Dr Steve Tsang comments on the legacy of Sun Yat-sen
Steve Tsang was quoted in an article published by the South China MorningPost (10 October) about the legacy of Sun Yat-sen, the man widely regarded as the founder of modern China. The article explores the problems that the Chinese Communist Party has faced in dealing withthis legacy. Sun Yat-sen was the revolutionary who was instrumental in ending the Imperial age in China, but his Three Principles of the People Minzu (nationalism), Minquan (democracy) and Minsheng (peoples livelihood) have not always sat comfortably with Communist ideology.
Steve says: I dont think the Chinese Communist Party has inherited the Three Principles from Sun Yat-sen, adding, Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek did, and eventually developed, as required under the three principles, into a genuine democracy, where social inequality is relatively modest for a state at its stage of development, and its people proud of who they are.
He goes on to say that despite this the Chinese Communist party is still keen to be seen as a successor to Sun Yat-sens vision, particularly with regard to Nationalism, although he adds that the nationalism the Chinese Communist party isdifferent tothat of Yat-sen.
The full article can be read here.
(Photograph courtesy of Lokiloki.)
