China To Lead Technology Cooperation in Asia Pacific Region

The findings of science and technology in the 21st century is disseminated faster in a globalized world. However, competition arising from different countries and regions still exists. One good example is the setting up of research centers in Europe in 1960s in order to compete with the United States. Such centers in Europe consolidate resources and manpower from different countries to focus on research work together. One successful case is the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva (CERN).
Highest-Energy Particle Accelerator
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The LHC was built with the intention of testing Higgs boson and the large family of new particles. It was built in collaboration with many scientists and engineers from various countries in the world. Their long term research had contributed to mankind.
Why are European countries willing to invest in millions of euros to conduct research on items which do not have commercial value? Apart from hoping to overtake the United States in their research, it also reflects that hereditary European culture of promoting science and technology. Science is one major component in human civilization and the Europe would not want to be left behind the United States.
Changing Economic Scenario
The United States and Europe are still leading Asia in scientific research. With the change of economic scenario in 21st century, China has become the second economic giant in the world while India is also rising. With Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore growing stronger by the day, one can't undermine the economic strength of Asia Pacific region. It is not impossible for it to overtake Europe and United States. The Asia Pacific should look into how to catch up in its research work in science in order to contribute to human civilizations.
First and foremost, whether Asia Pacific countries are able to contribute, to a large extend it will depend on the determination of political leaders. The setting up of CERN is the consensus reached among the political leaders in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and others. Such set up is impossible without the support of politicians. Chinese leaders are also supportive of scientific research and they are also aware of its significance. When Mao Zedong met up with Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao, he showed keen interest in science. Mao was discussing the structure of elementary particle with Yang. In a thick Hunan accent, he told Yang that in China, ancient philosophers also tried to explain the structure of substance. Mao also met with Nobel prize winner Abdus Salam and Japanese physics scientist Sakata Shoichi. In his antirightist movement, Zhou Enlai protected scientist first. He also had a name list of scientists to be protected. Many are experts of atomic, missiles and satellites. In 1979, when Li proposed setting up a high energy accelerator, Deng Xiaoping immediately agreed with the proposal. Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao also realize the importance of science. One can say that several generations of Chinese leaders support science.
More than 30 years after the reform and opening up policy, China has entered a phase where its economy is vibrant. Apart from upgrading its standard in science, technology and education level, it should also be contributing to science in the world. By becoming the leader of science and technology in Asia Pacific region, it should be assisting third world developing countries to speed up their leaps in science and education.
At this moment it is still premature for China or India to set a center like CERN. But China or India should take the cue from Prof Abdus Salam's experience and method to set up International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) 40 years ago. The main aim of the center is to assist scientists in third world countries for them to have a chance to interact with scientists from first world countries. They can also conduct research in the centre for several months to a year. Salam's center receive support from the Italian Government, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and UNESCO. It is pragmatic to set up similar research center in China.
Assisting Mankind to Progress
Scientists in developing countries lack funds and research facilities. To groom them one would have to start from areas in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical chemistry, theoretical biology and computer science to be effective.
For the past 40 over years, Salam's center groomed many world class scientists. It has also mobilized the science development in Asia, Africa and Latin America. China, India and other countries should also tell the world that they too, are concerned with assisting mankind to progress further to consolidate Asia Pacific for joint development and not only interested in domestic economy or benefits of technology.

Political Reforms in China

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao presented his government work report recently at the 3rd session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC). In this report, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao emphasized the importance of political reform for China. He also referred to the need for people to criticize as well as to keep watch on the government. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's report has aroused a high degree of attention from the local and overseas media.

Factor in National Building
In a gist, this is what Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao tried to express in his government work report: "China's reform is a comprehensive reform that includes the reform of economic system, the reform of political system as well as reform in other fields. Without the reform in political system, it is impossible to carry out reform in the economic system and to come out with modernization structure." From here we can clearly see that Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has put political reform as top priority among other reforms. As such public opinions usually view that through Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's work report, China has sent out a message that it would push forward the reform of its political system.

In fact, political reforms in China are not something new. The need to carry out political reforms have mentioned by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping during the early stage of New China. China has long put reform of political system as a decisive factor in the national building. As early as in 28 June 1986, Deng Xiaoping has, at the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau mentioned that: "The success of economic reforms will have to depend on the success of political reforms. If we only do economic reform without going for political reform, economic reforms cannot be carried through. This is because in the first place, economic reforms will encounter many man-made human blockages."

From here we know that the political reform spirit as expressed by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in his work report and Deng Xiaoping's political reform spirit is but a continuation of the Chinese leaders' political ideology. However, the significance of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's expression of political reform lies in the fact that this is the first time the Chinese Government has used such a clear format to put in a government work report that the reforms of China's political system is the decisive factor for China to open up reform in other areas of national development. In other words, political reforms in China will not stop at the theoretical level, now, but must work through the government to put it into practice.

Implementation Stage
In accordance with Deng Xiaoping's original design, political and economic reforms are the two interdependent legs that must go together in order to achieve reformation in China. However, after the 1989 Tiananmen incident, reforms of China's political system, was not mentioned by the Chinese leaders for a long time. What we heard was but the one-sided result of its economic reforms. It was also during this period that while China was going through a rapid economic development and economic prosperity era, China has, at the same time, also experienced unprecedented intense societal conflicts of many kinds. As an editorial of the Lianhe Zaobao that came out on the eve of China's CPPCC and NPC joint session said: The Communist Party of China (CPC) has already well-aware of the pending societal issues and has in 2007 and made major preparations aimed to correct these societal conflicts at the NPC. What Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao did this year was to put forward part of the political reforms as mentioned at the 2007 NPC into government's implementation stage.

However, one must take note that even the Chinese Government is determined to promote political reforms, now, the type of political reforms the Chinese Government has in mind is by no means the type of political reforms ordinary people has in mind. In China's political reforms, the "four basic cardinal principles" of the CCP will not be changed. In other words, the CCP's political life and leadership in China will not be changed even if it has carried out political reforms. At the opening CPPCC session, CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin has stressed strongly that China would resist the multiparty system and the two house system of the West. From what Jia Qinglin said that it was suffice to reflect the CPC's firm stance to adhere to its basic party principles.

New Political Environment
In modern political life, good political systems must be subordinated to the public. Public authority must also be subjected to checks and balances. In a democratic country, this is achieved through the elections of political parties to represent people's voices. The difficulties of China's political reforms are that under the premise of CPC's unwavering ruling status, the Chinese leaders must ensure that the CPC can still strengthen its self-restraint and self-monitoring power.

In his government work report, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao mentioned that the Chinese Government would create the conditions for people to criticize and supervise the government operations. Such statement by Wen Jiabao has shown that the top Chinese leadership, in fact, knows very well that if the government ruled by the CPC moves toward the alienation direction goes against the wish of the people because of the lack of a monitoring mechanism in the government, the consequence can be extremely worrisome to the CPC leaders. The question is: How can China create such conditions for political reforms? What are the conditions for China to create such a new political environment?

CPPCC-NPC Joint Sessions
In recent years, the democracy networks that prevail in the internet and the internet media have to a certain degree, have criticized the Chinese Government and served a watchdog role to check on the Chinese Government. However, there are limitations for these internet bodies to serve the watchdog role for the Chinese Government because they cannot serve the check and balance role to confront the political systems of the ruling party as well as for the ruling government.

The only way for China to have a watchdog mechanism on governmental affairs is to go back to the basic solution to carry out reforms in the government. If the CPC and the Chinese Government can create conditions to allow the CPPCC-NPC joint sessions to maximize the role to carry out some political reform, to certain extent, China can solve this problem. For example, China can explore if it can allow CPPCC to reassume some of its earlier functions when it was newly formed.

China should also explore if it can allow certain members of the CPC that hold strong democratic principle to form a real political party with substance? Within the NPC framework, China should also see if the NPC can truly represent the largest representation of public opinions, so that the NPC can truly exercise the power to present the will of people.

For decades, we have not heard the type of intense and vigorous debates in the CPPCC as we used to hear during the early days of the CPPCC when Mao Zedong and Liang Shuming used to voice out their different opinions at the CPPCC. We also notice that at the local level, it has now become the norm for the CPC secretary general to concurrently also taking up the role to become the organization CPPCC chairman.

Legislative and Supervisory Powers
Regardless of what innovation the Chinese leaders want to carry out political reforms, but if the CPPCC and NPC cannot fully and effectively exercise their legislative and supervisory powers stipulated under the Chinese Constitution, and turn China's political reforms into a true democratic and representative of public opinion mechanism that can monitor government operations; and if the CPPCC and NPC continue to become a tool for the CPC to carry out the will of the ruling party, there is no point to talk about political reforms in China. Without substance, political reform will be something that China cannot achieve at this very moment.

India's Firm Reply To China's Aggressive Attitude

The objection that China has raised over Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's Arunachal Pradesh visit is completely improper and an illegitimate act. The Indian Government has given a befitting reply by rejecting it outright. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. The people of this state are an inseparable part of the Indian democracy.

The threatening manner in which China has expressed its displeasure is an obstinate act of interfering into the internal matters of an independent and sovereign country. We are free to travel anywhere in our country. Our guests are also free to travel anywhere within our borders. China cannot instruct us where we can go and where we cannot.

Maintaining Peace on Border
This is not the first time that China has expressed its displeasure over the prime minister's visit. In 2008 also, it had expressed regret at calling Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory. Earlier in 1987, China had taken control of a far flung border post in Arunachal Pradesh. It has illegally occupied 43,180 sq km of Indian territory.

On contrary, it accuses India of illegally occupying 90,000 sq km of its territory in Arunachal Pradesh. Talks are going on between the countries over the border dispute, and both countries are committed to maintaining peace on the border. Undoubtedly, the issue is very complicated. Until now, 13 rounds of talks have been completed, but the dispute stands where it was.

Honoring Line of Actual Control
Although India and China both have agreed not to use power and honor the Line of Actual Control as long as the border dispute is not settled, still apprehensions of conflict with China have been raised from time-to-time. For the past some time, China has been exhibiting its aggressive stance again. Though there is dominance of moderate leaders in China's government, its foreign policy is still on the old track, the foundation of which was laid by Mao Zedong. No matter where Dalai Lama goes, China always raises objection. If any leader goes to Taiwan, it becomes displeased. If anyone goes to Arunachal Pradesh, it becomes incensed. This has become its habit, but nobody would be afraid of going into the disputed territory.

In coming November, Dalai Lama is going to travel to Arunachal Pradesh. Even if China protests against it, the Indian Government would not stop him. All mutual disputes between India and China could only be sorted out through dialogue and not by exhibiting aggressive behavior. Both countries should sit together for this, so that it does not affect our long-term relations.

China's Claims
China's claim on a part of Arunachal Pradesh for years cannot be overlooked. But it has never been so offensive before. At one time, it had even started issuing visas to people of Arunachal Pradesh. It is, therefore, imperative for India to find out the reasons for this sudden extreme attitude. Can there be any other latent reason behind it, instead of the border dispute? Even otherwise, the border dispute had reached a deadlock long ago.

India has been accusing China of illegal occupation of a part of Jammu and Kashmir. As against this, China has been charging India of occupying 90,000 sq km of its territory. It must be also borne in mind that China alone is responsible for the stalemate in this old border dispute. Several rounds of talks have been held to solve it, but so far no plans have been exchanged.

China has most certainly experienced the strengthening of trade relations between the two countries. It is equally aware of the fact that tension in diplomatic relations might jeopardize its trade. Could it then be all set to increase this tension knowingly? In view of past experience it is necessary for India to tell China directly that it is not only embittering the relationship between the countries by this unfriendly behavior that is also ruining the atmosphere in Asia. It must also beware of foreign affairs experts like Natwar Singh who have suddenly started taking China's side. They are likely to prove harmful to India.

India's Reply to China's Aggression
Although belated, India has made the right move by showing firmness against China's aggressive attitude. Objection raised on Chinese interference in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir [PoK] is also totally justified. The earlier hesitation to replying to China in its own language is inexplicable. Is it not strange that the prime minister had described Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh and Laddakh as a creation of the media? Surprisingly enough, when objections were raised against some projects China was working on in PoK, the Chinese President stated that his country would continue participating in them. India should actually have lodged a protest when China had started taking interest in Pakistan's projects.

It is difficult to say for certain right now how this neighboring country will react to India's sharp riposte. Nevertheless, India must try to find out the reasons for China's sudden aggressive stand. It not only causes concern but is also surprising.