CHINA US Focus - Perspectives shaping the world's most important bilateral relationship

Speaker: Professor Ezra Vogel, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences Emeritus at Harvard University.  Host: Dr. Victor Fung, Vice- Chairman of the China United States Exchange Foundation Date: May 14, 2012  

The Communist party of China faces a colossal legitimacy crisis. The scandal surrounding Bo Xilai, once a party leadership contender, poses a threat to the regime. The CPC’s leaders are throwing the book at Mr Bo and his family in an effort to save their own jobs. But this can barely conceal the panic in [...]

China’s all-round reform, especially its political one, has long suffered from interference and obstruction from the extreme left. Dealing with Bo Xilai’s serious disciplinary violation and the related Chongqing cases with a strong rule of law will help remove obstacles posed by the extreme left in China’s road to reform, thereby initiating political reform including change to the judicial system.

What does the Bo affair tell us about China? The very fact that so much of it has entered the public domain – and in real time, as opposed to long after the event – is a sign that it is now far more difficult to keep these things under wraps. The growth of the internet, microblogs and a more lightly censored media mean that Chinese society is far more open and porous than was previously the case.

The U.S. presidential race to date has seen its fair share heated rhetoric concerning China, in particular from Republican front-runner Mitt Romney. While it’s essential for the U.S. leaders to stand firmly in support of American interests and values, candidates should be wary of letting political point-scoring damage the world’s most important bilateral relationship

When we renew our memory today of the speech made by our late leader Deng Xiaoping during his inspection tour of South China, we should emphasize one key point, namely, establishment of reform as the mainstream value of all Chinese Communists. Starting from this point, we can readily reach common understanding in the following: 1. [...]