The heartache would come later, in years of famine, oppression and the senseless brutality of the Cultural Revolution, which between them left millions dead and stunted the lives of millions more. And later, when Mao was dead and the madness of the Red Guards just a bitter memory, would come another revolution–an economic one–which, almost certainly, raised the living standards of more people more quickly than ever before in the history of humankind. It is through those mixed messages, which blend the evil with the good, that the world–and China itself–now has to assess the meaning of the last 50 years.
For if, as Zhou Enlai is said to have remarked, it is “too early” to assess the French Revolution, the same is true of the revolution in China. That China will one day (but when?) be an economic and military power of the first rank cannot be disputed. For the moment, however, China’s sense of itself is confused, its leaders–just this year–scared witless by the actions of a sect like Falun Gong and insufficiently secure in their own power to allow their people to exercise political as well as economic freedoms.
This internal confusion feeds the sense of those who view China from afar. To the outside world, China remains something of a mystery. But it is impossible to forget or ignore. This we know; for good or bad, China will always stand tall in the world’s collective imagination.
