Chapter 46: The Achievements and Failures of Seventeen U.S. Presidents in the Struggle Against Communism (4)

XIII. George H.W. Bush Saved Deng Xiaoping in 1989

The unprecedented million-strong demonstration demanding democracy in Tiananmen Square in 1989 was a powerful movement that captivated the international community. The New York Times devoted an unprecedented month to its front page, headline, and banner coverage, causing a sensation both domestically and internationally. However, President George H.W. Bush (1924-2018), aside from ordering the embassy to monitor the continuous hunger strikes in Tiananmen Square, remained completely silent and offered no support whatsoever, greatly surprising international opinion. In this month-long movement involving millions, Deng Xiaoping dared to deploy 100,000 troops to massacre the protesters in Tiananmen Square, resulting in the deaths of over 30,000 people (according to the latest information on the handling of the bodies in 2020, this included a small number of soldiers). General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was dismissed and placed under house arrest, and hundreds of intellectuals were wanted by the authorities. The Tiananmen Movement was a complete failure. Deng Xiaoping’s success in wielding the “Four Principles” was largely due to President Bush’s policy of non-interference and lack of support for the movement, which allowed Deng Xiaoping to act with impunity.

According to the memoirs of James Lilley (1928-2009), the then U.S. Ambassador to China during the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, President George H.W. Bush sided with Deng Xiaoping throughout the entire event, not with Congress, and worked to ensure Deng’s survival. After the Tiananmen Square crackdown, on June 23, Bush wrote to Deng requesting a meeting with the secret envoy visiting China. On June 25, Deng agreed to meet with Bush’s envoy. On July 2, Deng met with White House National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and Deputy Secretary of State Lawence Eagleburger. Deng impatiently listened to Scowcroft say, “Congress wants to impose harsher sanctions on China, and the President opposes it.” Although Bush opposed it, the vote was almost unanimous, and Bush would continue to oppose the bill. Deng Xiaoping, impatient with the tedious details of American politics, focused on the history of China’s past humiliations. He stated, “China’s internal affairs are not to be interfered with. Voice of America is the biggest source of rumors. The US Congress’s actions against China are based on these rumors.”

Fearing Deng’s displeasure, Bush again invoked Nixon’s name in October to advocate for the US. Nixon, who initiated US-China relations, was highly respected by Chinese leaders. In October 1989, at Bush’s request, Nixon visited Beijing. Foreign Minister Qian Qichen hosted a banquet for him, showcasing Nixon’s shrewd diplomatic skills. Nixon was lavish in his praise and frankly discussed the brutal suppression of students.

After the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Bush repeatedly opened doors for China, approving a special waiver in July, easing military sanctions in October, allowing Chinese officials to return to the US, and continuing the “Peace Pearl” program to upgrade Chinese fighter jets. This facilitated another visit to Beijing in December by Bush and his delegation, allowing China to recover from its lowest point.

George H.W. Bush lacked the resolve to resolutely fight communism, sacrificing freedom and democracy while saving Deng Xiaoping.

XIV. Clinton Fattened the CCP, No Freedom and Democracy Found

Bill Clinton (1946-) believed that economic development would promote freedom and democracy in the CCP. Under Clinton’s fervent push, Congress passed a resolution in 2000 granting the CCP permanent Most Favored Nation status, eliminating the need for annual approvals. In 2001, the CCP officially joined the WTO, becoming a full member. A large influx of foreign investment entered mainland China, increasing from $47 billion in 2001 to $124 billion in 10 years. Simultaneously, the US-China trade deficit increased from 2001 to $279 billion in 2008, further increasing to $355.8 billion in 2015, and projected to reach $600 billion in 2022. Unemployment in the US manufacturing sector increased by 2.4 million workers between 1999 and 2011.

Mainland China became the world’s second-largest economy, but “Chinese freedom” has not materialized. The CCP has not fulfilled a single one of its WTO commitments. Free markets require the rule of law, but the CCP prioritizes the Party over the law; the law must obey the Party. For the CCP, greater economic growth means greater political control, increasing its manipulative power. The internet is not free; Xi Jinping personally heads the internet control group, directly managing it, banning foreign media from entering China, and imposing strict domestic surveillance and control. The internet has become a tool for the CCP to control thought.

Clinton lobbied Congress, saying, “China’s accession to the WTO can weaken the government’s ability to control the people, while exporting the values ​​of economic freedom to China.” More than a decade of experience shows that they are fraudsters, exploiting loopholes in WTO rules, cunningly maneuvering within them, deceiving for as long as possible. Businessmen have no homeland; they deal with the devil for profit. The CCP violates its promise not to force foreign companies to transfer technology; 20% of foreign-invested enterprises in China, including those in the aerospace and chemical industries, have been forced to hand over technology in order to do business in mainland China.

Clinton said, “China’s success is not a threat to the United States; China is moving towards great unification, which is entirely beneficial.” In 1998, Clinton took a delegation of 1200 people to China, surpassing Reagan’s 600-person delegation in 1984. Several large planes transported 60 tons of communications equipment, hundreds of officials, hundreds of business people, 370 journalists, and a professional band of dozens of people. The “Commander-in-Chief of Tourism” personally conducted the band’s performance, and Jiang Zemin also personally conducted a chorus to welcome them. The nine-day trip included visits to Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, and Hong Kong.

Clinton’s famous campaign slogan, “Idiot, the problem is the economy!” may be true in the United States, but for the CCP, it should be: “Idiot, the problem is politics.” The CCP adheres to “Four Principles,” with politics as its foundation and its top priority. To counter the CCP, both political and economic means must be used simultaneously to be effective. Otherwise, one will only be deceived. Clinton’s biggest mistake was being deceived into bringing the CCP into the WTO, helping the CCP rise and replacing civilization with totalitarianism. Clinton failed miserably in his struggle against the Communist Party.

XV. Bush’s Misguided “Alliance with the CCP in the Fight Against Terror” Granted the CCP a Golden Decade of Development

On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists launched a surprise attack on the World Trade Center and other locations, killing nearly 3,000 Americans and enraging President George W. Bush (1946–). In October 2001, Bush launched the war in Afghanistan to combat terrorists. In March 2003, he launched the Iraq War, overthrowing Saddam Hussein’s regime. However, no “weapons of mass destruction” were later discovered, making the invasion of Iraq a mistake. Despite these errors, the Iraq War lasted for ten years, consuming a great deal of American resources.

The CCP expressed support for the US’s fight against terrorism, pleased that the US had diverted attention from it. Bush’s “alliance with the CCP in the fight against terrorism,” lacking Reagan’s clear understanding of the evil nature of communism, allowed the CCP, which had been “keeping a low profile,” to escape, giving it a golden decade of strategic opportunity. Bush effectively continued Clinton’s dovish policy towards the CCP, leading to a rapid rise in the CCP’s national power. Jiang Zemin “quietly made a fortune,” while the US fought wars on the front lines, and the CCP reaped the rewards behind the scenes, quickly becoming the world’s second-largest economy.

In 2003, driven by the families of victims of communism, the US Congress passed a resolution to establish the Victims of Communism Foundation, erecting a memorial in Washington, D.C., choosing the “Goddess of Democracy” statue from the Tiananmen Square Massacre as its symbol. On June 12, 2007, President Bush attended the memorial’s inauguration ceremony, stating in his speech that “Communism took the lives of tens of thousands of Chinese and Soviet citizens, including many who died during the Great Leap Forward, the Great Famine, and the Cultural Revolution. Evil is real and must be faced.”

On May 8, 2005, George W. Bush, attending the Latvian Conference, also said: “The Yalta Agreement inherited the unjust tradition of the Munich Agreement and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact; it was an agreement of great powers. Sacrificing smaller nations, the US must bear responsibility for the division of Europe caused by the agreement. We have learned a lesson; this is one of the biggest mistakes in history, and we will not repeat it.” President Bush’s reflection stemmed from the great humility of liberal politics.

George W. Bush, instead of confronting communism, focused solely on combating international terrorism, failing to grasp the broader international landscape. His involvement in the Afghan War and the disastrous invasion of Iraq exacerbated his vulnerability to the CCP, a major enemy. Later, two speeches demonstrated that Bush finally recognized the evil of communism and strongly declared his anti-communist stance.

XVI. Obama Missed the Opportunity to Support Hu Jintao’s Confucius Statue as a Transitional Principle

In 2011, Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CCP and leader of the democratic reform movement, erected a 9-meter-high, 9-ton statue of Confucius in Tiananmen Square, intending to revive the faith. However, it was forcibly removed three months later by the de facto leader Jiang Zemin. President Obama (Barack Obama, 1961–) remained completely silent, missing the opportunity to support Hu Jintao’s revival of Confucius and preparation for democratic transition. The Confucian revival and democratic transition movement was aborted.

Hu Jintao intended to replace Mao Zedong’s class struggle with Confucian “harmonious politics.” In 2006, he published an article titled “Social Harmony is a Chinese Characteristic,” specifically proposing the democratic political slogan “Governing for the people, power belonging to the people,” preparing for the transition from communist to democratic politics. In 2009, Hu Jintao personally oversaw the production of the film “Confucius.” He also ordered the nationwide production of 270 “Harmony” high-speed trains, which were then used to promote a harmonious society and harmonious politics.

If President Obama had promptly issued a statement supporting Hu Jintao’s revival of Confucius and peaceful transition to democracy, it would have greatly encouraged people from all walks of life in China, including the Party, government, military, and civilians. With strong US support, Jiang Zemin would not have dared to arbitrarily order the removal of Confucius statues, significantly strengthening Hu Jintao’s political position. In 2011, Li Keqiang, Hu Jintao’s preferred candidate, might have succeeded him as General Secretary, rather than Xi Jinping, as designated by Jiang Zemin. Li Keqiang’s succession would have realized Hu Jintao’s revival of Confucius and transition to democracy, sparing China the 10-year disaster that Xi Jinping faced.

XVII. President Biden Twice Let Xi Jinping Off the Hook

President Biden (Joe Biden, 1942-) took office in 2021. In May, he vowed to thoroughly investigate the origins of Xi Jinping’s COVID-19 virus. The order to mobilize dozens of supercomputers for investigation and analysis, and to produce a report within three months, put immense pressure on Xi Jinping. The 2019 Wuhan virus spread globally, and there was a wealth of information available. 90% of the data confirmed the virus originated from a leak in Wuhan. Xi Jinping panicked and was unprepared, and he was likely to repeat the tactics he used against the Director-General of the UN Health Commission, secretly bribing him with large sums of money. The Director-General would then remain silent. Xi Jinping could easily use Biden’s son, who did business in China, to offer a large bribe; given Biden’s wealth, $300 million or $500 million would be no problem.

In August 2021, the three-month investigation period ended, and the White House remained silent, omitting the report from the dozens of supercomputers. The virus origin tracing was silent, which puzzled the press. The White House officials used “insufficient evidence” as an excuse, and quickly began preparations for the November Xi-Biden video summit, completely omitting the virus from their discussion.

In the autumn of 2022, Xi Jinping went into overdrive preparing for his illegal 10-year term, aiming for a lifelong reign. The entire Party and nation rallied to oppose his illegitimate re-election. Large banners proclaimed “Xi Jinping Step Down,” and rumors of a “coup” circulated, suggesting the rise of reformist Premier Li Keqiang. It seemed that a statement from the US president would be crucial to Xi’s re-election.

At this critical juncture, President Biden remained remarkably silent in August, September, and October. People realized that Xi was resorting to his old tactic of bribing officials to keep quiet, thus depriving reformists of US support. Biden’s silence, in the face of Xi’s apparent attempt to restore the regime of Mao Zedong, was tantamount to condoning Xi’s continued rule.

At this critical moment, a single word of opposition from Biden would have been a tremendous boost to reformists, significantly increasing the anti-Xi momentum. With strong opposition from the Party, government, military, and the people, coupled with US support, Xi’s resignation would be inevitable. The illegal removal of reformist elder Hu Jintao from the podium would have prevented this charade.

Some Republicans want to investigate Biden’s bank accounts, which is reasonable, but it’s difficult to investigate the bank accounts of a sitting president. The truth will surely come out after he leaves office or even passes away.