• Comment (2)

Related Articles

Chen Case Reveals Fragile Chinese Communist Party Could Lead to 'Failed State'

Experts worry regime will retrench, stifle needed reforms

By

May 3, 2012 RSS Feed Print
Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng

Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng before leaving the U.S. embassy for a hospital in Beijing.

Should the Chen case set off a wave of political unrest and a widespread backlash against the Communist rulers and the entire Chinese governing structure, Johnson and Shirk warn the Asian giant's ascension to global power could be derailed.

Such a scenario "would, I think, be enough to make China a failed state," says Shirk. "Communist governments are brought down by splits at the top, not from the bottom up."

-- The Associated Press contributed.

John T. Bennett covers national security and foreign policy for U.S. News & World Report. You can contact him at jbennett@usnews.com or follow him on Twitter.

You might be interested in...

Tags:
Beijing,
China

Reader Comments Read all comments (2)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

China has over millenniums perfected the Art of State control over the individual. The largely silent tragedy in official attacks on many [thousands of] participants in the Falun Gong religion [or 'meditative society'].... is the most recent of China's recurring massive repressions of civil liberties. Liberalization there occurs until a moment arrives - every decade or so in modern history - when the round ups start and the people are brutalized. [ie: hundred flowers campaign / cultural revolution / democracy movement / falun gong]

A better tradition of 'restriction on the State power' and 'dignity for the individual' ... indeed respect for responsible choice in private matters ... would surely bring great benefit to the Chinese people over time.

China has made economic progress due to free market reforms begun in the late seventies. Education favoring civil liberties is sorely needed in that ancient culture though.

As with most societies, the Chinese have many talents... but no "State" has the right of ownership over the people.

John of NY 9:05AM May 04, 2012

The Chinese government has lost it's legitimacy before the eyes of the world when faced with the realities of it's brutal human rights abuses.

China's lost legitimacy of ME 8:32PM May 03, 2012

Photo Galleries

History of U.S. Bombings, Failed Attempts

A look at some of the worst bombings in the U.S. and infamous failed attempts.

advertisement

Latest Videos