On Pompeo’s Speech and China’s Freedom of Speech

August 23, 2020

Summary: Now is the time to act against PRC aggression.

China watcher Bill Bishop recently tweeted this remarkable statement by PRC state counselor and foreign minister Wang Yi: “Whether China's system is good or bad, it is the Chinese people that have the greatest say.” This is an obvious rebuke of U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s July 23 speech on China in which he said “We, the freedom-loving nations of the world, must induce China to change.” The Wall Street Journal reported that Pompeo’s language “stopped shy of explicitly calling for regime change,” but pushing for a change in the Communist Party system is still a major step for the United States.

Wang insists that the Chinese people themselves get first say in any such change. The “say” in his statement literally means “right of expression” or “authority to speak” (发言权, fayanquan). Indeed, article 35 of the PRC constitution guarantees “freedom of expression” (言论自由, yanlun ziyou), stating “Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.” As the recent arrest of pro-democracy Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai shows, however, Beijing seeks to eliminate any freedom of expression not supporting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

This jarring contradiction reminded me of a story my Mandarin teacher used to tell: An unhappy customer is attempting to return a defective brush, pointing out the sign in the shop window: "Guarantee - no shedding” (包不脱毛). Unmoved, the shopkeeper insists that the sign clearly states “Shedding - no guarantee” because it reads from left to right (毛脱不包), not the traditional direction of right to left.

Freedom of expression in the People's Republic is very much like that crooked sign, saying one thing in writing while actually meaning the exact opposite. In a very real sense, the ability to criticize the Party-state is at its weakest within the PRC. But Wang’s comment hints at the Party’s fond wish that outsiders have even less say.

This is why it is critical that we who are able to speak in defense of basic freedoms do so clearly now. Xi and his rubber-stamp National People’s Congress are pretending to deny freedom of expression around the entire world, which should come as no surprise to anyone observing Xi’s China. The PRC today has installed a regime of totalitarian control over its people. Beijing’s elimination of Hong Kong’s autonomy and abrogation of its agreement with the United Kingdom are further steps reminiscent of Hitler’s Anschluss of Austria. And we must never forget Xi’s ultimate crime: genocide against East Turkistani peoples, a detestable act by which Xi is testing what the PRC and the world will tolerate. I fear he has concluded that all things are possible and permissible.

Thus, despite serious failings within the Trump administration and the United States, we should all support Pompeo’s call for action against Beijing. We cannot simply dismiss his words as political theater or despair that our own problems make confronting the PRC impossible. As I have suggested for some time, the price the free world will pay if we do not push forcefully for change within the CCP is growing daily.

America and the world require serious leadership to oppose a regime armed with nuclear weapons that is determined to commit crimes against humanity. We do not intend war, but failing to ready ourselves for it will only encourage Xi’s malicious actions. In the meantime, we must take a hard line in cutting off any resource - including trade - that may enable Beijing’s crimes. Mr. Pompeo’s sentiments reflect the sort of reasoned determination necessary to navigate this perilous time.

Thank you to Mr. Vincent Mu-Chien Chen for helping me locate the brush story.

The views expressed in this post represent the personal views of the author and are not necessarily the views of the Department of Defense or of the Department of the Air Force.