China - Looking Ahead by Looking Back
By Franz Schurmann & Andrew Lam, Pacific News Service, May 2, 2001

A major gathering of business and government officials in Hong Kong, sponsored by an American business magazine, provides a sort of prism through which to view China's attitudes toward itself and the world. Some of those views are based on past glories -- and that may prove instructive in more ways than one. PNS Editor Franz Schurmann, professor emeritus of history and sociology at UC Berkeley, has published many books on foreign affairs. Andrew Lam is an associate editor of PNS.

China's leaders have been talking a lot about the Tang Dynasty recently.

For example, China's President Jiang Zemin will open an international business conference in Hong Kong, sponsored by Fortune magazine from May 8-10, with a speech on the theme, "Aiming at the Tang Dynasty's Golden Age."

The Tang Dynasty, born in the year 618, was a magnificent period. Many Chinese, especially from the south, still call themselves the people of the Tang.

It was a time of major public works. Religions, mainly Taoism and Buddhism, prospered, partly because printing was relatively easy and inexpensive. There was a blossoming in the arts, poetry, architecture, medicine, and astrology.

Prosperous cities sprang up. Even peasants shared in the wealth as grain moved north and south over the Grand Canal. Foreigners flocked to China from everywhere.

The Tang capital Changan was up the Yellow River not far from Tibetan, Iranian and Turkic realms. The Tibetans who came during this period were new converts to Buddhism, but also had military strength. The Iranians, mostly Buddhist or Zoroastrian, were awesome merchants. And the Turks, mostly Buddhist but with some Nestorian Christians, were fearsome warriors.

But the Tang Dynasty's prosperity lasted only about 125 years. Chinese history books blame the rapid spread of Buddhism -- they used block printing to flood the country with books and tracts -- and foreigners, especially the Turks. Though their loyalty was dubious at best, many Turks joined the army, giving the Tang military strength.

In the 750s, after some years of military discontent, troops led by a Turkic general rebelled and plunged China into its worst civil war until modern times. Peace was restored, but the dynasty limped along in tatters until it died in 906.

Jiang's selective use of the Tang dynasty may have moved one Chinese language newspaper to run an article about efforts of officials in Guangdong province to cut down on Hong Kong television.

Modern communication tools, especially the Internet, are key to bringing China's glorious new age. But all sorts of foreign ideas also come in with the Internet -- especially from Hong Kong -- including some that dissent from official orthodoxy.

During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist and Taoist priests published tracts arguing against Confucianism, for individuality and freedom.

China is now full of old and new creeds. Even President Jiang has admitted his fascination with religion -- including the Falungong, a creed rooted in both Taoism and Buddhism.

Falungong adherents have become stubborn opponents of the Chinese government -- the government that is now in Hong Kong drumming up investment for its huge development programs, especially American entrepreneurs.

Americans are banging on China's door, some as missionaries, others in military clothing, and others as corporate merchants. Indeed, in Chinese minds, Americans have qualities similar to the foreigners who once settled in China during the Tang Dynasty. Americans have awesome military and technological power. And the potential of bringing great changes and chaos to the Middle Kingdom.

If all this is so, then President Jiang Zemin's Tang metaphor may turn out to be more than a simple prediction. After all, potential prosperity comes along with potential chaos and upheaval, or so China's history amply illustrates.