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this articleSummaries of Political View
Zhang¡¯s Country Governing Ideology
Interview with
President Zhang Hong Bao of China Shadow Government
US DIAMOND NEWS reporter Zhou Jia Jun
9/30/2003 1:54:00 AM www.world-chinese.com
US DIAMOND NEWS reporter Zhou Jia Jun reports
A year ago, Zhang Hong Bao, the founder of Zhonggong, moved to L.A. from
Washington D.C. Recently he announced at a press conference that, China Shadow
Government came into being and he was elected as the President. Its operation
starts the day it was established. This is another overseas ¡°Chinese
government¡±, following the establishment of ¡°Chinese Federal Government¡± which
was announced by Peng Ming in May in San Francisco this year. This event was
echoed in the USA, and it caused very strong reactions in Chinese communities.
Zhonggong (Chinese Life and Wisdom Enhancing Qigong) which was founded by Zhang
Hong Bao in 1987 in Beijing developed very quickly, due to very good societal
effects. Since its first day, Zhonggong has set up more than 3000 enterprises in
China and has attracted 38 million followers within more than ten years. Since
Zhang Hong Bao poses an opposite political position to CCP government, and
Zhonggong was developing quickly, CCP government takes it as a threatening
force. In 1999, while CCP government was suppressing Fa Lun Gong, it announced
Zhonggong as ¡°a political group that has the tendency of anti-revolution¡±, at
the same time, it issued an arresting warranty to Zhang Hong Bao. In the
beginning of 2000, Zhang came to USA. After over a year¡¯s ordeal, Zhang was
granted political asylum by the US government.
Zhang is a Chinese political dissident with international influence. He is very
capable, a very charismatic leader. He set up the ¡°China Shadow Government¡± in
USA. What is his motivation? Any plan? What effect will it be on the US-China
relationship? With these questions, the reporter went to Zhang¡¯s residence and
had an interview with him the other day. The following is the record of the
interview, just an objective Q &A, with no prescriptions and comments:
Q: Since the news of the establishment of your China Shadow Government came out,
there has been a strong reaction in the Chinese communities in Northern America.
Different people have different perspectives. When you were interviewed by L.A.
1300 Channel, obviously the ¡°call in¡± showed that the opposing forces and their
preparation are taking the upper hand. Here, my first question is, you were
specialized in Qigong, in developing longevity. Why did you come to US to set up
the China Shadow Government (CSG) which opposes CCP government?
A: I founded Zhonggong in China, just to help people enhance their health,
physically and mentally. Yet, Zhonggong was developing quickly which could not
be tolerated by the tyrannical CCP. We were persecuted cruelly. For a long time,
I have been systematically studying the translational Chinese methods to manage
a country. I found that the Marxism and Leninism, which were regarded as the
basis of People¡¯s Republic of China, were the real sources of social illnesses
of China. As a result, I published my study in articles of ¡°Key Points of My
Political Objections¡±, and ¡°Theory of Re-organizing Countries¡±. This way, I am
not allowed to survive in China. Now, we set up CSG for reasons as follows: 1.
It abides by US laws and it is legally registered. 2. I¡¯ve finished the related
preparation in theories and in practice. 3. The changes in the CCP leaders and
the calling of Chinese society for political reform offered the opportunity. 4.
CCP may amend its Constitution next year and we shouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.
Some say I set up CSG because of the lawsuits. That is not true. CSG was
registered in November of 2002 and these lawsuits didn¡¯t happen until mid-March
this year. If some say, these related lawsuits were designed to distract me from
my work, I¡¯m afraid it is true. But, they will not affect the CSG¡¯s normal
operation in general.
Q: why is it called CSG? What is its English name? What is its nature and goal?
A: One basic position of CSG is, we admit the political fact on the two sides of
Taiwan Strait. The two governments are both existing political entities, and
both are legal governments. We respect this fact. Our goal of setting up CSG, at
least at present, is not to overturn CCP government. Our goal is to supervise
the government as a party out of office, to promote political reform, push the
society to progress, to set up a democracy. We call it CSG, just to show our
relationship with CCP government is like the shadow and the figure. Whatever
they do, however they do, we will follow them like a shadow to supervise,
disclose, call, promote and oppose whatever is relevant. Our goal is just to
supervise the party in power to manage the country according to the law, to
promote political reform, push China to progress. CSG¡¯s English name is China
Shadow Government. It locates in Washington D.C., and its headquarters are in
L.A.
Q: What are the major departments in CSG?
A: Right now, we have the Administrative Bureau of the Presidency. We are going
to set up 8 to 10 committees. They are Committees of Personnel Supervision, of
Culture and Education, of Mass Media, of Diplomacy, of Finance, of Military, of
Legislation, of Technology and of National Security, etc. The basic functions of
these committees are to observe, to get to know and to supervise the related
ministries in CCP government, so as to put forward our motions and by way of
modern communication equipments and multi-media to let more Chinese people know
what is going on. Some asked, how does your CSG push China to progress? I think,
by asking questions and offering motions and communicating them to the people,
we are promoting and we are pushing the progress. To democratize China will be a
long tough journey. It will not become reality overnight either by violence and
sabotage or by gradual peaceful evolution. We must work relentlessly, to wake up
the people, to rely on and guide Chinese social forces to push China to
democracy.
Q: Any reaction from CCP government? I heard you are working on amending the
Constitution?
A: I prefer low-key style. I¡¯ve moved to LA from Washington D.C. for over a year
now and never planned to go public. This time I¡¯m framed, that¡¯s why I¡¯m forced
to accept some interviews with some media. Some say, the founding of CSG has
never caused any reaction from China yet. This is not true. I can tell you, the
highest level in CCP has contacted me through certain ways to try to find out
about my real thoughts at present. I am not very optimistic about the amending
of the Constitution next year. But I still put forth my eight motions. They are:
1.Remove the item of ¡°Marxism and Leninism as the basis of People¡¯s Republic of
China¡± from the Constitution. This is the root of Chinese problems. 2. Establish
a protection system for the Constitution, to ensure the practice of the
Constitution. 3. Practice parties¡¯ political system and regular elections for
the party in power. End the one party dictatorship and Chinese style party
leader hereditary system. 4. Establish personnel retirement system, to root out
the modern monarchy in the Chinese style of ¡°ruling behind a curtain and ruling
until death at the throne¡±. 5. Establish specific goals in modernizing China,
including in aspects like politics, economy, culture, management, military, and
offering the liberty in speech, organizing, gathering, moving, and double
citizenship, etc., to meet the international standards. 6. Practice the system
which allows both public and private properties to exist. 7. Introduce the
government operation system which has three distinctively different and
independent parts: legislative, executive and judicial powers. 8. Establish the
social administrative system which emphasizes ¡°legality, morality, and
emotions¡±. China needs not only a democratic Constitution, but also should
gradually set up a moral system that fits in Chinese culture.
The first five of the eight motions that are mentioned above, hit the dead knots
in current Chinese politics; the last three hit the key points in current
Chinese politics. These are all inevitable issues. It is just a matter of when
to solve them, how many steps to take to solve them and who will solve them.
Q: May I venture to ask such a question, ¡°What is your CSG¡¯s major economic
source?¡±
A: Our CSG is an enterprise that deals in political and cultural products and
services. This definition helps us to do what we want to do and at the same time
helps us protect ourselves well and it will not cause any diplomatic trouble for
US government and President Bush. I am majored in law and administration; I know
how to operate our government. Our major economic source is not from other
people¡¯s financial aid; it is mainly from our own operation. We specialize in
health-enhancing industry, including education, medicine, health-enhancing
retreats, tourism retreats and research bases, we also do financial investment.
We make money by selling our own products and services and financial investment,
legally and reasonably, to support our expenditures in every functional
department. At present, we don¡¯t accept any outside financial help and we don¡¯t
have economic difficulties.
Q: I heard Zhonggong has the basic rules of ¡°Three No-es and Three Yes-es¡±. Have
you changed these rules?
A: We do. The three No-es are, no involvement in politics, not aiming at
profits, no religion. The three Yes-es are, yes, we establish our industry by
law; yes, we manage our industry by law; yes, we protect our industry by law.
These rules are not changed. Yet, the situation is changing; we do need to
practice these rules with flexibility. For example, our three Yes-es rule was
based on laws. But, the CCP tyrannical ruling is not based on law. Personal
power is beyond law and people can be put to death just by certain people¡¯s
will. Zhonggong didn¡¯t do anything illegally, how come it was painted as
antirevolutionary politically? That¡¯s why our three Yes-es rule remains the
same, but to practice it, we need a politically democratic environment. It¡¯s the
same with the three No-es. One of the differences between Zhonggong and Fa Lun
Gong is, Zhonggong is not a religious group; it is an enterprise specializing in
health-enhancing products. It is not aiming at overturning CCP. Politics was not
the original aim when Zhonggong was founded. I personally started to set up CSG,
only because we didn¡¯t want to be involved in politics yet politics won¡¯t leave
us alone. It is even working at killing us. We are forced to rebel, to supervise
the current Chinese government with our CSG to push it to democracy. Only when
we exist in a democratic society, we can focus on our specialty. This idea of
mine and the matter of setting up CSG were supported by Zhonggong organization
and 38 million followers.
Q: What¡¯s your most profound impression about US since you came here three years
ago?
A: To me, this is a sensitive question. I have been in a calm state of mind in
facing USA for the three years here. The moment I entered US from Thailand, I
was imprisoned in Guam for 444 days. My application for political asylum was
seriously obstructed by CCP¡¯s Embassy in USA, though was finally passed. Yet,
CCP didn¡¯t relax its harassment. For over a year, all kinds of lawsuits were
filed against me, certainly took up a lot of my energy. Please think about it,
it can get as worse as 9 lawsuits were filed against me in one month. If it¡¯s
not designed by certain people, it¡¯s just impossible. I have majored in law and
I have been appointed as the senior advisor for academic group in Chinese
Supreme Court. I know laws and I obey laws. I also studied US laws
systematically. I found that in US laws there is no law to sentence the accuser
to the punishment facing the person he falsely accused. In another word, suppose
you are an innocent person, and somebody accused you falsely and you won in the
end. Your innocence is assured, but the law doesn¡¯t look into the legal
responsibility of your accuser. The forces that are framing me are taking
advantage of this loophole of US legislation and have been imposing a lot of
lawsuits onto me. On the other hand, press freedom is very good, yet the fact
that it has no limitations also harms innocent people. Before I had the July 20
press conference, almost all the reports concerning me were negative; some were
personal attacks and slandering. Ever since the press conference, the reports in
the media became relatively objective and true. Yet, after all, my deepest
impression about US is, US laws are fair. Relying solely on evidence is the only
sure way to avoid an unjust case. Therefore, I am very confident that I¡¯ll win
all these related lawsuits that are designed by some people, because I know
those people who have been framing me can¡¯t produce any real evidences.
Q: Are you planning to go back to China or work in US?
A: US is a really democratic and free country. Choosing US as our place to
develop our cause is ideal. Of course, we have very deep roots in China. Our 38
million followers are in China, they are the assurance of the success of our
cause. I believe, to make great achievements, you have to overcome great
difficulties; to make small achievements, the difficulty you have to overcome is
relatively small; and to do nothing is of course no difficulty to overcome. I
have been prepared for huge difficulties. My wife and I have separated. I am a
single man in USA. I have nothing to worry; I am only focusing on promoting for
political democratization in China, realizing my dream of a democratic China.
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