Philip Pan: China's Internal Battlegrounds

Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China by Philip P. Pan (Simon & Schuster, 2008)

NEW YORK, July 29, 2008 - Philip P. Pan, foreign correspondent and former Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post, joined Michael G. Kulma, Director of Policy Programs at the Asia Society, to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China (Simon & Schuster, 2008).

In what he referred to as China's "great experiment," Pan described how its central government has thwarted the conventional wisdom that capitalism and open markets inevitably lead to open societies. In Pan's view, economic prosperity has actually enabled China's government to forestall democracy by reinventing itself and winning over allies and elites.

However, Pan went on, despite the state's tenacious hold on power, it is regularly challenged by individuals "continuing to push society forward." Pan described a struggle currently taking place in which entrenched party elites are fighting to retain power, while intrepid individuals are pushing for greater openness and freedom. Pan sees these individuals—journalists, lawyers, activists, entrepreneurs, and artists—as survivors of Mao's traumatic legacy who have tasted freedom and are willing to take risks and sacrifice for political reform, often through unconventional means.

As Pan sees it, this struggle is unfolding across several battlegrounds. One such contested area is the media, where investigative reporters and the Internet challenge state control and censorship. Pan described how the SARS epidemic and the Sichuan earthquake provided opportunities for courageous individuals to fight censorship in order to get key information to the public. Meanwhile lawyers are at the forefront of another battle in China, demanding accountability and rule of law where none previously existed. While acknowledging that most lawsuits against the government don't go far, Pan observed that a growing rights consciousness is spreading, particularly among the middle class.

Looking to the future, Pan concluded that political reform is not guaranteed. "Change happens when individuals fight for it."

Reported by Laura Chang

Excerpts:

Pan explains how the Chinese government has used the Olympics and the Tibet disturbances to boost its domestic standing (2 min., 29 sec.)

Pan on the role of media and the Internet in bringing about political reform (2 min., 52 sec.)

Listen to the complete program (1 hr., 26 min.)

Out of Mao's Shadow by Philip P. Pan is available from the AsiaStore.