On June 20, the government think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), in its publication China Social Science Today, reported on a forum held at Henan University. It was a "high-level forum on Israel and hot issues in the Middle East." The article quoted the points that a number of participants made.
"Tang Zhichao, a CASS researcher, believed that, although, since World War II, internal problems have not been lacking in the Middle East, the intervention of the U.S.-led Western countries has been the main reason behind the turmoil in the Middle East."
"’The resurgence of the war in Iraq is, in large part, the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. war in Iraq.’ Regarding the regime change that the U.S. forcibly pushed, Yu Jianhua, a scholar at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, believed that the U.S. blindly implemented the Western model while neglecting the Middle East’s actual situation. It has thereby broken the political and strategic balance in the region."
"Yu Jianhua believed that the United States, with a utilitarian purpose, has been deliberately leading the changing situation in the Middle East. It has caused more instability, left a mess, and made it a disaster zone for the convergence of terrorism."
"According to Yu Jianhua, the U.S. has often taken advantage of local crises and pushed from behind with the help of local social forces in the form of non-governmental organizations. This so-called civil diplomacy serves as its own strategy. The practice, which has focused on infiltration using cultural influences and intentional guidance and support of the local culture, is one of the reasons behind the social unrest. Nowadays, many countries and regions have cautioned against the activities of U.S. NGOs and prohibited their illegal activities."
"An Huihou, a scholar with the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that the root cause of the unrest in Egypt is not the so-called lack of democracy, but the difficulties with people’s livelihood and social injustice. Western democracy and freedom are not a panacea for developing countries. Western people often talk about free elections and street politics. Events in Egypt showed that free elections do not necessarily create an authoritative government that delivers what people expect. Street politics can overthrow a tyranny, but can also create anarchy, leading to a torn society and violent wars."
Source: China Social Science Today, June 23, 2014
http://www.csstoday.net/xueshuzixun/guoneixinwen/90166.html