China towards the second goal | Sunday Observer

China towards the second goal

2 October, 2022

Sri Lanka’s historic friend for over 2500 years Great China is now known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC celebrated its 73rd anniversary yesterday (October 1). Several sections of Great China (mainland and Taiwan) were colonised and abused by the British, Germans, Russians, French, Japanese and the Portuguese for centuries.

Chinese natural resources were taken as raw material by the colonisers for their industries. After the WWI defeat, Germany released the territory it occupied back to China. However, even by the 1930s there were about 300 German companies operating in China. The British left Hong Kong (HK) in 1997. Although the British never held elections in HK, the former questioned why the Chinese aren’t holding elections in HK. The Portuguese left in 1999. During WWII, Chinese peasants were used as laboratory rats by some colonisers (ref. Chinese sources).

Winds of change

At a time when millions of Chinese peasants were struggling for survival fighting famine and oppression, a shot was fired from cannon of a ship docked at the St. Petersburg port in October 1917. Listening to the winds of change blowing from St. Petersburg port, Chinese scholars and academics formed the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 23, 1921.

The goal of the CPC was to eradicate poverty from Great China by 2021. That was China’s first centenary goal. The senior scholars who formed the CPC got the youth involved to take China forward in the long march. Millions of youth led by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Xi Zhongxun (father of President Xi Jinping) marched thousands of miles to establish the PRC on October 1, 1949.

Beyond 1949

The late 1940s can be considered a global geopolitical turning point. That was when the British Empire which ruled all but 22 countries of the world (ref. statista) started granting independence to most of the colonies. The USA which fought for independence with the British in the late 1700s was an exception as it was a colony of (predominantly) white men who migrated from Europe.

Some view that the British willingly promoted the nationalist movement of Mahathma Gandhi to prevent communism seeping into the Indian subcontinent with leaders such as Subash Chandrabosh as communist China was also gaining momentum by the mid 1940s. Those who discuss the disappearance of Subash also talk about the role of British intelligence in it. In 1949, the CPC established control over mainland and formed the PRC.

By now, the PRC is the only super power to practise one country many systems with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as the UN recognised One-China in 1971. The centenary goal of the PRC is to make China a moderately prosperous socialist republic by 2049 (create a “Xiaokang” society).

When the PRC was established, all in the West (and those who didn’t want to antagonise the West) did not recognise the PRC. Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) DS Senanayake was one of the leaders who sent a congratulatory telegram on the occasion. With that the PRC renewed its 2500 year bond with Sri Lanka and became one of the first countries to sign a bilateral treaty with Sri Lanka. In 1952, Sri Lanka was fighting famine and PRC signed the Rubber Rice Pact with Sri Lanka (which was effective till 1982).

In 1956, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Government of PM SWRD Bandaranaike which had trusted friends of the CPC leadership was formed. Among them was Philip Gunawardena (father of PM Dinesh Gunawardena) who fought for China’s freedom from the French with Zhou Enlai in the 1920s. In 1957, the Bandaranaike Government established diplomatic relations with the PRC. Till now, the PRC has worked with all elected Governments of Sri Lanka despite their political ideologies exporting much but China’s internal politics to Sri Lanka.

Chinese grants and assistance has provided direct employment to around a million Sri Lankans and China shall be remembered as the only friend who provided assistance for Sri Lanka to grow its small landmass with the construction of the Colombo Port City and the artificial Island near the Hambantota port.

Sandalwood

The Chinese invented many important things which changed the course of human civilisation. Gun powder, compass, umbrella, silk, porcelain, rice, paper and tea are among them. Still the Chinese never used them for human destruction. Those in the West recognise high quality with Nobel prizes.

A few will discuss the source of Nobel wealth. Destructions caused by dynamite may be documented by humans in the future. Chinese traders supplied high quality goods along the ancient Silk Road (envoy road). With the 21st century Silk Road (Belt and Road), the world rely more on Chinese products than in the past.

Geopolitical analysis proves that historically the wish of the West (and some in the East) has been the downfall of the Chinese civilisation. Most recent are the widely circulated media reports on instability within China (Ref Chinese sources). Sri Lankans know that the Sandalwood tree will emits fragrance even if it’s chopped. Chinese civilisation is strong and may seem not moving at times. The PRC reached the Moon, Mars, the Mariana trench and networked planet earth under the CPC and its leader Xi Jinping. It will continue towards the second goal on schedule. Gold is easy to get, a close friend is harder to find – a Chinese proverb. 

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