Yang Jianli Was Invited to Speak on the Chinese Workers' Recent Protests on a TV Call-in Program by the China Forum of VOA

Dr. Yang Jianli, President of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, was invited on April 15, 2001 to speak on the Chinese workers' recent protests on the China Forum TV program. Mr. Li Qiang, Director of China Labor Watch, also joined by phone.

During the one-hour program, approximately ten listeners from China called in to ask questions and to join in the discussions. According to Mr. Yang Jianli, the Chinese government's state policy of assuring its legitimacy through economic growth has met fundamental challenges. Its ploy of buying stability once worked among government officials, the military, and some senior intellectuals. However, faced with the economic frustrations of the workers, the peasants, and the protests thereof, as well as the widespread government corruption, and the sky-rocketing deficit, the Chinese government is at its wits end. Under such circumstances, the way of handling the workers' protests and demonstrations by the government is significant and means a lot. At the same time, the workers' actions are thought-provoking for people of all circles with regard to how to proceed the reforms; they also constitute an opportune time for them to support the workers in the exercise of their constitutional rights for petition, demonstrations, and resistance. In addition, Mr. Yang Jianli set out five concrete suggestions:

1.The workers demand that the central government be the arbitrator between them on the one hand and the local government and the enterprise management on the other.

2.The central government pressures the local government and the enterprise management to make concessions to the workers' demands.

3.The government unconditionally releases the detained workers leaders.

4.The workers should have the right to establish organizations and labor unions that really act on their behalf, and in their interests.

5.The workers leaders run for the people's representative positions, and bring the interests of the group that they represent into the government decision-making process.