 |
| Yang Jianli speaks at Principia College on Feb. 3. (Photo: Colby Bermel) |
Yang Jianli, a scholar known for his efforts to promote democracy in China, spoke at Principia College in Elsah, Ill., last week, as as part of the school’s Moral Courage speaker series. Once a rising star in the Chinese Communist Party, Yang left China to attend the University of California, Berkeley in 1989, where he went on to receive a PhD in mathematics. His fellow Chinese students elected him to return to Beijing to support the demonstrations for democracy taking place in Tiananmen Square, where he witnessed the massacre by the Chinese army. He returned to the U.S., and another doctorate, this time in political economy at Harvard University.
In 2002, he returned to China to support the labor movement there and was imprisoned by the Chinese government from 2002 to 2007 for espionage and illegal entry.
Yang now runs Initiatives for China, and is leading an effort to find the people in the infamous Tank Man photograph. There isn’t just one Tank Man, Yang says: Because the soldier driving the lead tank “followed his conscience, not orders” in not shooting that lone demonstrator, “he is equally a hero.”
USA TODAY College sat down with Yang to discuss China’s future, the student protests that hit campuses last fall, the U.S. presidential election, and more. The following excerpts have been condensed and edited.
This past fall, there were a number of student demonstrations on U.S. campuses, and some protests still continue. Have you been hearing about that, and what are your thoughts?
Yes, yes. Usually students are the first group that raises issues up. … This kind of action, whether the demands are extreme or not, whether the issue gets resolved or not in the way that they like … is very important. We have to keep the freedom. We have to preserve this freedom because without it, things can go wrong very easily, very quickly. It is not necessarily that I agree with everything that the students say, but I totally support their actions.
What advice do you have for students who want to be activists?
I think their primary work is finish their schoolwork and focus on studies. (And) they should be very watchful of those “beautiful words” that can mobilize the young students easily. … You have to give it a second thought, to see how this “beautiful theory” is put into practice. … When I see that Sen. Bernie Sanders has been able to mobilize so many young students to support him, to work for his campaign, I really think this is a warning. Some “beautiful rhetoric” can really have appeal to the young people, but we should be watchful. (Note: See more on his thoughts about Sanders below.)
Who would you like to see as the next president of the United States?
Marco Rubio. He’s a second generation of Cuban immigrants. His parents lived under a Communist dictatorship. He grew up hearing the stories from his father about the nature of dictatorship. … He is very committed to helping the people of China to change the status quo to achieve democracy. And I think he has been the best among the candidates in terms of foreign policy.
Which Democratic candidate do you like?
I would chose Hillary (Clinton) over Bernie Sanders. I lived in a Communist country long enough to understand that left of an idea, if you go extreme, it will definitely bring disaster to the people. … It’s very appealing to people, especially to young people, practically, if you try to achieve equality. But actually, you cannot. We can never achieve equality because in the process, you build a stronger and stronger government that makes the government more like a dictatorship. So that’s the danger I see. I believe in limited government and there must be a limit that how much we rely on the government for our everyday life.
What surprised you the most about America when you arrived at UC Berkeley?
I was amazed by many things. Of course, the freedom was the first thing. The Berkeley campus especially, there was a dynamic student body and faculty. Almost every day there were demonstrations, speeches.
But what amazed me and touched me most was when I went to the small towns. In each (one) there was a public library – a very well-funded, very well-organized library. And in every public facility, there is handicapped access. You may not understand why I’m so touched by this. … Although I lived in a Communist country, which was supposed to be for equality, I never, ever saw equality before I came to this country. A very small thing, handicapped access at public facilities everywhere. That means the whole society cares for those who really need help, the most disadvantaged, which means it’s a good society. That touched me so much I still remember, even almost 30 years after.
What do Americans most need to understand about China?
Advancing human rights in China is in the national interest of this country. This is not widely recognized by the people here – not by politicians, scholars, policymakers. (Also), the general public should be aware that China has been affecting the democratic way of life here through academia, news and, of course, business. I tried to have a fellowship, a very prestigious research fellowship, at Harvard. Many professors actually supported me, but I couldn’t get it – the reason being that some administrators made it very clear that they didn’t want to be too offensive to the Chinese government.
In your remarks, you spoke of a reconciliation that needs to occur in China. What did you mean by that?
Politically, economically, socially and even sentimentally, China has been broken into two entities. One is the China consisting of officials-turned-capitalists and elite families who dominate (and are) trying to project the China most people hear and see: glorious, dazzling, the whole world of wealth, power and everything. But there’s another identity in China that also consists of 100 million people whose rights are routinely violated. … So from that point, we have to try to do everything possible to bring harmony and reconciliation.
Colby Bermel is a Principia College student and a USA TODAY College correspondent.