Opinion | Chinese must help themselves in preserving the legacy of Liu Xiaobo

Robert Delaney says rights activists pushing the cause of Liu and his wife must focus their efforts on convincing their compatriots of the need for change, rather than depend on US support

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A vigil in memory of Liu Xiaobo in Washington on July 17. Liu, 61, died of multiple organ failure on July 13, while serving a 11-year prison term for the act of inciting subversion of state power. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:15pm, 24 Jul 2017Updated: 10:39pm, 24 Jul 2017

In the aftermath of Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo’s ( 劉曉波 ) death, and amid concern over the whereabouts and well-being of his wife, Liu Xia, advocates for their cause are turning to the US for support.

“The dearth of foreign leaders willing to criticise Mr Xi publicly has added to a sense of despair and isolation among activists,” a recent New York Times report said. “Many say they feel abandoned by the United States in particular, and they worry that President Trump will prioritise trade with China at the expense of human rights.”

It’s true the response from Washington hasn’t been full-throated. The White House issued a standard eulogistic statement and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Beijing to release Liu Xia. Given all we know about President Donald Trump, Washington’s support for Liu Xia may end there.

Silence amplifies friends’ fears about the fate of Nobel laureate’s widow Liu Xia

But don’t blame the US. The causes of people like Liu Xiaobo are antithetical to China’s contemporary cultural orientation. Under the Communist Party, the vast majority of mainland Chinese have been scrambling to make up for lost decades of economic development, from state-owned giants to individual entrepreneurs. This economic urgency is undergirded by China’s Confucian roots, which prioritise order, cohesion and respect for authority. Indeed, the party has worked in recent years to merge Confucian ideals with its doctrine.

Anyone invested in Liu Xiaobo’s cause, Western or Chinese, should know this, and also be familiar with the chasm between present-day Chinese culture and Liu’s ideals.

Trump, Macron avoid criticism of China after death of Liu Xiaobo

There have been countless attempts by reformers in China over the past two centuries to bring more democratic principles into China’s government. Experiments with more pluralistic forms of governance – during the Qing Dynasty, the Republican period, or since 1949 – have always reverted to autocratic means. If these efforts have taught us anything, it is that the two cultural orientations are incommensurable.

Watch: Liu Xia reads poems in a secret video

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