Global Q&A: ‘What do you think is best for the future of China?’

Eugene, New York, USA (The Epoch Times)

Stopping business with China, changing to some form of democracy, and having patience and faith things will get better, are what Epoch Times reporters from New York to Romania found when they asked locals:

New York, USA Eugene, 70, Retired The best way ... the leader must be strong like [Lech] Walesa in Poland. He took the people together to say no more Russia in Poland, no more communism, and they made it. I’m upset about Chinese people, any communist country. Look what happens. Why do capitalist countries make business with China—Germany, England, [and] France. Why not stop this?

Lima, Peru Roger Aponte, 34, Logistics Specialist The economy of most countries depends on the products that China exports. ... Now, about the future of China’s population, knowing that there is at this moment an instability in the regime, it is desirable to have patience and faith that things will get better. It seems that the current regime was not suitable for the future of their nation.

Bucharest, Romania Vlad Russo, 62, Senior Editor I think of a model of democracy even if it’s hard to face for a 1.3 billion-people population. Anyway, there is India, as a good example of democracy for a similar number of people, even if India inherited its democratic experience from England.

Buderim, Australia Bruce Mathewson, 65, Business Owner They’re hard workers. I think they are more westernized at the present moment. That’s a better thing; they’ve got to start and look the way we live as well, and not be too self-centered. And have a broader outlook on the whole world. And look at the world not with blinkers on—just have a good hard look at everyone, and don’t get too self-centered, and consider every other country. They’re just good hard workers, but the trouble is, I think they get a bit brainwashed some of them.

Mora, Sweden Jorgen Pettersson, 44, Salesmen Some kind of democracy is needed. Now it is a dictatorship down there, so there needs to be democratically elected leadership first and foremost.

India Varghese Koshy, 54, Journalist China has not really achieved what it set out to achieve after Deng Xiaoping came to power in 1978. Deng ridiculed the Cultural Revolution slogan that held it was “better to be poor under socialism than rich under capitalism.” Deng’s slogan had instead said: “Poverty is not socialism.” He encouraged the creation of a market economy and capitalist-like enterprises. … China has become rich, but many people still remain poor. The West had hoped China would embrace some kind of a democratic setup. That has not taken place, and doesn’t seem likely in the near future.

Itatiba, São Paulo, Brazil Sergio Docal, 59, Retired I think capitalism is a necessary evil, not only for China, but also for the world, as it is the best model among the others that exist (socialism or communism). This is what encourages more growth, both economic and personal affairs. Imagine a trader earning the same salary as a sweeper, or a medical doctor? It is because of this that I think China will have to open the market and become a capitalist system.

Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “Do you think the number of natural resources we extract from the Earth is sustainable?”