OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
January 15, 2010
Your Excellency,
The European Association for Chinese Studies represents more than 800 schol
ars from 36 countries, mostly in Europe, who dedicate their efforts to the unde
rstanding and promotion of China, its ancient culture, as well as its recent sp
ectacular transformation and rise on the global scene. As sinologists we are pa
rticularly happy about the contacts we have established with scholars and schol
arly institutions in China since the beginning of the policy of reform and open
ing up. Cooperation and academic exchange between specialists in Europe and Chi
na brings out new results in our work and also helps the promotion of Chinese c
ulture in Europe in general.
Given all these positive developments in China in recent years, we are disa
ppointed and saddened by the trial of Liu Xiaobo, who on December 25, 2009 was
sentenced by No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing to 11 years in priso
n on charges of “agitation activities aimed at subversion of the government”.
Dr. Liu Xiaobo, former Beijing Normal University lecturer, is a well-known sch
olar in the field of Chinese literature and philosophy, and a renowned writer.
His main “crime” was the active part he took in drafting and disseminating Ch
arter 08, a document made public more than one year ago, in December 2008.
After careful scrutiny of the full text of Charter 08, we are convinced thi
s document does not call for subversion, but for a discussion about political a
nd social reforms indispensable for harmonization between the dazzling economic
growth and modernization in China and those features in the administration and
legal system which create unhealthy developments in Chinese society. If the pr
oblems and suggestions for their solution as they are outlined in Charter 08 ar
e criminalized instead of discussed, they could in a long run impede the health
y development of the country.
In our view, Charter 08 aims at continuing the policies of reform and openi
ng up, policies of modernization and improvement of life for all Chinese people
, and as such it deserves to be studied and discussed in the spirit of “seekin
g truth from facts”. One of the things Charter 08 says is “we should end the
practice of viewing words as crimes”. This reminds us of the ancient Chinese w
isdom recorded from earlier sources by the great historian and humanist Sima Qi
an: “To block people’s mouth is worse than blocking a river”.
We urge you, your Excellency, to reconsider the official position of the hi
ghest leadership of the People’s Republic of China in this matter, and to use
all your authority to ensure that Liu Xiaobo’s case will be reconsidered and h
e will be released. We rely on your genuine concern for the future glory of you
r country and the Chinese people, and strongly believe that our plea will not f
all upon a deaf ear.