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What next for China?
Mass celebrations are taking place to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. What does the future hold for the country?
In the decades since Mao Zedong declared the creation of the Communist state, China has been transformed from a mainly peasant society into an international powerhouse.
However, as the country takes a greater role on the world stage, it faces the challenge of reconciling its Communist identity with greater calls for democracy.
What has been the impact of the creation of the People’s Republic of China during the last 60 years? Should the country take a more active political role on the world stage? Will there be a greater move towards democracy? Are you based in China? Will you attend any of the celebrations?
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Published:
Thursday, 1 October, 2009, 11:00 GMT
12:00 UK
All comments as they come in
Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:37 GMT
15:37 UK
Using Obama's banner word 'Change' to look into China, it will bring you a rather fair and growing view of China. Understanding where we came from helps you understand where we are going. 60 years, we achieved what took other country 100 years to achieve. And we are not going to stop. Dare to change in action, to create a new way of doing things that no existing words can describe. Problems and conflicts are part of our life. Critisizm can only make China stronger. We learn and We practice!
patrick ding, London, United Kingdom
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:36 GMT
15:36 UK
What next for China?......World Domination! (cue evil laugh Hahahahahahaha)!
Capt P Dantry, Skaville
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:18 GMT
15:18 UK
Hopefully no political unrest as that would be unhealthy to the world economy.
Artur dr Freitas, Johannesburg - South Africa
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:14 GMT
15:14 UK
Did China capture millions of Africans and enslave them? NO.
Did China eliminated millions of native Americans and grab their land? NO.
Did China use military power to force other countries to accept ship loads of OPIUM, like UK? NO.
Did China deliberately starve millions of Irish to death? NO.
Did China trigger civil wars and blood shed in other countries for their own interests, like US and UK? NO.
Did China say that they will aggressively combat global warming? YES.
JIANWEI, Philadelphia
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:06 GMT
15:06 UK
What has been the impact of the creation of the People’s Republic of China during the last 60 years?
Many dead people who disagreed and only wanted liberty.
Mike Nowak, PA, United States
Your comment is common denominator putting the US as well on the spot you put China given the glorious past on Guantanamo Bay, Rendition flights, a million convicts on the death row, the simmering North-South divide in the US.
I haven't mentioned those poor taxpayers coughing out money for AIG & GM.
C. Sachidananda Narayanan, Tirunelveli, India
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 14:02 GMT
15:02 UK
There are only two alternatives, any country can be either democratical, or not. Sooner or later China will shift to democracy because its young generation would like this to happen. This mean a lot of changes through which China needs to come through in order to become a full member of the civilized world.
Paraphysician, Ukraine
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:59 GMT
14:59 UK
What will China do when US and EU assume a protectionist stance demanded for a long time by their workers and their labour unions and prohibit Chinese dumping?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Mirek Kondracki
The total population of your fake pride in the US and the EU is just half of those prowl around half the land mass in China. China can trade inwardly and keep feeding itself on its tail till the US/EU bins move on their own for China to fill both of them to the brim with all its trash!
C. Sachidananda Narayanan, Tirunelveli, India
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:50 GMT
14:50 UK
China is a country where social interests dominate over private ones, and personal opinion is likely to put into trouble someone who dares to express it. It is also a weak state whose leaders are afraid of the opposition, China sooner or later will end in the same way in which USSR ended. It can not be a gradual transition towards democracy. Either the situation in China must remain as it is, or all barriers that can be removed must be removed at once. No country can be partly democratical.
Paraphysician, Ukraine
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:46 GMT
14:46 UK
China was a civilized country long before the Western world existed as we know it. Communism in China is around 60 years old, just a blip in the history of the country. Countries will go in the dust of time Chine will survive and evolve trying different solutions for their people. Read Confucius and you'll understand what I mean.
Luis Santos, Dereham, United Kingdom
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:37 GMT
14:37 UK
Peter Nelson, Boston MA USA says:
"The best word to describe the Chinese system is fascist. Fascism is a system characterized by a capitalist economy combined with strict, brutal state control over politics and media"
Are we talking about China or the US?
Same Difference
F Lnd
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:32 GMT
14:32 UK
...Many dead people who disagreed and only wanted liberty.
Mike Nowak, PA, United States
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Most of the negative Western commentators like Mike Nowak apparently never been to China, certainly very ignorance of Chinese culture and no a clue what "Many Chinese" meant in real terms.
You can talk fancy like "one is too many", but it sadly applicable in China, or India, so to speak.
Yuen Yi
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:23 GMT
14:23 UK
Remind me, how can you have a communist country where lots of poor people tend the countryside, while most people in the cities work for a few very rich people who live in big houses and have servants?
Whats changed since the revolution? Theres still a ruling unelected elite.
It aint communist its a dictatorship.
Grant, Salisbury
Sounds just like capitalism. The lie is that so many of you believe capitalism doesn't exist without democracy and freedom. Time to wake up.
Jake Summers, Jackson, United States
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:11 GMT
14:11 UK
'the CCP killed 80 million civilians.'
Lee
can you please tell me where you get the statistics
john adams, Philadelphia, United States
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:08 GMT
14:08 UK
China Communist? Please! In the late 1980s China's government lifted price controls, sent the cost of necessities soaring, eliminated job security and created high levels of unemployment, following the Milton Friedmann/Margaret Thatcher liberist school of economics. When the Chinese people disagreed, martial law was declared and protestors were massacred in Tianamen Square. Friedmann held China up as an example of "free-market arrangements promoting prosperity and freedom" - like in the West.
Silvia, Glasgow
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Added:
Sunday, 4 October, 2009, 13:06 GMT
14:06 UK
'What has been the impact of the creation of the People’s Republic of China during the last 60 years? Many dead people who disagreed and only wanted liberty.'
Mike Nowak, PA, United States
and who told you that?
john adams, Philadelphia, United States
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