Chinese Dream

In early seventeenth century, Pilgrims started an effort to build a land of freedom and opportunities. To achieve them has been called American dream. On another continent, China began to refer to achieving China dream. Still, it is unclear what exactly the dream is. Although the Chinese have every right to be prosperous, they need to be careful of harming its neighbors by being preoccupied with seeking their dream.

The speech of new president of China, Xi Jinping, was wholly filled with self-assurance. “To achieve Chinese dream, you need to uphold Chinese spirit. That is the national spirit with a core of patriotism, or the spirit in the time of reform,” told Xi in the closing remarks of the People’s National Congress on Sunday. So, what is the definition of Chinese dream?

According to a report of Sankei Shimbun, Xi reiterated the definition of the dream as “great restoration of Chinese nation.” Behind that concept, there is a sentiment that the Chinese have been forced to stay in a humiliating situation after the defeat in the Opium War in the middle of nineteenth century. The dream for China would be taking back those one hundred and seventy years and emerging to the world as a superpower.

One of the ways for achieving the dream should be expanding to Pacific Ocean. Xi emphasized the necessity of strengthening military power to achieve the goal of making a super power. With maintaining moderate relationship with the United States, China try to get rid of Japan’s influence in the East China Sea by frequently invade Japanese territory around Senkaku islands. Listing the words such as sovereignty, territorial security or national unity, China is justifying its aggression to the sovereignty of Japan.

China defined the Sankaku as a core interest last year. Even though the Chinese want to take Senkaku to cast their power to the ocean, it should not be tolerated to unilaterally invade other’s territory with a background of military power. And the Chinese also have to take care of their growth based on sacrifices of others. It is recognized that polluted air in industrial region in China is flowing to other nation’s territory. Responsibility for the residents in this planet matters.

As long as the people in China is enthusiastic about their growth, it would be unlikely for them to look back and think about their neighbors. But if they ignore their responsibility and others’ inalienable values, they will again be isolated in the world. If the dream had an intoxicative effect, they are looking like going toward another Opium War. The world is not as simple as it used to be one hundred and seventy years ago.