Changing China by Respecting Liberty is the Principled, Prudent Path

by Joseph Yi

Living next to the People's Republic of China (PRC) sensitizes one to its complex relationship with human liberty. An overwhelming 92% of South Koreans believe that the PRC does not respect personal freedoms, exemplified by its demands for political conformity in Hong Kong.  

But since post-1978 economic reforms, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime has also overseen the greatest expansion of economic well-being for the most number of people in the shortest amount of time. 

Michigan political scientist Ron Inglehart theorized that economic development kindles individualism. And London School of Economics' Keyu Jin finds that the younger generations are "open-minded on a whole range of issues, so much more than their parents."

Reflecting on this complex dynamic, one sees a mix of party conformity (loyalty to the CCP regime) and critical individualism among the huge influx of overseas Chinese students. In 2019, pre-pandemic, 71,067 Chinese students were enrolled in South Korea, accounting for 44.4% of the international student population. 

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