Blind activist Chen Guangcheng urges Taiwan to stand up to China

[galvatron]

Blind activist urges Taiwan to stand up to China

TAIPEI: Exiled, blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng on Monday urged Taiwan to stand up to China's "illegitimate" communist government, as he visited the self-governing island amid controversy over his future in the United States.


Chen said in an interview that Taiwanese leadersincluding President Ma Ying-jeou and the parliamentary speaker had backed out of meeting him during his visit to Taipei, which he said was proof of meddling by Beijing.

"What we see today is that Mr Ma is not free," said the 41-year-old, who last year staged a dramatic escape from house arrest in China before fetching up at the US embassy in Beijing and heading on to a new life in New York.

"Even though he is friendly and helps us come to Taiwan, we see that he is under pressure from China," Chen said.

The activist said Ma was forging a dangerous bargain in seeking to bolster commercial relations with Taiwan's former bitter rival China.

"First of all, you need to understand who you're dealing with. If you're interacting with the vast majority of people in China, it is the right choice. But you're interacting with the Chinese communist government, which is illegitimate in nature," he said.

"If Taiwan can't push democracy and freedom to China, the authoritarian (rule of) China will spread to Taiwan... if Taiwan or the free world can't insist on their principles, they will get hurt."

Link
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/w...w/20747405.cms

[Korin]

I thought China wasn't communist anymore.

I thought the only country that was close was North Korea, hence Socialism.

[Dirt]

While China has embraced private enterprise, it's government is still very Communist. In every province or city, there are 2 leaders: the local government official and the Communist Party officials. They overlap at some places but they are still 2 different position where the local official must comply with the will of the Communist Party official. Even in private enterprise, you have the CEO/Chairman/President and the Communist Party official with the CEO/Chairman/President ultimately reporting to the Communist Party official. The structure is still very Communist.