Advancing Human Rights and Democracy in China/China and the World Economy

Posted by Michael Anderson on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

External Podcast: Visit Digging-to-China.com to listen

Segment 1: Advancing Human Rights and Democracy in China

Falun Gong and the China Democratic Party emerged almost simultaneously ten years ago. In 1999, ten thousand practitioners of Falun Gong appeared silently and respectfully at the Chinese government leadership compound in Beijing to protest the beatings of forty fellow members in a nearby city. At the same time, the China Democratic Party registered as an opposition party to advance prospects for political pluralism in China. Both groups were met with a tidal wave of repression generated by former president Jiang Zemin which left a sea of human suffering in its shocking wake. One of the victimized groups is a spiritual apolitical movement and the other group is extremely political, so what are the prospects for Falun Gong and the CDP helping advance human rights and democracy in China?

Guests: Caylan Ford, Senior Analyst, Falun Dafa Information Center, and Tim Cooper, Executive Director, Worldrights

Segment 2: China and the World Economy

One year after the near-collapse of the global financial system this much is clear: the financial world as we knew it is over and something new is rising from its ashes. One year later, the easy-money system that financed the boom-era that lasted from the 1980’s until a year ago has been smashed. Once ravenous U.S. comsumers are saving money and paying down debt. Banks are building reserves and hoarding cash, and governments are fashioning a new global financial order. Forming a sharp contrast, the Chinese central bank said that the country’s economy surged at an annual rate of 14.9% in the second quarter while the United States economy shrank at an annual rate of 1% in that same period. It is quite obvious that the U.S. consumer alone will no longer be the locomotive of the world economy. The million dollar question is, will another country, such as China, fill the vacuum?

Guest: Robert Sherretta, President, International Investor Corporation

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