The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu ILinebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
History
The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I
Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
Sun, Yat-sen, 1866-1925. San min zhu yi
Under these six headings Sun Yat-sen estimated the Chinese tribute to
Western imperialism to be not less than one billion two hundred millions a
year, silver. There were, of course, other forms of exaction which the
Westerners practised on the Chinese, such as the requirement of war
indemnities for the various wars which they had fought with China.
Furthermore, the possible wealth which China might have gained from
continued relations with her lost vassal states was diverted to the
Western powers and Japan. Sun Yat-sen also referred to the possible losses
of Chinese overseas, which they suffered because China was not powerful
enough to watch their rights and to assure them equality of opportunity.
Sun Yat-sen did not expect that forces other than those which political
nationalism exerted upon the economic situation could save the Chinese.
“If we do not find remedies to that big leakage of $1,200,000,000.00 per
year, that sum will increase every year; there is no reason why it should
naturally decrease of its own accord.”(237) The danger was great, and the
Chinese had to use their nationalism to offset the imperialist economic
oppression which was not only impoverishing the nation from year to year,
but which was actually preventing the development of a new, strong, modern
national economy.
What is the relation of the sub-principle of economic nationalism to the
principle of _min shêng_?(238) Economic nationalism was the preliminary
remedy. The program of _min shêng_ was positive. It was the means of
creating a wealthy state, a modern, just economic society. But the old
oppressions of imperialism, lingering on, had to be cleared away before
China could really initiate such a program. Not only was it the duty of
the Chinese national and nationalist state to fight the political methods
of Western imperialism; the Chinese people could help by using that old
Asiatic weapon—the boycott.
Sun Yat-sen was pleased and impressed with the consequences of Gandhi’s
policy of non-coöperation. He pointed out that even India, which was a
subject country, could practise non-coöperation to the extreme discomfort
of the British. The creation of race-nationalism, and of allegiance to a
strong Chinese state, might take time. Non-coöperation did not. It was a
tool at hand. “The reason why India gained results from the
non-coöperation policy was that it could be practised by all the
citizens.”(239) The Chinese could begin their economic nationalist program
immediately.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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