China to consider Hong Kong push for democracy

China to consider Hong Kong push for democracy

www.reuters.com

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's parliament will decide next week whether to allow greater democracy in Hong Kong, but no one in the liberal camp is expecting a surprise Christmas present from the Communist rulers in Beijing.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang urged China this month to allow greater democracy in the former British colony in a report that said the majority of people in Hong Kong wanted direct elections by 2012.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What an interesting development!

Who knows, China may give Hong Kong more democratic control (which I doubt will happen). But still, it's an amazing turn around.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I doubt they will, sadly, because if they grant direct elections to Hong Kong people will wonder why the same can't be applied to mainland China either.

Eventually I think China will become a democracy anyway... you can only control a billion people for so long before they get tired of being pushed around by an unelected government (and no one can say democracy doesn't work with large numbers of people because one of China's neighbours happens to be the largest democracy in the world in terms of population - India). The Communist Party will probably be doing all it can to put off such a time, so I'd be very surprised if they agree to this.

Originally posted by Ste2652
Eventually I think China will become a democracy anyway... you can only control a billion people for so long before they get tired of being pushed around by an unelected government

True,
but currently the Chinese people are happy to have high disposable income than democracy (which is very surprising)

reply to post by infinite


Indeed, but this is the turning point. People with money want to be able to spend it as they please, which eventually will flow into the idea of the people of China wanting to see their tax revenues spent as they please and their country working for its people, not its government. Ultimately, wealth gets to more people in a democracy than any other political system... and, let's face it, Communism has had its shot and has failed. Even the Chinese leadership acknowledges this as - even though it calls itself the Communist Party - it nevertheless moves towards a capitalist economy.

I would be surprised if China didn't become a democracy in the next 50-70 years... possibly sooner if the economy doesn't hold (which is possible... the rate of growth China is currently experiencing just isn't viable in the long term).

reply to post by Ste2652


China needs a federal system, it's too large to be controlled by a sole central government. It needs regional governments in order to control the size of the population

reply to post by infinite


Indeed. It could quite successfully emulate (with some modifications, obviously) the Indian political system, or even the Australian one. There are plenty of examples already out there for China to follow, and I think a democratic China would become even wealthier and certainly far more respected.

Originally posted by Ste2652
reply to post by infinite

 

Indeed. It could quite successfully emulate (with some modifications, obviously) the Indian political system, or even the Australian one. There are plenty of examples already out there for China to follow, and I think a democratic China would become even wealthier and certainly far more respected.

The Indian system ? That's like committing suicide... you know how corrupt and inefficient it is ? even the Taiwan system would.. would be a joke.

I would think they would likely follow the Singapore system with some motification to suit their culture and population traits.

I appreciate there is a big rivalry between India and China, so I can understand why the Chinese might not adopt that idea. The point still stands, though - it's very possible for a nation with a population as large as China's to become a fully developed democratic nation, and India is the best modern example of this.