Much can be said about the dysfunction of U.S. politics. In November, the nation will choose between reelecting a senile president or electing a former president who believes the national interest and his mirror are the same thing. At the same time, Congress is riven with partisan posturing. Yet freedom and the marketplace of ideas still reign supreme. The same most definitely cannot be said of China.
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and his mouthpieces claim that they offer democracy of a different kind. A democracy in which various officials, all with absolute patriotic loyalty, offer varied ideas that ensure a policy process that provides the best outcomes. They claim the Chinese people are able to offer their own thoughts as long as they do not cross the red lines of challenging the Party’s decisions or questioning Xi’s wisdom. This is a lie proven by the absolute insecurity that defines the party’s response even to satire or mild online protests. The lie of happy unity under Xi is further proved by the dear leader’s crackdowns on top government and military officials. The lie was also proven by a BBC News story on Monday.
Covering the National People’s Congress in Beijing, the BBC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonell asked arriving delegates whether they would prefer Joe Biden or Donald Trump to enter the Oval Office on the afternoon of Jan. 20, 2025. Their responses were very telling.
Of the delegates McDonnell approached, most appeared fearful even to be seen talking to a foreign reporter. Asking questions in Mandarin, McDonnell met multiple dodging attempts to avoid him. These included “Sorry, sorry, I have something,” the something else left untold, and “Let’s chat another time.” After numerous failed attempts, one delegate smiled and said, “We cannot speak.” Other delegates did stop but then either said they couldn’t answer the question or referred McDonnell to the foreign ministry. One stated, “Oh, I haven’t really thought about this question.”
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Three delegates did offer more substance. One said that when it came to Biden or Trump, “as long as it’s good for both sides and world development, then it’s great.” Another stated, “For the China-U.S. relationship, we need negotiation for the development of world peace. Then it will work. Don’t stir up trouble.” And another offered hope that “We can strengthen economic and technological cooperation between China and the U.S.” But it’s notable that each of these responses closely replicates the Chinese executive’s talking points on U.S. relations. Those talking points call for international engagement, fewer American actions that “stir up trouble,” and the need for greater economic cooperation.
There’s a lesson about Communist China here. The fact that members of the legislative branch are either so unwilling to speak about a matter of such obvious political import or so determined to answer in absolute conformity with the executive’s narrative proves two things. First, in today’s China, true legislative scrutiny of the executive isn’t simply non-existent, it is actively dangerous. Second, as with his approach to the economy, Xi’s top-down leadership is wasting the individual talents of his people.
