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Chinese Dream

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The Chinese Dream is a term describing a set of ideals in the People's Republic of China. It is used by journalists, government officials, and activists to describe the aspiration of individual self-improvement in Chinese society.[1] Although the phrase has been used previously by many Western journalists and Chinese activists,[2][3] a translation of a New York Times article written by the American journalist Thomas Friedman, "China Needs Its Own Dream", has been credited with popularizing the concept in China.[3] He attributes the term to Peggy Liu and the environmental NGO JUCCCE's China Dream project,[4][5] which defines the Chinese Dream as sustainable development.[5] In 2013 the President of the PRC Xi Jinping began promoting the phrase as a slogan, leading to its widespread use in the Chinese media.[6] Xi has described the dream as "national rejuvenation, improvement of people’s livelihoods, prosperity, construction of a better society and military strengthening."[7] He has stated that young people should "dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation."[8]

History

The New York Times

Thomas Friedman's New York Times article has been credited with popularizing the phrase "Chinese Dream" in China.

The British publication The Economist credits a column written by the American journalist Thomas Friedman for popularizing the term in China. A translation of Friedman's article, "China Needs Its Own Dream", published in The New York Times was widely popular in China.[6] Friedman attributes the phrase to Peggy Liu, the founder of the environmentalist NGO JUCCCE. According to Friedman in the magazine Foreign Policy, "I only deserve part credit... the concept of 'China Dream' was created by my friend Peggy Liu, as the motto for her NGO about how to introduce Chinese to the concept of sustainability."[4]

James Fallows of The Atlantic has pointed out that the phrase has frequently been used in the past by journalists. He mentions Deborah Fallow's book Dreaming in Chinese, his own article "What Is the Chinese Dream?", and Gerald Lemos' book The End of the Chinese Dream as examples.[2] In response to Fallows, The Economist cites an article in the Xinhua Daily Telegraph that directly credits Friedman.[3]

“Will the next Chinese leader have a dream that is different from the American dream?” [a paraphrase of a line in Mr Friedman’s column]. In a year of political transition, the world’s gaze is focused on the east. On the eve of the 18th [Communist Party] congress [at which Mr Xi had been appointed as party chief two weeks earlier] the American columnist Thomas Friedman wrote an article devoted to analysis of the “Chinese dream” titled “China Needs Its Own Dream”. It expressed the hope that [the dream would be one that] “marries people’s expectations of prosperity with a more sustainable China”. Suddenly the “Chinese dream” became a hot topic among commentators at home and abroad."

— Xinhua Daily Telegraph[3]

The Economist writes that references to Friedman's article have also appeared in other Chinese media outlets, including a translation in The References News, in an article written for China's State Council Information Office, on the cover of the magazine Oriental Outlook as the main caption, in a magazine article published by Frontline, and in an article for a local newspaper written by China’s ambassador to Romania, Huo Yuzhen.[3] In the preface of the Oriental Outlook "Chinese Dream" issue, the editor states that "the 18th national congress of the Chinese Communist Party convened November 8th. “Does the next generation of Chinese leaders have a ‘Chinese Dream’ that is different from the “American Dream"?.... This was a question raised by one of America’s most influential media figures, Thomas Friedman."[3]

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping, President of the PRC, adopted "Chinese Dream" as a slogan in 2013.

In May 2013 Xi called upon young people "to dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation." He called upon all levels of the Party and the government to facilitate favorable conditions for their career development. Xi told young people to "cherish the glorious youth, strive with pioneer spirit and contribute their wisdom and energy to the realization of the Chinese dream."[9]

Reporters have noted that, "Mr Xi had seen the American dream up close, having spent a couple of weeks in 1985 with a rural family in Iowa. (He revisited them during a trip to America last year as leader-in-waiting.)"[10]

The concept of Chinese Dream is very similar to the idea of "American Dream". It stresses the importance of entrepreneurial spirit. It also glorifies a generation of self-made men and women in post-reform China such as those rural immigrants who moved to the urban centers and achieved magnificent improvement in terms of their living standards and social life. Chinese Dream can be interpreted as the collective consciousness of Chinese people during the era of social transformation and economic progress.

As an aspect of political thought in contemporary China, the emergence of Chinese Dream indicates a diversion of political ideology from egalitarianism to a relatively more liberal individualist approach. It is worth noting that the concept is still based on collectivism rather than individualism for it seen the subject of Chinese Dream as the people of China as a whole instead of specific individual hero/heroine.

The idea was put forward by the new CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping on 29 November 2012 and repeated by him on numerous important occasions. The Communist Party party’s propaganda chief, Liu Yunshan, has directed that the concept of the Chinese dream be incorporated into school textbooks.[11]

The government hoped to create a revitalized China, while promoting innovation and technology to restore the international prestige China. In this light, Chinese Dream, like American exceptionalism, is a nationalistic concept as well.

Meaning

The Chinese Dream is vaguely defined, and has led to multiple interpretations describing the phrase's meaning.[12]

Sustainable development

The Chinese Dream has been defined as sustainable development.[13] Peggy Liu and the NGO JUCCCE coined the phrase "Chinese Dream" as a movement based on sustainability,[14] which was later popularized in China through a New York Times article and adopted by Xi Jinping.[4] Pollution and food safety are popular concerns in China.[14] China's rising middle class is expected to increase by 500 million people by 2025 and will continue to put a strain on the country's dwindling resources.[13] According to Liu, the Chinese Dream of sustainability can be achieved through the promotion of green technologies and the reduction of widespread conspicuous consumption.[14] China's high growth has caused widespread environmental damage, and without environmental reforms, the deterioration could threaten the legitimacy of the Communist Party.[13] The Chinese Dream is a dream of a prosperous lifestyle reconciled with a sustainable lifetyle.[14]

National renewal

The Chinese Dream has been viewed as a call for China's rising international influence. Xi Jinping refers to the dream as a form of national rejuvenation.[7] Young Chinese are envious of America's cultural influence and hope that China could one day rival the US as a cultural exporter.[15] Members of Chinese military support China's military development, opining that the "strong-nation dream of a great revival of the Chinese people" can only result from a "strong-army dream". United States Secretary of State John Kerry has promoted the idea of a "Pacific Dream" to accommodate China's rise through regional collaboration over shared interests like the environment and economic growth.[3]

Individual dreams

Many Chinese have interpreted the Chinese dream as the pursuit of individual dreams. Evan Osnos of the New Yorker concludes that "Xi Jinping has sought to inspire his people by raising the flag of the China Dream, but they have interpreted it as China Dreams—plural."[7] The Chinese Dream is defined according to an individual's personal aspirations and desires, which may lead to "the proliferation of 1.3 billion China Dreams."[7]

Economic and political reform

Some government officials and activists view the Chinese Dream as a need for economic and political reform.[16] Sustaining China's economic growth requires economic reform encompassing urbanization, the reduction of government bureaucracy, and weakening the power of special interests. [17][16] Chinese liberalshave defined the Chinese Dream as a dream of constitutionalism. Southern Weekly, a liberal newspaper based in Guangzhou, attempted to publish an editorial titled "The Chinese dream: a dream of constitutionalism" which advocated the separation of powers, but was censored by the authorities.[12] Both Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang support economic reform, but have shied away from discussing political reform. Li has said that "But however deep the water may be, we will wade into the water. This is because we have no alternative. Reform concerns the destiny of our country and the future of our nation."[16]

Notes

  1. ^ "Chasing the Chinese dream," The Economist May 4 2013, pp 24-26]
  2. ^ a b Fallows, James (MAY 3 2013). "Today's China Notes: Dreams, Obstacles". The Atlantic. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "The role of Thomas Friedman". The Economist. May 6th 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Fish, Isaac Stone (May 3, 2013). "Thomas Friedman: I only deserve partial credit for coining the 'Chinese dream'". Foreign Policy.
  5. ^ a b "China Dream". JUCCCE.
  6. ^ a b "Xi Jinping and the Chinese Dream," The Economist May 4, 2013, p 11 (editorial)
  7. ^ a b c d Osnos, Evan (March 26, 2013). "Can China deliver the China dream(s)?". New Yorker.
  8. ^ Yang Yi, "Youth urged to contribute to realization of 'Chinese dream'", Xinhuanet English.news.cn 2013-05-04
  9. ^ Yang Yi, "Youth urged to contribute to realization of 'Chinese dream'", Xinhuanet English.news.cn 2013-05-04
  10. ^ "Chasing the Chinese dream," The Economist May 4 2013, p 25]
  11. ^ "Chasing the Chinese dream," The Economist May 4 2013, pp 24-26]
  12. ^ a b "Chasing the Chinese dream". The Economist. May 4th 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b c Friedman, Thomas (October 2, 2012). "China Needs Its Own Dream". The New York Times.
  14. ^ a b c d Liu, Peggy (13 June 2012). "China dream: a lifestyle movement with sustainability at its heart". The Guardian.
  15. ^ Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (January 12, 201). "Nationalistic and Chasing the 'Chinese Dream'". The New York Times.
  16. ^ a b c Jane, Cai (18 March, 2013). "Xi Jinping outlines his vision of 'dream and renaissance'". South China Morning Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Bishop, Bill (May 13, 2013). "As China's Economy Stumbles, Government Eyes Reform". New York Times.

See also

Further reading

  • Liu, Ping. My Chinese Dream - From Red Guard to CEO (2012)
  • Mars, Neville, and Adrian Hornsby. The Chinese Dream: A Society Under Construction (2010)
  • Wang, Helen and Lord Wei. The Chinese Dream: The Rise of the World's Largest Middle Class and What It Means to You (2012) excerpt and text search
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