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 BILLY
O. WIREMAN
What China Really Wants
By: Henry Bostic
Making what has become an annual appearance before Charlotte Rotary
to talk about the emerging new China, Queens University
President-emeritus Billy O. Wireman elaborated on his on-going
interpretation of what the world’s most populous country wants
today.
China, said Wireman, wants to be rich, powerful and respected. It
wants to be a friend of America. It wants North Korea disarmed of
its nuclear weapons “but not a failed state.” It wants Taiwan in the
Chinese fold and Hong Kong a prosperous colony. It wants to be the
“power broker of Asia.”
But most of all said Wireman, who is soon to make his 36th trip to
China, the Chinese “want to rid themselves of the perceptions of
being victims of someone else. They were humiliated by the West. If
they can get by that, they believe it’s their time on earth.”
China has become rich, powerful and respected, said Wireman. It has
reached superpower economic status. Its economy is the seventh
largest in the world.
“Even now North Korean Premier Kim Jong Il, who is either a
brilliant leader or a certified idiot,” is talking with the Chinese
at the request of the U.S. China doesn’t want a North Korea with
nuclear weapons but it also “doesn’t want a failed North Korean
state which will mean U.S. troops on the Chinese border and they
won’t stand for that.” At the United Nations China holds a permanent
seat on the Security Council. In most cases it acts responsibly,
Wireman said. “They have a seat at the big table.”
Vice President Dick Cheney recently spoke to some 5,000
English-speaking students in Beijing. He “pulled no punches,” he
said. The hard-hitting speech outlined the kinds of personal
freedoms that China will need to guarantee in the future. Students
gave him a standing ovation, Wireman said. The speech was broadcast
in English without censorship but the version in Chinese removed all
references to personal freedoms and democracy.
They will learn as did Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia, he said,
that “you can’t have economic freedom without political freedom.
Economic prosperity won’t last in the face of political stagnation.”
Wireman cited statistics indicating the magnitude of the Chinese
miracle since Deng Ziaoping in 1978 unleashed farmers to grow and
sell what they want. There has been $800 billion in direct foreign
investment, second only to the U.S. China has $450 billion in
foreign reserves, second only to Japan, but is number one if the
$200 million controlled by Taiwan and Hong Kong is added in.
They have had success in reincorporating Hong Kong, although
difficult problems remain. Tourism is booming. They have just joined
the World Trade Organization. Said Wireman, the U.S. trade deficit
with China is $124 billion, $13 million accounted for by Wal-Mart
alone.
The 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing “is the most significant
development in the country’s history,” he said, and could do for
China what hosting the games did earlier for the international
reputations of Japan and South Korea. But, he noted, “it will be
interesting how they handle the 4,000 to 5,000 Western journalists
that will cover the Olympics and go poking all around the city and
the countryside. They will not take no for an answer.”
Relations with Taiwan are still a major sticking point. Various
treaties have the U.S. acknowledging that Taiwan is a Chinese
province but also committing the U.S. to protect the country is the
Chinese attack. Today, the Taiwanese have invested more than $100
billion in the Chinese mainland and more than 500,000 Taiwanese are
living and working on the mainland.
Wireman predicted that there probably would not be war between the
two because of the economic and business ties. “At the end of the
day, business interests will win out.
One of the greatest problems facing the nation of 1.9 billion is
“very, very widespread corruption.” A country whose economy has been
growing by 10 percent a year for 20 years can “no longer be
controlled by five or six old men.”
In answer to a question, Wireman said he did not believe China
wanted to be a military super power. “I don’t believe they’re
interested in imperialism.” Relatively speaking, military
expenditures are modest, especially when compared to the U.S. He
also noted that China has no “blue water navy.”
Wireman said that he interviewed his interpreter on his first visit
to China and Tiananmen Square in 1978. He asked her what she wanted
for China. Mao was still in control. There were giant posters of
Marx, Engels, Stalin and Mao in the Square. The interpreter replied:
“We want to export Mao’s revolutionary zeal to the world. We want
China in the front row.”
Wireman said he asked similar questions of a recent Beijing
University graduate in his last visit in 2001. Instead of in
Tiananmen Square, he interviewed the young woman in the lobby of the
luxurious Palace Hotel, part of the Peninsula Group of high-end
properties. Her response nearly 25 years later to what she wants or
Chine: “Love China. Believe in God. Lock you car. Learn English.”
What a change!
Wireman, an honorary member of the club, has a new book coming out
soon, Lessons from the Big Guys: What I Learned from Servant Leaders
Jack Eckerd, Bill Lee, Hugh McColl and Adolph Rupp.
Head Table:
John Snyder, Doug Bean, Carol Jordan,
Tom Robertson, Dee Milligan, Randy Minter
Visitors and Guests:
Invocation: Phil Van Hoy; Visitors &
Guests: Julius Melton; Song: David Erdman
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2003-04
RI
Theme
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z Katie
Tyler
was appointed to be in charge of the
day-to-day operations of the Humane Society.
z
Thomas Moore
received the 2004 Golden Banana Peel Award by the OMIMEO Mime
Theatre. The “Bananies” are affectionately given to those in our
midst who have brought us smiles over the years.
z
Claude Lilly
reflected on his first job as assistant deputy insurance
commissioner in Georgia at the age of 20, saying it was really
difficult dealing with people much older. He had to overcome
that quickly in order to be successful.
z
The Salvation Army
Women’s Auxiliary Festival of Tables luncheon set a fundraising
record during their March 24 event. Of course, Captain Michele Matthews
was on hand to make sure
things went off without a hitch. Several members of Charlotte
Rotary are on the Salvation Army Board, and
Barbara Robertson
(Tom’s
wife) will be their President next year.
z
IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT...Charlotte Rotary will be
moving to the Adams Mark Hotel effective July 1, 2004. More to
come. |
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DISTRICT CONFERENCE UPDATE
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Charlotte Rotary was awarded the Community
Service Award for the Crisis Assistance Ministry project. Thanks
to all members that participated in this outstanding club
effort. And special thanks to Jim Adams and Carol Hughes.
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President Tom was given a banner of members from
Charlotte Rotary that had gone on to be District Governors. The
Charlotte Club had twelve DG’s, with the next closest club
having four. A few DG’s from Charlotte Rotary: Bill Poe (father
of Ken Poe), Joe Moore (father-in-law of Fred Lowrance), and Pat
Gilcrest (grandfather of Pat Millen).
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An update on the club’s WW II project was
presented to the conference and everyone was most amazed. The
Gastonia clubs are working on an impressive project that
involves building a Pavilion in their downtown area.
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Three Charlotte Rotarians were honored during the
Memorial Service with a white rose and candle. President Tom
presented John Layne’s widow, Judy, with the rose and program
after returning from the conference.
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Powell Majors was named Charlotte Rotary’s
2003-2004 Distinguished Rotarian. However, he was unable to
attend the conference because he was home celebrating Dot’s 95th
birthday!
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R. POWELL MAJORS
2003-2004 DISTINGUISHED ROTARIAN |
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Attendance
Record |
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4/20/04 |
4/15/03 |
| visitors &
guests |
17 |
9 |
| club
members |
194 |
194 |
| total
attendance |
211 |
203 |
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Wedding
Anniversaries |
02 Suzanne and Louis Bledsoe
02 Jill and Ron Mikels |
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New Members | Resignations |
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| Roaming
Rotarians |
Sharon O’Morrow, Country Down, Northern Ireland
Tom Burgess, Freehold, NJ; Cologne Dom, Germany; Wurtzburg,
Germany; Krefeld, Germany | |
| Birthdays and
Birthplaces |
27 Rex Welton, Charlotte, NC
28 Jim Alexander, Charlotte, NC
29 Bill Morrison, Brooklyn, NY
02 Martin Welton, Charlotte, NC |
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