I am half Chinese (or half Taiwanese, but that is a different landmine) and I feel a vested interest in the continued welfare of China.  And, to be honest, I hope to make my career in China as a lawyer.  I speak Chinese, I love China, and I want to be a part of the continued advance of China.  And I believe that in many ways, China’s success is tied to my own.

So I am concerned when I hear reports of statistics like 87,000 cases of civil disturbances in 2005.  So is the Chinese government.  Since 2004, the first declaration each year from China’s central government has been about improving the condition of rural life.  It seems like the party leaders have decided that they need to shift the focus of their attention from developing the heavily urbanized coast to the poorer interior.

This year the government plans to promote improvement of infrastructure, industry, income, leadership, and democracy.  The rhetoric points to improving two things: the economic situation of rural Chinese as well as their relationship with the government (i.e. better leadership and increased voice in government.)  I’ve said it before: when people don't feel like they have a voice, they resort to “disturbances.”

So I’m glad that China’s government is responding to one of its greatest problems.  I earnestly hope that China can pull of as miraculous a change in successfully creating “a new socialist countryside” as their stunning new capitalist seaside.  But as Premier Wen said himself, the process will be “long-term, arduous, and complicated.”

Here are some links to what the Chinese government has been saying:

Premier Wen: http://english.gov.cn/2006-02/21/content_205441.htm

This Year’s First Document: http://english.gov.cn/2006-02/21/content_206083.htm