Now is Tibet, tomorrow it could be Taiwan / Ara es el Tibet, un dia potser sera Formosa

Haver visitat fa poc durant 3 dies una ciutat de la Xina no em dona cap autoritat sobre el Tibet i els afers relacionats amb els JJOO, pero haver seguit les noticies i la premsa especialitzada, i haver mantingut orelles i ulls ben oberts mentre erem a la regio, m'ha permes formar una opinio personal sobre la realitat xinesa. En la nostra visita a Chauzhou el primer que varem notar va ser una gran inversio en infraestructures, principalment carreteres; tambe varem notar una constant agressio a l'entorn al llarg de les carreteres per on varem viatjar en forma d'abocaments indiscriminats. Mentre que algunes zones del centre de les ciutats, tant a Shenzhen com a Chauzhou, semblaven haver estat desenvolupades recentment, aquesta expansio nomes consistia en edificacions gegants sense deixar lloc a arees de lleure. Els nous enclavaments per a habitatge eren purament funcionals sense deixar arribar la llum natural als pisos que s'amuntegaven en blocs els uns massa prop dels altres. Dels espais interiors no en puc dir res ja que no els varem visitar. Passejant per la part vella de la ciutat varem constatar que els negocis individuals amb prou feines generen el suficient per sobreviure i, observant la vida quotidiana de la gent, semblava que la vida era ben senzilla. El transport en tricicle comparteix els carrers amb cotxes de luxe i molts i molts autobusos La meva primera impressio va ser d'estar en un estat capitalista en gran desenvolupament, sense pero, les llibertats i els dretss a que estem acostumats a l'oest. Jutjant pels resultats economics de la Xina un nomes pot pensar en un estat capitalista molt agressiu amb dos tipus de normes, una cara a fora de lliure competencia i un altre d'estricte control de la produccio i els seus mitjants cara a la seva poblacio. El nombre de vehicles de luxe em fa sospitar que la corrupcio es un sistema ben establert per aconseguir favors o drets especials. L'exit economic de la Xina es d'els xinesos, pero tambe en part es el resultat de les aspiracions de les empreses occidentals-i els seus accionistes-, i a la llarga poden costar car a les nostres economies; potser caldria que pensessim on volem que es fabriquin els nostres bens. Pels seus preus favorables, massa sovint hem mirat cap a l'altra banda, i ara amb els JJOO a sobre, una vegada mes ens taparem els ulls, mentre ens serveixin els seus productes a bon preu... Pero, es acceptable aquest preu? Els abusos de la Xina no es limiten a l'ocupacio i les massacres portades a terme al Tibet des de 1950, tambe impliquen el desplacament constant de la seva poblacio, enviant gent Han a viure-hi per "diluir" la causa tibetana, obligant a qualsevol ciutada xines a canviar la seva residencia quan el govern ho ha volgut, menyspreant els mes basics drets. A la Xina res ha canviat des que els estudiants varen prendre Tiananmen, amb la diferencia que com que l'economia creix rapidament el govern ara pot -si ho vol- comprar tots i cada un dels ciutadans a mes d'utilitzar l'arengada nacionalista per guanyar-se el seu recolzament en grans causes internacionals, sovint fent de victima. Fa ben poc varem escoltar al president xines dir que esta disposat a "parlar del que sigui amb el Dalai Lama, sempre que aquest no questioni la integritat de la Xina, ja que tant en el Tibet com Formosa en son parts indiscutibles".

Having recently spent 3 days in a city in China does not give me any authority on the Tibet and related Games' issues. However, having been following the news and reading specialized press as well as keeping my ears and eyes well open whilst in the region, allows me to have formed a strong personal opinion on China's reality. On our visit to Chauzhou the first thing we noticed was lots of investment in infrastructures, mainly on roads; we also noticed a constant agression to the environment on both sides of the roads we traveled along, consisting of several dumping sites and rubbish landfills. Whilst some city centre areas, both in Shenzhen and Chauzhou, seem to have been recently developed, this has been done on a large scale, with only buildings of gigantic proportions, leaving no space for leasure areas. New housing developments seemed to lack any "luxurious" access to natural light and buildings were piled one next to the other, becoming just functional. As we did not visit any inside, I cannot coment on their living spaces. Walking the old town we saw how individual businesses struggle to generate a sizeable income and from seeing the population's daily activity, I suspect they live a very basic way of life. Cycle richshaws share the road with new luxury cars and many, many buses. My first impression was that of a fast developing capitalist state without any of the freedom or rights we enjoy in the west. Judging by China's economic results, I can only think of a very agressive capitalist system using two sets of rules: free competition towards the outside and strict state control of production and its means towards their people. On account of the luxury vehicles we saw, I can only suspect corruption as a well established system to obtain special rights or privileges. China's economic success is their own doing, but also the result of western companies -and their share holders- greed, and eventually could cost our economies dearly; perhaps it is time we reconsider where we want our goods produced. Because of their favourable prices we have become complacent and often turn a blind eye, and now, with the Olympic Games around the corner, we are once more prepared to close both eyes, as long as we can buy their goods cheaply. But, are they so cheap? China's abuses aren't limited to the occupation and continued masscre of Tibet since 1950, they also involve the constant displacement of their population, sending Han people into the region in order to dilute the Tibetan feeling, forcing anyone the government wants, to move to other regions, in a clear show of disregard for people's basic rights. Nothing has changed for the Chinese since the students took Tiananmen, except perhaps that their economy is growing at such rate that the government can, when they want, buy each and everyone of its citizens, often stirring nationalistic feelings to gain support for big international issues and playing victim. We have recently heard the Chinese president say he is "prepared to discuss anything with the Dalai Lama, as long as he does not question China's integrity, as both Tibet and Taiwan are inseparable parts of it".