MADE IN VACHINA.....

Danish Minister of Science Helge Sander is this week off to China. In Danish free newspaper SØNDAGSAVISEN, he airs the motivation for trip under the headline : WE GOTTA LEARN FROM THE CHINESE:
Basically his ambition is to blow open the Chinese market through a series of strategies. Mr. Sander says to the newspaper:
“Generally China is interesting because it is one of the places in the world where things are moving really fast…” and continues “through the years there has been a lot of obstructions preventing collaboration with China, but that has luckily diminished over the last few years”

Nowhere in the interview does he even consider or mention the major democratic problem that without question is a vivid part of everyday reality in China. Though the country is many ways is on the (economic) rise, which Sander wants to profit from, China continues to be of the most polluted and corrupt countries on the face of the planet.
In another article on Sunday in Politiken professor Jonathan Unger (The Australian National University/Canberra, Australia) paints a somewhat more complex picture of the domestic situation in China:

He describes how the Chinese in the mid-eighties felt the Communist party tightening their power, and that they generally felt left out. That was the main reason their they/the middleclass took the streets in 89 (Tiannemen Square).
Once the commotion of the demonstrations had eased out the middleclass slowly gained what they asked for. Today the Chinese middleclass more or less have what they asked for: They payroll is up considerably, more and more Chinese have bought cars, they have gained access to the internet where they more or less can discuss freely, they can buy bigger and better apartments. Some democratic institutions have been formed but the press and NGOs are under heavy surveillance, but by far the middleclass have achieved what they wanted in the late 80s (does it sound familiar).
But the situation is put into a ironic gridlock formed by The People. 800 million chineese are still considered as “below middleclass” (the new underclass) and are mainly occupied in agriculture and the fastgrowing mass-industry. These 800 million chineese constitutes a threat to the middleclass. So fa,r the massive number (800 millions) is basically without influence on the political system, but alas: The People are learning fast, and demands are being put forward from the masses, and that means fear among the middleclass, that The People should rise as one and, considering their low and non-educated background, would choose a populistic solution/system eccoing the Mao heydays.

The point: The Middleclass doesn’t want democracy, they want selective democracy. Another point: Neither do we! The Chinese market at the Hands of The People is a major threat to the economical system, and could result in a whole new situation.
So: By any means: lets learn from the Chinese, and avoid the breakdown.
The situation, with Mr. Sanders admiration and full accept, without questioning basic democratic principles, seems to be a popular routine of danish foreign policy. This one not s clear as The Iraq War, but in way ways you could say: The more shrude, the meaner.
Enjoy the trip Helge.