China Stifles Its Own Debate

For more than two decades, the China Development Forum was a meeting where foreign business, political, and academic leaders could debate the state of the Chinese economy with the country's highest leaders. NEW HAVEN - After my recent trip to Beijing to attend the 25th annual China Development Forum, the country's most important public conference, one question keeps turning over in my head: What's the point? Former Premier Zhu Rongji conceived of the CDF as a forum for debate and exchange between senior Chinese leaders and foreign academics, think-tank experts, and business leaders. It is in that spirit and in the spirit of many subsequent years of active participation in CDF sessions that I bemoan the loss of what had been a vigorous culture of debate in China. Yes, plenty of Western business leaders were in attendance, but mainly for shameless commercialized pitches of their commitment to China. I remain highly critical of America's virulent Sinophobia, while maintaining the view that China faces serious structural growth challenges. In the spirit of Deng Xiaoping's credo, "Seeking truth from facts," I will keep pushing for free and open debate in China.