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Jun 03

Six Four: He Xin’s 1990 speech at Beida

Written by Buxi on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Filed under:Letters | Tags:, ,
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It is early June, and the minds of many Chinese again return to the tragic political upheaval of 1989. Over the next few days, we will translate a number of messages that tries to capture our conflicted feelings towards that violent summer. We especially welcome submissions from those with first-person memory of 1989.

He Xin (何新) is a noted Chinese scholar from the ’80s, variously labeled as “neo-conservative” or “ultra-nationalist” by Western analysts. Before and after June of 1989, he was attacked from both the left and the right: the left accused him of fomenting a coup alongside the students, and the right attacked him for being a “running dog” of the Communist Party for opposing the protests.

Below is a translation of the speech he delivered to the 1990 graduating class at Beijing University. He was received in a very hostile way, but spoke candidly of the reasons why he opposed the Tiananmen protests. Everything from this transcript is interesting; keep in mind the timing of the speech, and the (hostile) reactions of the Beida crowd… it gives us a flavor of China during the late 80s. Nineteen years later, a significant number of young Chinese believe He Xin made excellent points about the protests.

The original Chinese version as posted on MITBBS is here. For time/space reasons, I’ve edited out some materiale.

I: Opening Remarks
(He Xin walks to the podium. The audience is filled with rowdy boos. Some bang on chairs, some curse, numerous boos and whistles.)

It looks like I’m very unwelcome here.

(Students laugh, cheer. Someone shouts: “Why’d you still come?”)

I never attended university, but I do seem to have a bit of destiny with Beijing University (Beida). I’ve had an opportunity to come and speak here every year since 1985.

(Students laugh, boo. Whistles. )

The last time I was here, it was April of last year (1989). From that point until now, it’s been a year. And over this year, Beida, China, the world have all changed dramatically. Coming back here today, I’m filled with emotion. What emotions…? I know that coming here right now isn’t the easiest thing to do… (students yell: “You’re right!” “At least you still know yourself!” Claps, laughs, boos)… but I still came, because I’m ready to be roasted on this grill. Before I came, some of my friends warned me…

(Students yell loudly: “We also warned you not to come!” Laughs, boos, clapping)

Those who warned me said, why are you going to Beida right now! Things just happened on 6/4! To tell you the truth, before coming, my heart was also troubled. And now sitting here in front of everyone… my heart is very heavy.

(Students laugh, yell: “What are you worried about?”)

To tell you the truth, I came to exchange my thoughts with you. A teacher said earlier, they invited me to educate you on your thinking…

(Students loudly laugh, boos, claps)

You guys laugh, and I think it’s all laughable too. I didn’t receive that good of an education, never even finished university, how am I qualified to teach all of you? I came because I just want to tell everyone what’s in my heart…

(A student yells: “Just talk.” Another student yells: “If you’re going to pass gas, just fart and get it over with.” “What do you have to say?” …)

When I came in, I heard people cursing me. Cursing, it isn’t something that’s new to me. I’ve been cursed to the point I’m used to it. My name has been cursed all around the world. I brought some material for you… from the New York Times (“A Defender of Deng Xiaoping Tells Why He Did This”) and the Christian Science Monitor (“A Conservative Speaks”).

(Students laugh loudly, call out “great!”, clap)

I knew you guys would cheer that. I also brought some letters. Listen to these letters, maybe it’s got the curses you have in mind. First an anonymous letter: “He Xin, you’re a traitor to China’s democratic spirit, you’re an intellectual loser! Therefore, the Chinese intellectual jury sentence you, from spirit to body, to the death sentence!” (the crowd cheers, clap) Hold on, I’m not done! “We want to lynch you, and smash your head! Boil you in oil. You better be ready!” That was written 1989, August 1st. This is standard Cultural Revolution language.

There are even more beautiful examples: “He Xin, you shameless, self-prostituting, opportunist dog. You will forever be nailed to civilization’s alter of shame. ” He even said I could report him; I’m not going to report him, something like this is priceless! And take a look at this, a work of art: “He Xin, you dishonest man. Even if you do something honest, you won’t win the confidence of people. We’ve read your works on the Youth Daily; just about everyone is mocking you, calling you a rabid dog.” Signed: “Someone who completed university.” This is a subtle reminder that I never finished university; any chance the author is in the audience today?

Others have accused me of opposing the protests because I wanted to be a government official. First, I have no interest in being an official, and second, I really can’t be one. I’m stuck in a hard spot. Westerners accuse me of being Deng’s dog; others accuse me of being an “elitist” who slipped through the government net. Some have sent letters exposing the “free” speech in my writings, sending it to relevant government authorities. I hear they have a pile of stuff on me now; my days aren’t exactly easy.

But regardless, even as attacks come from all sides, my conscience is clear, and I sleep well. I have no regrets, and I will maintain my perspective, my attitude. Why? This is what I want to talk to everyone about today.

(the crowd quiets slightly)

I came today, because I want to tell you why I did what I did. If I said, I don’t want to be an official, and I’m not trying to climb in power, then the question automatically follows: why are you helping the Communist Party? Why are you their dog? Well, let me tell you why! I’m not trying to educate everyone’s thoughts, I don’t know how. I’m not a Communist Party member, and I’ve never done political work. I can even say, I’ve only been the recipient of education. Then someone will ask, why are you on this podium? Why do you have the credentials to speak to us? I’m not here with the credentials of a scholar; I’m here with the credentials of a Chinese person! China today faces danger, tremendous danger! This threatens you, and also threatens me, and threatens every Chinese person! So, I have to speak!

From April of last year until today, I’ve been watching all of you. I know some of you hate me, because I opposed you. But do you realize what you were doing? And who you were doing it for? Do you know who’s cheering you on? — The enemy of our people! Some people wanted to borrow your hand to smash China, destroy China. But you, you instead insisted on seeing them as China’s savior, you wanted to help them. Amongst those cheering you on, there really are these people!

(students are restless, discuss amongst themselves)

It’s true. I have my own thoughts and perspectives on the events of last year, and they’re different from yours. Isn’t the point to get democracy? Freedom of thought? Then I can have my own thoughts, right? I can stay firm to my thoughts? If so, why write those dirty, anonymous letters? Why the personal attacks? Why the constant spreading of rumors? Why the threats of murder?

Where do my thoughts originate from? It didn’t fall from the sky, it wasn’t dug up from the ground, and it wasn’t transferred to me by anyone. Since 1985, I haven’t participated in a single domestic academic conference. I have never joined any discussion group. Some people say I turned in 3000 intellectuals… but of all the intellectuals in China, I probably only know 100.

I guess I might be a little famous, if the NY Times and CS Monitor have written about me. But it’s only because they’re cursing me that I know I’m a little important. Keep cursing, I don’t believe I can be condemned to death. The ancients said: “if a thousand people place blame, you can die even without disease”. But that’s only for people who’s souls have guilt, who’s done something shameful. I don’t believe I can be cursed to death. Why am I famous? Because on certain things, I’ve held firm to my independent thoughts. I’m not afraid of the authority of the powerful, and I’m not afraid of the authority of the many. I have my own eyes to see, and my own brain to think. Of course, in the practical world, I do have to admit fault sometimes… either because I was actually wrong, or just a strategic, temporary manuver to survive.

(students laugh)

I want this independence, and I’ve seen seeking it all my life! That’s why I can never be an official. Mencius once said something like this: “where the path leads me, even a million are going in the opposing direction, I will keep going!” I appreciate this sentiment. So, that’s why I’m here. A friend sitting here today is a reporter. He can be my witness. On June 1st of last year, a publisher friend came to my home and told me: “He Xin, I was just at Tiananmen Square, outside the tent of the High Self Alliance (Ed note: a self-organized university student union in ‘charge’ of the protests). I heard them say that after the ‘revolution’ succeeds, all of the intellectual traitors should be hung up on the power lines on Tiananmen. And the first one they named is you! You should go hide.”

I said I’m not going to hide. I’m going to organize people, and oppose them at the square. I’m going to the square right now! I’m not afraid to die.

Americans say that the brave ones of today are the dissidents like Fang Lizhi. But everyone here knows, in recent years, sitting at this podium cursing our situation, cursing our political system doesn’t require bravery. You’ll receive numerous cheers from both inside and outside of the country. It’s only those willing to defend and speak for this system, this country, this people that really needs a little bit of bravery.

I’m at Beida today, because I’m looking for Beida’s conscience and wisdom, looking for the rational inside all of your hearts. This is the campus of democracy and science, right? Okay, I want to try it. I’m going to tell everyone what I think. Perhaps I’m right, prehaps I’m wrong, but it’ll be from my heart. .. if you feel, regardless what I say, true or false, there’s no reason to listen to it… don’t bother us with this crap, get out! Let all these people raise their hands. If its more than 50%, I will get up and leave immediately.

(students discuss, some laugh, some call: “Make your point! We want to hear.” No one raised their hand. “C’mon, talk!” A few boos.)

I know some in the audience already discussed how to cause trouble for me. I know what this world is like. I’ve seen it all; I was a trouble-maker as a kid. I’ve seen murder, mafia… everything. During the Cultural Revolution I was a rightist, and wore handcuffs for a half year. Your “boo” sounds don’t scare me.

(someone calls: “stop causing trouble! let him speak!” 10+ people get up and leave)

Someone says they want to hear me speak. Great, thank you! Some people left; I also thank you. Okay, let’s get to the main topic.

II: A warning of turmoil

When I last spoke at Beida, it was the eve of the turmoil. At the time, I think I predicted that China was about to face certain events: the second Cultural Revolution. At the time, I felt the thinking man’s world was already filled with a poisonous atmosphere, an atmosphere encouraging the people into extremist rebellion. I told you at the time, I have a feeling that something’s going to happen to this country. I said I didn’t know if it would be good or bad. I said at the time my thoughts were becoming muddled and confused. For example, at the time people were heatedly debating the concept of “democracy”. I said, I really don’t understand it. At the time I asked, everyone says they want democracy, but I don’t understand, what is the “democracy” that you want? I asked, can one of you students tell me precisely: when you want democracy, what’s the first thing you want? The second? The third? I waited, but received no response.

So, I said to you all: I see your so-called “democracy” as an emotional display of your dissatisfaction with certain politics; its a clamor raised by unclear political objectives. I said this sort of emotion is extremely dangerous, because it allows other people to use them, and it will force the Republic into a dangerous area. So, I worried, a huge disaster was waiting for us! This isn’t just hindsight; everyone at the scene can verify that’s what I said at the time.

(audience is silent)

I can say that, from numerous angles, from a very deep level, I understand all of you here today. I understand the wounds and grief you’ve accumulated after experiencing the events of last year. I also understand all of those who were on the streets, all of the average citizens. Why? Because I’m just an average citizen just like all of you. The only difference between us lies on one point: I fully recognized the complicated political background of the 1989 incident. I recognized that it could destroy the evolution path for our entire people. Therefore, I hated those provocators domestic and foreign who were enflaming divisions, and fanning the turmoil. I hated those fisherman who were sitting and waiting to enjoy the fruit of their work.

I know, some of the students here have this attitude: I don’t believe anything. All I have is emotion, all I want is to fight. But have you ever thought about what the future of this country is, if we continue like this?

I have an article here that I published in 1988, in the Hong Kong magazine “Ming Pao Monthly”. From this, I think perhaps everyone can better understand me, and understand why I held my opinion of your student movement, of the entire “democracy movement”. In this article, I said: as a hypothetical political experiment, we should consider the following events as a possibility within the next 10-20 years. That is to say, I forecast street protests and violent movements, I forecast a potential second cultural revolution and the Tiananmen incident. And at the end I concluded: if social turmoil continues, and because of uneven economic development, and because of the complicated international environment, we can predict military-led separation of the country. A united China will disintegrate. China in terms of economics and politics will enter into a complicated, turbulent period. This was just a hypothetical of future trends, but it was published in November of 1988.

Some people might rebuttal this argument by saying, I’m too deeply imprinted by the “Great China” philosophy, and that a divided China might not be a bad thing. And perhaps by splitting the country apart, this might even help economic development. Some foreigners have said the same thing to me in the past; they’ve said, if China divided, it might help economic development. But I asked him in reverse: why haven’t the various states in the US split, and instead are now working towards a unifying structure with Canada and other Latin American countries? (Ed: Referring to NAFTA and free trade.) The countries of western Europe have been divided since ancient times, but why are they marching towards a unified alliance through the European Union?

I firmly believe that if China is divided, then there is only one possible outcome for decades to come: frequent civil war. And the people will, for this separatism, pay the huge price of blood being shed, lives being lost, and economy in decline. To be honest, I’m very suspicious whether this “great unity” is really a backwards concept. The theory that this hurts economic development is being fed to the Chinese people by the strategic thinkers in some developed countries. The goal? To pre-emptively provide mental weapons and rhetorical preparation for the destruction of China, for the splitting of China. That way, they can permanently seize China’s opportunity to catch up to and surpass the developed nations.

Another article of mine was published in March of 1989, still before the turmoil. In this article, I clearly predicted the subsequent collapse of communism in eastern Europe, as well as the disintegration of the Soviet Union. I want to warn everyone: the 1990s is not an era for dreaming, but rather an era filled with immense new dangers, difficulties, and challenges. I pointed out an alarming problem: “China’s modernization conflicts with the strategic interests of the United States, Japan, and other development countries.” At the time I felt a need to warn everyone, there are numerous signs indicating that allowing China to sink into internal chaos, might be just the kind of thing that some countries wanting to dominate the world hoped to see. In these countries, the most deserving of attention is the US and Japan. I said that if we seriously consider the US and Japan’s policies towards China on politics, economics, technology, and culture, then we can deeply recognize that their anti-China strategy is deeply considered and long reaching. In their eyes, the Chinese remain an inferior people, and Chinese culture remains a weak culture. And the time we’ve spent reconsidering our culture in recent years is only giving them another reason to look down upon us. Psychologically and politically, we’re destroying ourselves!

In reality, as China sets goals of modernization and high-speed economic growth, and as we begin to seek investment capital and technology from Japan and the United States, we overlooked a critically important fact. China’s growing economic and military strength means that east Asia will have a new superpower. And delaying or blocking this process must become the global strategic objective for the US, Japan, and other Western countries. This is especially true after the Soviet Union has weakened from an aggressive superpower to a local regional country, and China’s no longer needed to restrain them.

I sent these warnings to some government leaders, and I was later warned by a central government leader: don’t scare the people unnecessarily! By the way, let me also mention that this was pasted onto poster boards at Beida last year, but someone tore them down the same night. Someone didn’t want you to hear my warnings.

III. Tiananmen – Intellectuals

In terms of last year’s events, I took a position that was different from yours, and even all of society. Some thought I was an opportunist, or just wanted to be a hero. No, I didn’t say all that to be a hero. Only an idiot would want to be a hero during such a complicated, dangerous historical moment! I’m just an extremely ordinary person. The last two years, my heart has been dismal. Why? I was an observer of all of your protest marches last year. I also stayed on the square numerous times. On the evening of 6/3, I was also an observer on the streets. During the morning of 6/4, I wrote a bicycle around Beijing. When I saw Chang’an street filled with flames, brick, and corpses, my heart was broken! Hegel once said, only when we lose peace and security, will we understand these are a natural requirement for life. Those days, I felt constant sense of depression. I was shocked by man’s stupidity, rushing into disaster as if it was a huge holiday to be celebrated!

Recently, I received a letter from a reader. It comes from an anonymous intellectual in Guangzhou, and the letter says:

“I also don’t believe in freedom and democracy. But I also can’t support you. I believe that China needs some major chaos! Without chaos, our problems can’t be solved. Our population is so large, our social structures and government organizations are so corrupt… if we don’t kill off a few hundred million people and live in chaos for 100 years, if our turmoil isn’t deep enough and thorough enough, how will we have an opportunity for new life? I hope the end of days quickly arrive for our people! Destruction is the only hope for a rebirth. So, I believe you’re trying to block the flow of history! Really, a few decades of chaos and war isn’t as terrifying as you’ve painted it!”

After reading this letter, I had a feeling this was someone pretending to be God. What audacity… “kill a few hundred million, give us 100 years of turmoil”. This isn’t the voice of humanity, and definitely not the voice of God, this is truly the voice of the devil. This voice is right around us, but some people still haven’t sensed it! To these people, my answer is simple: let’s start with you, please die first.

A foreign reporter was speaking with me. He saw me defending China’s politics, and asked me: “why are you defending the Communist Party? Are you a Communist Party member?” I answered no. “Why not?” I said I had never applied, never thought about it. I’m not interested in government and politics. So why do I publish editorials? Because I really have no other choice. Let me raise an example. Pretend we all live in the same home, and the home is old and beaten up. Next door, some rich men have a beautiful high-rise. By being here, we’re obstructing what they want to do. They’re always trying to tear down our house. And my buddies living in this house with me tell me, this house is really old, let’s tear it down, and we can build a high-rise like the rich men next to us. I can only oppose them, and I say: “we don’t have enough money right now. We don’t have enough savings, we shouldn’t be competing with those rich guys.”

But now, some of you started tearing down the house. And at this point, I have to get up and shout: “Sorry! I’m opposed to all of you!” But those neighbors are pretty excited. They’re on the sidelines both encouraging and threatening, saying: “You’re doing great, little buddies! This house should’ve been torn down long ago. Look at the beautiful high rise we live in. If you don’t tear your house down, you’ll never have this.” And they join you in cursing me, saying that I oppose you guys living in a new house. I think you’re clear what my story means. So why do I hold my positon? Because I’m trying to protect the house that we live in. I don’t want to be an official, I don’t care about politics, I’m not trying to kiss anyone’s butt or beanyone’s dog. But if someone is trying to tear down the house that we all live in, how can I not come out and speak!?

IV: Warning signs are around us

What is China’s outlook? Two years ago, we were all optimistic. But the problems that we’ve seen since, according to some, its all because we’re not committed enough to reform, its because political reform is lagging other reforms. Is that really the truth? Everyone can open their eyes and see Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Are their reforms not complete? Aren’t their political reforms advancing first, before economic reforms? And what’s happening? Bankruptcy, factories closing, waves of unemployed are covering these areas in a tidal wave. Countries have been destroyed, alliances lost; hunger and cold follow. Many are naively considering Eastern Europe’s color-change only as a change in political system. But from my point of view, the challenges Eastern Europe faces is upcoming: industries going bankrupt, economies collapsing. It’s all part of the economic globalization and economic danger sweeping all countries. Their future will see them as a vertical “attachment” beneath western developed countries, or perhaps as debt slaves owned by the western developed countries. These warning signs are around us!

But some people say, for democracy, we have to pay a price. The situation these countries are facing is only a transition period. This kind of rhetoric is so elegant! But let me ask a few questions: first, this sort of torturous “transition period” with countries in chaos, peoples divided, and economic collapse… how long will it last? 3 years, 10 years, is there any hope it’ll end? And second, what isn’t in transition? I can tell you right now, that the difficulty China is in now is also only temporary, is only a transition period. But you don’t like to hear that? Why do you believe it so easily when it’s applied to those other countries?

People like to fool themselves. Just now, I read that letter from Guangzhou; he said that China needs turmoil to break apart our current structure, and only on the new foundation will China have a chance for rebirth into a new era. But I’m a practical guy; I rolled out of a hay of peasants from the Northeast. I don’t know how to calculate an account that far in the future, I only know what’s in front of me. Based on the prescription he’s given us, then China should immediately be sunk into chaos, war should begin, smoke and fire should sweep the nation. Are you really willing to accept that?

Everyone says socialism is flawed and horrible, right? I don’t know whether socialism is good or not. But I do know that the current system is providing for the lives and interests of a billion people. Some people say, political systems are like a suit of clothes… if it doesn’t feel good, try a new one. But I disagree! Political systems grow within the bones and flesh of every individual in this society. If you forcibly pull it off, it will bleed! You will have to pay a price in lives! So, my hope is for reforms from the present situation, but not turmoil or revolution.

I have a good friend; during the incident last year, someone in his family was mistakenly injured. After the incident settled, he was filled with anger. He said to me: “Fuck, I’m a child of the Communist Party, but I’m never going to work with them again!” He shed tears of outrage and hatred. I sat at his side, and I had nothing to say… no one in my family had died. But I understand his emotions. He’s a good friend of mine, and we’ve always had frequent discussions, and he understands my position and perspective. So, I later said, I don’t know how to judge the Communist Party or socialism. But I do know that they’re intimately tied to the welfare and lives of a billion people, including both of us. If great turmoil breaks out around us, then your dad and my dad won’t have retirement funds, pension funds. They live in public housing, and when these public assets are privatized without careful planning, they won’t know who to give the housing up to. A billion government employees, workers, average city folk will lose their careers during such turmoil, not to mention their homes. After a large enough riot, all of the normal economic links in society will break down. Banks won’t make loans, the RMB will collapse, the credit system will collapse, banks will close their doors, and no more salaries!

Some countries are facing this predicament right now. Some people say, the economy has some difficult at the moment. Some factories have closed their doors while waiting for supplies. I know this. But I also know that even if you cause trouble, even if you march on the streets… someone is still going to pay you a salary. But if this continues for 3 months, then it’ll be a miracle if anyone can pay you even a cent. Maybe “Voice of America” will send you money? Maybe American bread can feed a billion people? Great, if that’s the case, then let’s go over to the American embassy and kowtow before them! But I’m myopic, all I recognize are the practical matters, the deep issues I don’t understand. I only know the logic of average people trying to get by… I’m a peasant! (students laugh)

Back to the topic of last year. Right now, many people are still filled with anger. I know. Towards the government for example, some people are filled with anger… why didn’t you give way a little earlier! A Japanese person wrote an article, saying that it was the government and the students stubborn attempts to win face that led to the final result last year. This is an incredibly shallow view. Based on what I observed, there was more than one force pushing the movement last year; it wasn’t just you university students, it wasn’t just those of you who wanted democracy, who wanted glory, who wanted a modernized China. Behind it lay a deeper domestic and foreign political background. To fully pull back the full face of the incident, perhaps it will still take a few years. Some people will say, you’re clearly implying that foreign forces had involved themselves. But why would the United States care about China? China’s so poor, even we were available as a colony nobody would want us! Maybe you’re right, no one wants China as a colony. This makes it even more clear that China’s future depends purely on itself! If China’s political system disappeared, if China itself disintegrated, then what waits for China is absolutely not fortune and glory. If I can make an example, then I would conclude that China’s future will look like a combination of the following examples: an economy that looks like Africa! Debt that looks like Latin America! Political chaos and civil war that looks like Lebanon! Many Chinese will be left to flee to the corners of the earth, becoming a modern version of the Palestinian people.

(the audience is completely silent)

These last two years, I’ve really gained much more insight. To tell you the truth, I’ve heard and seen many things I had never heard or seen before. When you were marching last year, why were your wrapped in white cloth and holding black flags? (Ed note: Traditional Chinese funeral garb.) Did you really not realize at the time that this was an extremely unlucky sign? I’m a little superstitious. I ran into a monk, an intellectual who’s been a long, long friend; I won’t mention his name, he prefers to be anonymous. As everyone was marching, he was squatting by Jinshui Bridge watching. I walked next to him, and asked: “How do you see these things playing out?” He said: “Really unlucky!” I said: “How so?” He said: “Look at them, why are they wearing white cloth and carrying mourning flags?” I said: “You’re right, never noticed that.” He said: “Scary! I think Beijing will soon have a bloody disaster on its hands. Try to talk to the students!”

(students discuss amongst themselves)

Was it just superstition, or was it an intentional warning? This old guy, I’m sure you’d all know him if I said his name, is a very famous moral and wise intellectual. At the time he also pointed at the Memorial (at the center of Tiananmen), and right on the pole was a yellow flag with the two words: “jue shi” (绝食,fasting). Everyone knows that words in Hanyu has many meanings; behind “jue shi” were many other meanings. Those days, I had a friend who was overwhelmed with excitement, extremely hyper, marched on the streets every day. I tried to talk to him: “You’re still marching? Your kid at home is still so small… you should prepare some formula and instant noodles. Quickly.” He said: “What’s that supposed to mean?”, in a very negative tone. I said: “Didn’t you see the flag in front of the Memorial? If turmoil comes, then the food supply will be cut off.” I’m a farmer, I don’t understand elite politics. All I care about are clothing, food, and housing. Of course, the government decisively controlled the situation shortly after, so things never got as bad as I feared. But I can tell you, for this I can only give thanks for how lucky we Chinese were.

History has given us more time to work hard. As far as what will come next, these next 3-10 years, I can say with certainty that these are the critical years that will decide China’s future. What will China’s future be like? Will there even still be a China in the 21st century? There are two possibilities, and I’ve mentioned them previously. It really all depends on whether China can achieve political stability! The article that I published on the Ming Pao two years ago shouldn’t be discarded yet. If the turmoil comes again, if society loses control and anarchy erupts, then I don’t care what label is given as the reason for this movement… there’s only one future for this country: chaos, war, homelessness.

The future of this country is held in the hands of everyone here. Let everybody make their own decisions!

————————– end translation ————————–

He Xin’s speech follows here with a longer discussion about nationalism and his world view. It’s also a very interesting and important discussion to have. However, to keep this post focused on Six Four, I will translate the rest in a future post.


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18 Responses to “Six Four: He Xin’s 1990 speech at Beida”

  1. Wahaha Says:

    That is one heck of speech. The following comment on democracy was by a chinese scholar, I believe.

      
      没有普世真理和普世道路
      
      自上个世纪末冷战终结以来,西方欧美模式及其经典理论逐渐成为国际主流,被标榜为普世真理和普世道路。主流理论认为:西方欧美模式是实现现代化、达到民富国强目标的唯一途径,后发展国家包括原社会主义国家的改革,只需也只能照搬这一模式。否则就是误入歧途,与“世界潮流”、“历史规律”相对抗,必然灰飞烟灭。
      
      对于这种说法,中国人并不陌生。确实,由于源出西方的自由民主主义已经致力于将自己包装成“终结历史”的普世真理,因此,这种曾经颇具生命力的理论正在重蹈历史上一切试图终结历史的理论之覆辙–被历史所终结。
      
      就象股市中的“概念”、“故事”一样,终极理论总是强调自己与以前出现的“不一样”,强调“这次是真的”。其实,哪有什么不一样?至少在试图终结历史、自以为放之四海而皆准方面,它们是一样的。正是这种一样,注定了它们的相同命运。
      
      虽然目前还言之尚早,但所谓普世真理、普世道路的困境已初现端倪。一方面,西方模式在中等发达程度以下国家试验的全面失败,使越来越多人认识到此一模式的成功须依赖于一定的经济发展水平和外部条件,它并不能解决后发展国家最为迫切的发展问题;另一方面,必须装模作样地呆在“普世真理”神龛内的自由民主主义理论,不可避免会越来越僵化和脆弱。
      
      社会科学领域的任何理论,都只是对人类有限经验的归纳总结。因此,任何理论一旦自我膨胀到“普世”或“绝对”真理的高度,它的生命力就终结了。为了维持并不存在的“普世”性,它只能自我封闭,拒绝开放和交流。在思想专制时代,要做到这一点很容易,制度会帮助思想清除异己。但在思想多元化的今天,自由民主主义只能划地为牢、自我禁锢;局限在圈子内部自说自话,回避与不同思想的碰撞和交锋。
      
      这种自我封闭是理论僵化脆弱的表现,其结果必然导致进一步的僵化脆弱、脱离实际、丧失对真实世界的解释能力。作为证明,当自由民主主义阵营偶有不甘自我封闭之士出来与外界交流时,其僵硬脆弱、不能解释现象的特征就表露无疑,不但降低了该理论在民众中的声誉,而且必然遭致阵营内部的不满。于是,自由民主主义的圈子只能越划越小、越闭越严。秦汪温的杭州对话如此,最近萧功秦先生舌战天则群儒也是如此。
      
      

  2. jen Says:

    thanks for making this blog available in mainland china. and thanks for providing different perspectives on 6/4…the usual sh*t gets old after awhile.

  3. hotshotdebut Says:

    What I am curious about is if there was a conspiracy masterminded by the West to dethrone CCP. Was CIA involved?

  4. KL Says:

    Yesterday I read a comment on this speech in MITBBS:19年的学生们对何新不屑一顾,却没能想到19年后他的观点是新一代学生的主流观点。

    very good translation, thanks.

  5. raffiaflower Says:

    In Freedom @ Midnight, the authors LaPierre and Collins concluded with a quote from people displaced by turmoil and bloodshed:“ Bring back the Raj!”
    Millions of Indians paid a terrible price in the chaos of independence and partition. (Although there can be no doubt about the nobility of Gandhi’s quest for freedom).
    Substitute China for India, the party for the Raj, and it could be the same thing.
    Had the loose notions about democracy – as though it was a magic pill that would make life better in China, like freedom from imperialism for India – not been contained with an organized response, the consequences would most likely have been far bloodier and far-reaching on the mainland.
    The response itself was not incorrect; it is the loss of life and the scale of brutality that continues to divide passions if there was any other way premature notions about freedom could have been contained.
    One day, the Chinese government should apologise to the families of the individuals who lost their lives in that place; many were perhaps young idealists swept along by the tide of a movement, or people tired of the endless ideological struggles of Mao’s legacy and in search of an alternative to despotism.
    But to China itself today, it is possible that (I am not from China or a party member) the government has in its actions and deeds, if not words, made amends to the people.
    In Beijing recently, a friend told me how his parents still cannot talk about the painful 1970s, but are just grateful that Deng has prospered China in the past 30 years.
    That is a voice from the floor.

  6. Opersai Says:

    Great article! He Xin’s speech resonants strongly with me, with many people in China today.

    Btw, it might just be my computer, but for many days since the blog moved, I could not see any new posts since “We’ve moved” entry. I started wondering why you guys stopped posting. Only when I forced a refresh on the mainpage today, I saw many, many news posts from the past a few days.

  7. admin Says:

    Sorry about the browser cache issue. The cache-control value was not set correctly on the server side when we moved over. I believe this is fixed but please inform us if you encounter any other problems.

  8. FOARP Says:

    Any man who calls himself a nationalist and endorses phrases like “I also don’t believe in freedom and democracy” is a fascist, pure and simple. It is a great shame that China seems to be drifting into fascism, like Mussolini the CCP justifies its rule through “making the trains run”, like Hitler they create scape-goats and blame all the county’s poroblems on them. Like the Nazi party they base their policy on an irredentist program of recovering lost territory and turning the nation into a super-power capable of seizing that territory through force.

    How’s this for an article – how current CCP rule with its state-corporatism, massive projects, censorship, single-party rule etc. differs from classic fascism as found in Franco’s Spain, Mussolini’s Italy, or in the kind of China that people like He Zhonghan (贺衷寒) and his Blue Shirts envisioned.

    @Hotshotdebut – I too would like to see if any of the people who blame the Tiananmen affair on the western powers have any evidence whatsoever to back up what they say. Those who offer the fact that many of the disident leaders fled to the US should realise that by the same logic Japan and the US were behind the Xinhai rebellion.

  9. Opersai Says:

    @admin Thanks for informing me this. I was greatly missing this blog the past couple days.

    @FOARP
    Regardless whether there was western involvement, the path of the Soviet Union was not to be followed. That’s what would have happened to China had the student protest succeeded. We were under a similar, if not worse situation than the Soviet, at least they were a superpower not long ago.

    And as for western power and involvement, I’d be too naive to believe they meant well to us after seeing what they did to the Soviet Union and know their involvement in training guerrillas to disturb the peace of China. They admitted themselves that they used the divide and conquer strategies, create turmoils amongst their “enemies”. They openly admitted their purpose and strategies to train the guerrillas was to disturb the peace in China and distract the central government. I’d be blind and stupid to believe they really wanted us well.

  10. FOARP Says:

    “training guerrillas to disturb the peace of China”

    Which program are you refering to? The pre-recognition program? The support for the ROC divers who used to occasionally raid the coast of Fujian? I cannot think of any ‘guerrillas’ being trained to go into China post 1980.

    As for the collapse of the Soviet Union, this was as much the fault of the hard-liners as anyone else. The coup against Gorbachev’s government made any kind of China-style economic liberalisation. The only centre of power capable of resisting the coup was Yeltsin as the Russian president – in many ways Russia was the first nation to split from the Soviet Union, which was anyway a far more artificial entity than China is. The post-1991 ‘shock therapy’ economic policies and the whole-sale plundering of the state-owned industries by the oligarchs responsible for the collapse of Russia’s economy could have been prevented had Gorbachev stayed in power even if the break up of the Soviet Union was perhaps inevitable.

    At any rate, given the moves that America has made towards closer economic and military ties with China, why are you so convinced that they mean you harm?

  11. Nimrod Says:

    I don’t think America meant China explicit harm in 1989, so much as it just really really didn’t (and still doesn’t) appreciate another potential economic and political power that it still saw as in the undesirable Communist camp. It wanted total victory in the Cold War. So if China did harm to itself, it seemed all the better to add fuel, which America did. It has since found a new strategic ground with China (forced into it, really) based on economic co-dependency, but that happened half a decade later.

  12. Buxi Says:

    I don’t think America’s “intent” is to harm China. I think America’s intent is to preserve and forward American interests, and that means looking ahead 10-20 years for strategic competition.

    From America’s point of view, a wealthy/strong China with a government potentially hostile to America is clearly less desirable than a poor/weak China with a pro-American government. See: Iraq.

    From my point of view, a wealthy/strong China is more desirable than a poor/weak China, period.

  13. Charles Liu Says:

    Do you know who Gene Sharp and Col. Robert Helvey are? Every heard of The Einstein Institute?

    Try the above google, these US “intelligence assets” were involved in training the 6/4 student leaders in “non-violent warfare” techniques.

    Do you still think America meant China no harm? As an American I can’t stomach it.

  14. FOARP Says:

    @Charles Liu – Try actually presenting sources, rather than conspiracy theorist delusions found on the internet. By the way, the search brings up only one result on Google, a rant by some frustrated academic entitled “William Engdahl, is he a slanderer not to be trusted? Gene Sharp, is he compromised?”.

    Whilst you’re at it, Google “HAARP” and “Sichuan earthquake”, it seems that not only has the US been trying to undermine the CCP but it has also attacked China using earthquakes – how do you feel about that “as an American”?

    @Buxi – Hence the engagement with China. China’s growth to super-power status is inevitable, the thing to avoid is a hostile China.

  15. Charles Liu Says:

    FOARP, feel free to google Engdahl’s bio.

    Also, goto NPR and dig up Col. Helvey’s interview. He bragged about this.

    Helvey, Sharp, and their achievement in “color revolutions” (Burma’s “Saffron”, Eastern Europe’s “Orange”, “Velvet” revolution) around the world is not made up. Non-violent warfare has been a part of our foreign policy implement.

  16. FOARP Says:

    I’m sorry, but I don’t see how ‘non-violent techniques’ = ‘training guerillas’.

    As for the colour revolutions, I support them.

  17. Charles Liu Says:

    FOARP, this article named 2 other sources besides Engdahl:

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/MOW502A.html

    “Helvey “was an officer of the Defence Intelligence Agency of the Pentagon, who had served in Vietnam and, subsequently, as the US Defence Attach・in Yangon, Myanmar (1983 to 85), during which he clandestinely organized the Myanmarese students to work behind Aung San Suu Kyi and in collaboration with Bo Mya’s Karen insurgent group….He also trained in Hong Kong the student leaders from Beijing in mass demonstration techniques which they were to subsequently use in the Tiananmen Square incident of June, 1989” and “is now believed to be acting as an adviser to the Falun Gong, the religious sect of China, in similar civil disobedience techniques.”

  18. Randolph Deeds Says:

    Great blog! Sorry to change the subject, but, I’m new to Nashville and I’m looking for a great Nashville auto repair company,so I can get my oil changed. Have you read any recent buzz? There’s a new auto repair shop called Veterans Auto Services, but I’ve only seen a few reviews. Here’s the address of this new Nashville Auto Repair, Veterans Auto Services 2404 CruzenSt Nashville, TN 37211 (615) 712-9777. Thoughts? Thanks!

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