China’s Quest Against Freedom

After a historic vote, the Chinese Congress recently voted to abolish term limits from the Chinese constitution. It allows its president, Xi Jinping, to remain “President for life” and is elevated to the same level of communist party founder, Chairman Mao.

China introduced term limits in 1982 as a way of preventing another “Mao era.” They believed that the possibility of a lifelong tenure could lead to tyranny. Mao’s “cultural revolution” saw a “purge of impure elements.” One-and-a-half million people died, and a significant amount of the country’s cultural heritage was destroyed.

China’s record on human rights and personal freedoms is appalling. According to Human Rights Watch, “The outlook for fundamental human rights, including freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and religion remains dire.” It is difficult for the west to have any real influence over these changes. China is now one of the World’s leading economic and military superpowers; the rise of China as a superpower is the result of the failed policies of Bill Clinton, during his two terms as president of the United States.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War era, the United States was the only remaining superpower. It failed to leverage this status; it allowed its military strength to deteriorate through massive budget cuts in what was called a “peace dividend.”

Rather than confronting the moral and strategic challenges of the communist regime, the USA appeased China by trading with them for the sake of stability. Meanwhile, China embarked on a decade of strong military build up and has risen to become a major power on the world stage. It has since proven itself to be no friend of the West.

The weakness in foreign policy allowed China to assist Pakistan in developing nuclear weapons. Pakistan is a country that as recently as last November was close to an Islamist revolution; this would have given Islamist extremists access to nuclear weaponry.

China is also a staunch ally of North Korea. Its tyrannical dictator, Kim Jong Un, is now believed to be in control of nuclear arms. He has been testing weaponry with the capability of reaching British and U.S. shores.

China recently insulted the UK when the regime violated the legally binding Hong Kong handover treaty. They claimed it had “no practical significance.”

Britain reminded China that “as a signatory to the agreement, Britain is legally bound to uphold the freedom and rights of the people of Hong Kong.” Xi responded defiantly by overseeing a military parade during a visit to Hong Kong days later in direct violation of the treaty.

China doesn’t fear the west. In addition to nuclear capability, it has the largest army, with over 3.3 million military personnel and a “war platform” in the south China Sea. It recently opened its first overseas naval base in Djibouti.

Economically, China has the second largest economy in the world and has significant economic influence. It’s expected to become the world’s largest economy by 2030.

It has used this economic strength in the steel industry; selling steel at prices significantly below the actual cost of production. It led to President Trump announcing import tariffs on steel and aluminum in direct response, in an attempt to save the American steel industry.

China is moving ever closer to a full-blown dictatorship. We should remember, this is a country which heavily curtails freedom of expression. 46 different crimes are punishable by death.

Why Should We Be Worried?

The appeasement of communism abroad leaves the potential for communism to spread at home. It is a particular risk for Great Britain; there is a real danger of the implementation of communist philosophy under a potential Corbyn government.

Britain’s effective two-party system means there is only a choice between the left-wing Labour party and the Conservative party. The Conservative party is seen as “the party of the elites”; they are doing a terrible job of selling the benefits of conservatism and conservative policy. If populism takes hold in Britain, the Conservatives are in real trouble. Britain is in real trouble.

As we see throughout Europe and the United States, populism is on the rise. It has enabled anti-establishment parties to flourish; parties such as the A.F.D. in Germany, the Five Star Movement in Italy, the Czech Republic’s A.N.O. party and the Freedom Party in Austria have all succeeded on a populist platform.

The problem for Britain is that due to their first-past-the-post system, there is little chance of a populist “outsider” party forming a government. There is a real opportunity for the Labour Party, and Jeremy Corbyn knows this. He is using populism to appeal to the British electorate. With the help of momentum, his populist platform is proving very successful on the digital battlefield of social media.

There is a genuine risk of this leading to a Corbyn government. What most people fail to realize is that while Corbyn is using populism to gain power, it is a unique brand — with communism at its heart.

In January this year, Corbyn hailed China as “the system to beat poverty.”

When appearing on the Andrew Marr show in January, Corbyn suggested: “the only benefit of capitalism is that it can be challenged by left-wing activists.” He refused to deny that he wants to see capitalism completely overthrown.

His Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott M.P., believes Chairman Mao “did more good than harm.”

It is the domino theory in full effect, with Corbyn seeing the success of China as a template for success here in Britain. So much so, that the Communist Party of Britain fully endorses him and are “working full tilt” to get Corbyn into Downing Street.

We should be mindful that communism is a direct enemy of democracy, and while at times China may well be a tactical ally, it most certainly an ideological enemy.

China’s move towards full-blown dictatorship should serve as a timely reminder that an evil, tyrannical regime govern them and that communism has no place in Britain.

The Labour Party has shifted to the far-left and has purged the moderates. Their use of populism to gain power will allow them to implement radical socialist policies that will find their endpoint in communism.