I'm not a very political person. I'm very skeptical of politics in Canada. I don't write much about it. But this is one case that screams out for something.

When I was in law school, I did a course relating to freedom of information in which I asserted, among many things, that freedom of information was fundamental to economic development. In what is considered by many to be a developing country with great potential, China doesn't seem to really have much in the way of freedom of information.

I'm not just talking about the government withholding internal memorandum that would affect it's accountability with the public; it's about not even allowing foreign press to travel to Tibet to report about escalating conflict. Even worse, the government controlled media is attempting to spin this matter by showing that Buddhist monks started the riot. That's right, it's not a typo.

Although China is moving in the right direction by granting property rights in hopes of eventually moving towards a civil code, it still has not addressed issues relating to it's freedom of press. However, without freedom of information from the press, citizens and foreign investment will have little trust to the government, China will reach a ceiling to it's economic growth. China's done a great job promoting it's market economy, but the basis of the government is still that of a communist state. Is this really the place that deserves the 2008 summer Olympics and considerable foreign investment? That's not for me to answer.

On a side note, I find it hilarious how communist countries continually need to assert that they are "democratic" or a "republic". Just look at the "Republic of Cuba" as another example.

I guess this means I can't travel to China without facing the wrath of the government. Maybe not even Hong Kong given that joke of a constitution that exists there. Then again, I'm assuming that they actually read this blog.

        

 

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