform era under Deng Xiaoping. When China joined the World Trade Organization [in 2001], we fully entered the global economy.
Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand in which direction is right and which is a dead end. We are among a group of cadres who took up our positions after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.
Q: You said that after changing the constitution to abolish term limits, the Chinese Communist party (CCP) would die a death without a burial. What do you mean by that?
China is bound to go through political transformation, toward democracy, political freedom, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is the inevitable trend of modern human political civilisation. China will enter this stage sooner or later.
Because the CCP has been in power since 1949, they have made many mistakes and even crimes. Between 1959 to 1961, nearly 40 million people starved to death. The anti-rightist movement of 1957 and the Cultural Revolution hurt almost all Chinese elites and intellectuals. Also the Tiananmen protests in 1989 when the CCP used its army to shoot the people. No matter what, this is unacceptable to Chinese people. It is the People’s Liberation Army, right? It is the people’s country.
Yet we see corruption within the party and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. In the future when China transitions to a democracy, all of these will be seen as the major mistakes or the sin of the CCP.
Q: Why are you so sure China will go through this democratic transition?
Sooner or later we must go in this direction. Democracy, freedom and the rule of law, are the most basic values and expectations of human. People yearn for freedom and freedom is only possible when people’s rights are protected, right? To protect these rights you need a system based on democracy and rule of law. Only when human rights are protected, can people be free, and freedom is human nature.
Q: When do you think this could happen?
I am not a fortune teller. I can only say that this trend is inevitable. History is long and within that five, 10 years is nothing, even 100 years is short, passing by almost in a flash.
Q: You say that civil society in China has been destroyed. What can people who want to push for change do?
Now it is completely impossible for people to organise. WeChat groups are shut down every day. The CCP is using epidemic prevention as an excuse to increase high-tech surveillance of people. They can imprison you for any little thing.
So the first is to knock down the Great Fire Wall and topple the information blockade. Once more people know what is really going on, you can’t stop them and everyone will want to speak out. Actually, I think the international community can do more to fight China’s authoritarian system in terms of human rights by pushing for the first and most basic human right – freedom of speech.
Q: What about on an individual basis? What can people do?
Everyone should work to get real news and information. Do not let yourselves be deceived and do not lie to yourselves. This is very important. As long as there is real information, people will begin thinking.
Secondly, everyone must defend their right to speak and use whatever ways possible to express their opinions. If everyone can defend their own rights, if every person can speak for themselves, overcome fear, defend their rights and express themselves – when each of us can be human beings and not slaves to compromise – then social change will happen as quickly as is possible.
Since you're here ...
… we have a small favour to ask. You've read 29 articles in the last eleven months. And you’re not alone; millions are flocking to the Guardian for quality news every day. We believe everyone deserves access to factual information, and analysis that has authority and integrity. That’s why, unlike many others, we made a choice: to keep Guardian reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
As an open, independent news organisation we investigate, interrogate and expose the actions of those in power, without fear. With no shareholders or billionaire owner, our journalism is free from political and commercial bias – this makes us different. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and stand in solidarity with those who are calling for a fairer future. With your help we can make a difference.
We’re determined to provide journalism that helps each of us better understand the world, and take actions that challenge, unite, and inspire change – in times of crisis and beyond. Our work would not be possible without our readers, who now support our work from 180 countries around the world.
Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
this just means there will be a revolution eventually. If this is coming out into the open then its just a matter of time until the hordes of chinks say enough
wah lau these mainlanders WTF is up with them? Why they doing these things?
The more pressing matter is the influence operations conducted under our very noses. We are losing our identity and culture. Our food and way of life is disappearing. Next gen will be under the yoke of China.
As I said earlier I think we should put an armband on all PRCs so that we can isolate them the way the Nazis used to do with the Jews.
Xi is Mao or Xi is Hitler? Both?
that photo expresses everything I think of Xi.
