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Saying awarding Liu doesn't promote peace and prosperity, he gave seven reasons:
(1) Despite more improvement needed, China, in fact, "has done much to promote freedom at home in the last few decades," in contrast to America where it's eroded. According to Anne-Marie Brady, a New Zealand University of Canterbury China expert:
"the average person has so much more freedom than they ever had in the post-'49 period. There's a strong feeling of 'don't rock the boat too far, don't prod into sensitive areas," but, compared to earlier, much now is tolerated. Understandably, China resents being "under-appreciated."
(2) China has "done much to contribute to world peace and prosperity in the last few decades." For example, it "lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty," in contrast to America where it's growing exponentially. In China, poverty dropped from 64% around 30 years ago to 16% in 2004, "a tremendous achievement for human rights" gone unrecognized.
In addition, China's explosive growth "became a major engine of the world's economic growth" because it depends so heavily on raw material and other imports. While it has trade surpluses with America and elsewhere, it's in deficit to other countries. It also invests heavily overseas to build "roads, railways, sports complexes, hospitals, bridges, schools," and other projects. Though exploiting labor, many nations and consumers benefit from Chinese low prices.
(3) Liu isn't "an innocent defender of peace and freedom in China as popularly depicted." For example, in a 1988 Hong Kong Open Magazine interview, he said it would take "300 years of colonialism for (China) to transform into how Hong Kong is today. I have my doubts as to whether 300 years would be enough," he added. It caused an uproar, but he never retracted.
He was also instrumental in drafting "Charter 08," a political manifesto modeled after Czechoslovakia's "Charter '77,' calling for an end to one-party rule, respect for human rights, and other freedoms.
"Charter 08" principles include:
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