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Monday, December 31, 2012

The Years of Riding the Tiger

China is a continent-sized country with a history of violent revolution and chaos between eras of stability. Is chaos building in China? Some academics are worried enough to risk official displeasure by saying so.

Chinese academics are warning of problems ahead without reform:

A prominent group of Chinese academics has warned in a bold open letter that the country risks "violent revolution" if the government does not respond to public pressure and allow long-stalled political reforms.

The 73 scholars, including well-known current and retired legal experts at top universities and lawyers, said political reform had not matched the quick pace of economic expansion.

"If reforms to the system urgently needed by Chinese society keep being frustrated and stagnate without progress, then official corruption and dissatisfaction in society will boil up to a crisis point and China will once again miss the opportunity for peaceful reform, and slip into the turbulence and chaos of violent revolution," they wrote.

If violent revolution erupts, many futures are possible for China. Heck, Taiwan might conquer China if the conditions are right.