Advertisement
Opinion | Why US travel ban on China’s Communist Party members is a misguided idea
- It would be a mistake for the United States to think it can separate the Chinese government from the Chinese people, or the party from the Chinese people
- If the US truly wants the Chinese people to succeed, it should stop undermining the Chinese government, as only it can help them to be successful
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The US government is reportedly considering a travel ban on all Communist Party members. If this happens, it would be the latest tactic the United States has employed in its efforts to contain or destabilise the Chinese government.
Advertisement
The White House appears to think it can increase pressure on the Chinese state or the Communist Party while avoiding the accusations that it is undermining or destabilising China. It would be a mistake to think it can separate the Chinese government from the Chinese people, or the party from the Chinese people.
To start with, one easy mistake to make is to overlook that only a small portion of Communist Party members – one in 10 – is part of the government. The latest figures I have show that, excluding retirees, industrial workers make up 9 per cent, and farmers 35 per cent of the Party. As for the rest, 19 per cent are engineers and professionals, and 14 per cent hold management jobs. That is, 90 per cent of the active party members are not in the government.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said the United States wants the Chinese people to be successful. Even so, it is targeting a significant portion of the Chinese people.
03:01
Banning 92 million Communist Party members from America ‘ridiculous’, Beijing says
Banning 92 million Communist Party members from America ‘ridiculous’, Beijing says
If this is not hypocrisy, what is?
Advertisement