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Anti-communism in China

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Anti-communism in China (simplified Chinese: 反共主义; traditional Chinese: 反共主義; pinyin: fǎn gòng zhǔyì) has a long history. Before the Chinese Communist Revolution, anti-communist policies were implemented by the Kuomintang (KMT) and conservative warlords. Today, anti-communism in mainland China and among overseas Chinese has more to do with anti-establishment movements and support for liberal democracy.

History

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Republic of China (1912–1949)

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Chinese Kuomintang troops rounding up communist prisoners for execution in Shanghai

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Kuomintang, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party, led by Chiang Kai-shek, was ruling China and strongly opposed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On 12 April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek purged the communists in what was known as the Shanghai massacre which led to the Chinese Civil War.[1] The Kuomintang received support from fascist organizations within China such as the Blue Shirts Society, as well as external support from powers like Nazi Germany, which aided the Kuomintang heavily. The New Life Movement pushed by the Kuomintang was in opposition to the Communist movement, and had fascist tendencies.[2] Initially, the Kuomintang had success in suppressing the CCP until a full-scale invasion of China by Japan forced both the Nationalists and the CCP into an alliance.[citation needed]

To suppress CCP activities, Chiang's spymaster Dai Li employed extra-judicial means including assassination, arbitrary arrests, and torture, with Chiang's explicit or tacit approval.[3]

On 28 February 1947 the Kuomintang had cracked down on an anti-government communist[citation needed] uprising in Taiwan, a former Qing province-turned-Japanese colony ruled from 1895 to 1945, known as the February 28 incident and the government began the White Terror in Taiwan to purge the communist spies to prevent Chinese communist subversion.[4] On July 15, 1947, Document 0744 ordered the CCP and its People's Liberation Army to be called "Communist bandits".[5] After the war, the two parties were thrown back into a civil war. The Kuomintang were defeated in the mainland and retreated to Taiwan while the rest of mainland China became Communist in 1949.[citation needed]

People's Republic of China

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See also: Democracy movements of China, Protest and dissent in China, Weiquan movement, and List of Chinese dissidents

Democracy movements have been loosely organized in the People's Republic of China. The movement began during the Beijing Spring in 1978 and it also played an important role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. The 1959 Tibetan uprising had some anti-communist leanings.[6] In the 1990s, the movement underwent a decline both within China and overseas. It is currently fragmented, and most analysts do not consider it a serious threat to CCP rule.[citation needed]

Charter 08 is a manifesto which was signed by over 303 Chinese intellectuals and human rights activists who seek to promote political reform and democratization in the People's Republic of China.[7] It calls for greater freedom of expression and free elections. It was published on 10 December 2008, the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its name is a reference to Charter 77 which was issued by dissidents in Czechoslovakia.[8] Since its release, the charter has been signed by more than 8,100 people both inside and outside of China.[9][10]

Hong Kong

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A Falun Gong protest advocating quitting the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, 2005

Before 1997, most of the anti-communists were supporters of the Kuomintang.[citation needed] They opposed the CCP's rule in mainland China and its single party dictatorship.[citation needed]

Hong Kong has had numerous anti-CCP protests, supported by political parties of the pro-democracy camp. Memorials for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre have held every year in Hong Kong.[needs update] Tens of thousands of people have attended the candlelight vigil.[11]

The end of the failed 2014 Hong Kong protests marked a novel and intensified wave of moderate nationalism in the territory. Localists have fiercely opposed CCP rule since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, with some calling for independence from China. This culminated in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests and the subsequent passing of the Hong Kong national security law, which continued the gradual integration of Hong Kong with mainland China.[citation needed]

Taiwan (Republic of China, 1949–present)

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After the Great Retreat, the Republic of China (Taiwan) government remained anti-communist and attempted to recover the mainland from the Communist forces. During the Cold War, the Republic of China was known as Free China[12] while the People's Republic of China on the mainland China was known as Red China[13] or Communist China in the West, to mark the ideological difference between the Free World and Communist Socialist World. The Republic of China government also actively supported anti-communist efforts in Southeast Asia and around the world. This effort did not cease until the death of Chiang Kai-shek in 1975.[14]

Even though contacts between Kuomintang and CCP had existed since the 1990s to re-establish cross-strait relations, the Kuomintang continues to be opposed to communism, as anti-communism is written under Article 2 of Kuomintang's party charter.[15]

Taiwanese nationalists

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Some Taiwanese nationalists are also described as "anti-communist" (i.e., Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Statebuilding Party, etc.) . Anti-communist sentiments of Taiwanese nationalists are somewhat complicated; they are opposed to the CCP out of opposition to Chinese nationalism rather than right-wing anti-communist ideology itself.[citation needed]

Taiwanese nationalism is differs in detail. Seeing all Taiwanese nationalists as part of 'anti-communism in China' could be controversial. Some moderate Taiwanese nationalists ("ROC independence") accept the Republic of China as part of their country's "state/national identity," while supporters of "Taiwan independence" deny Chinese identity and only defend Taiwanese identity.[citation needed]

Anti-communist groups

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Republic of China or Taiwan

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Mainland China

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Hong Kong and Macau

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Overseas

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wilbur, Nationalist Revolution 114
  2. ^ Schoppa, R. Keith. The Revolution and Its Past Archived 2023-04-03 at the Wayback Machine (New York: Pearson Prentic Hall, 2nd ed. 2006, pp. 208–209 .
  3. ^ Fang, Qiang (2024). "Understanding the Rule of Law in Xi's China". In Fang, Qiang; Li, Xiaobing (eds.). China under Xi Jinping: A New Assessment. Leiden University Press. p. 123. ISBN 9789087284411. JSTOR jj.15136086.
  4. ^ Rubinstein, Murray A. (2007). Taiwan: A New History. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. p. 302. ISBN 9780765614957.
  5. ^ Chang, Hui-Ching; Holt, Richard (2014). "Communist bandits (共匪, gongfei) - the evil enemy". Language, Politics and Identity in Taiwan. Routledge. pp. 15–56. ISBN 9781135046354.
  6. ^ Chen Jian, The Tibetan Rebellion of 1959 and China's Changing Relations with India and the Soviet Union Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine, Cold War Studies at Harvard University
  7. ^ "Over 5000 people have signed the Charter 08 (《零八宪章》签名已超过5000人)". Boxun. 17 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 November 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  8. ^ Spencer, Richard (9 December 2008). "Chinese dissidents emulate anti-Soviet heroes with Charter 08". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  9. ^ Why China's leadership should talk to the Charter 08 movement Archived 2017-01-29 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, 30 January 2009.
  10. ^ Small green shoots of rebellion among ordinary Chinese Archived 2010-12-31 at the Wayback Machine, The Irish Times, 31 January 2009.
  11. ^ Miranda Leitsinger. "Organizers: 150,000 at Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  12. ^ L. Walker, Richard. ""Taiwan's Development as Free China", The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 321, 1959, pp. 122–135. JSTOR". Sage Publications, Inc. JSTOR 1030986. Archived from the original on 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  13. ^ "Red China: The Third Solution". Time. Times Magazine. 18 April 1955. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  14. ^ Cheung, Han (17 November 2019). "Taiwan in Time: Spies, guerillas and the final counterattack". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Party Charter". kuomintang. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2021. ... The Party unites as party members all who believe in the Three Principles of the People, both at home and overseas. It abides by the teachings of late National President, the late Director-General, and the late Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo in its wish to bring about ethnic integration, unite the people, revive Chinese culture, practice democratic constitutional government, oppose communism, oppose separatism, and champion the interests of the Chinese nation ...
  16. ^ "Taiwan's new Kuomintang leader keeps party on China-friendly track". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Taiwan presidential frontrunner accuses opposition party of being 'pro-communist'". CNA. 29 December 2023.
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