Actual Voice of Dr Sun Yat-sen（孫中山)

This is the actual voice of Dr Sun Yat-sen（孫中山)in Mandarin, the father of modern China.



Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)was a Han Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" (國父), a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. Sun played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution. Sun was the first provisional president when the Republic of China was founded in 1911 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (Chinese National People's Party) where he served as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Although Sun is considered one of the greatest leaders of modern China, his political life was one of constant struggle and frequent exile. After the success of the revolution, he quickly fell out of power in the newly founded Republic of China, and led successive revolutionary governments as a challenge to the warlords who controlled much of the nation. Sun did not live to see his party consolidate its power over the country during the Northern Expedition. His party, which formed a fragile alliance with the Communists, split into two factions after his death. Sun's chief legacy resides in his developing a political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood

(source: wikipedia)

San-min Doctrine(三民主義)

Dr Sun was talking about political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People or San-min Doctrine(三民主義,San-min Zhǔyì): nationalism(民族主義, Mínzú Zhǔyì), democracy( 民權主義, Mínquán Zhǔyì), and the people's livelihood(民生主義, Mínshēng Zhǔyì). The ideology is heavily influenced by Sun's experiences in the United States and contains elements of the American progressive movement and the thought championed by Abraham Lincoln. Sun credited a line from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, "government of the people, by the people, for the people," as an inspiration for the Three Principles.

The time may be 1911, after the founding of modern China.

It is interesting to hear the original voice of Dr Sun on the San-min Zhǔyì, this year will be 100 anniversary of the formation of modern China. He said The revolution is not yet finished. Is the speech remind us of what happen to the current political environment in China? Is Dr Sun's San min Doctrine is still relevant now in Taiwan and Mainland China?

The political system of Manchu had been overthrown, is China united as a country? The desire by the superpowers and neighbor, especially USA & Japan to divide China is still relevant at the current political scenario. Is China still facing the political threat as the time of Dr Sun? but this time with the burden of the Taiwan separatism...the situation become more complicated.

The people's livelihood(民生主義, Mínshēng Zhǔyì)

China and Taiwan are financially and economically strong now, but if we look at both socially, is anything lacking as Dr Sun had been fighting for? The people's livelihood(民生主義), Dr Sun divided livelihood into four areas: food, clothing, housing, and transportation; and planned out how an ideal (Chinese) government can take care of these for its people. China or People Republic of China may be economically strong now, but the issues of poverty, income distribution inequality, environment pollution,corruption, abuse of power, food contamination,....reflected that she is far away from the dream of Dr Sun. Taiwan did not do better, she has the same failure of corruption, food issues, but in view of earlier development status, she has a better political and legal system to hide it.

In Chinese thinking, peace or hebing(和平), with the word 和 as harmony and 平 as equality, balanced. In the word 和 there is one mouth(口) and one grain(禾). Peace only come when people are well feed with one grain for one mouth. Food sufficiency is a critical factor for political stability, it is always the political challenge for the rulers in China, from ancient time until now. Unless all the Chinese people are well fed, Mínshēng(民生) will still weak in mainland China and Taiwan. Despite both are economically strong, there are people died of hunger in mainland China, recently UK published Economist also reported a Taiwan man died of hunger in the financially strong Taiwan. Mainland China has been trying to achieve the objective, but was hamper by corruption and its large land mass and population. As a small island, Taiwan is better in the Mínshēng(民生)issue.

Are they now developed into a more civic society with their economical successes? The trends seems to going the opposite direction....

Nationalism(民族主義, Mínzú Zhǔyì)

Nationalism(民族主義, Mínzú Zhǔyì), is more complicated. To achieve this Dr Sun believed that China must develop a "civic-nationalism," Zhonghua Minzu, as opposed to an "ethnic-nationalism," so as to unite all of the different ethnicities of China, mainly composed by the five major groups of Han, Mongols, Tibetans, Manchus, and the Muslims or Hui. Chinese is actually a modern term for Zhonghua Minzu(中华民族) or Chinese nationality, but mistakenly and wrongly used by the world as refereed Chinese to only Han people. Chinese is a relatively new term for Chinese people, it included the 5 main ethnic groups in China.

Looking at the internal ethnic problems of mainland China and Taiwan, and the politically divided China-Taiwan,nationalism or Mínzú Zhǔyì is actual a failure to Dr Sun. This give the opportunities to USA, Japan and some western countries to manipulate the issues for their political and economical advantages.

There are even Taiwan independent supporters fighting for de-sinoism(to remove any Chinese element from Taiwan), and the political process of Han people in Taiwan to split themselves again to "benshengren"(本省人) and "waishengren"(外省人). The "waishengren" literally "out-of-province person", are people from mainland China who emigrated with the KMT government, they are politically for unification with mainland China. The "benshengren", literally "home-province person" are people who emigrated earlier, but mainly people who had gone through the 50 years Japanese colonization, many can speak Japanese, some use Japanese names or with family members who had fight for Japanese Imperial Army during the WW2. They are culturally more close to Japan, typical example is former President Lee Teng Hui. They are the one who support Taiwan independence, and called themselves native Taiwanese, at the expense of the actual Taiwan native people(原住民). The "benshengren"(本省人) and "waishengren" are mainly Han Chinese ethnicity, Min-nan people (閩南人) and Hakka(客家人), with some minorities. Basically they are the same culturally, but politically due to different time of arrival, and the treatment and political abuses of KMT, caused the historical divided, and resulted in strong root for Taiwan independence movement. Where is the nationalism to them? Nationalism is Taiwan independence?....

The democracy( 民權主義, Mínquán Zhǔyì)

Someone said it is not easy to teach Chinese about democracy. One scholar even said democracy is demon go crazy. The 5000 years of civilization in China, mainly under imperial rule,communist rule or one party ruled; the period of democracy is short.

The People Republic of China, even economically no longer a communist country; but politically still remain under communism, a one party ruled country. Theoretically as communist country, democracy is extremely weak. But Chinese has seen more freedom recently, especially on capitalist economy. However the freedom of expression was limited, especially opposition voices on the livelihood issues, like Aids, milk powder, railway accidents, pollutions, corruptions; were silenced by the ruling communist government.

Taiwan may say it is now a democratic, but still relatively short, and the system may be heavily influence by the businesses, secret society, KMT bureaucracy, corruptions, fighting in the assembly, which tainted their democracy development. But this is the only factor that the Taiwanese is proud of in their justification for independence. Taiwan's democracy is tainted with foreign support, from USA and Japan.

On international relationship, Taiwan is politically and military influenced by USA and Japan. Ironically, in Sept 2011, two rival camps of next President Election 2012 visited USA in their promotion campaign. President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)'s KMT team and defended his top election campaign aide King Pu-tsung’s (金溥聰) trip to the US as an opportunity to promote Taiwanese policies in the US.Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) US visit has apparently boosted her support rate. From their activities in USA it is clearly revealed the USA foreign policy on strait relationship is not straight forward, but critical for both camps, with hidden strategic move best know to them. Why must Taiwan professed as either a part of China or independent Taiwan, visited to USA for their support? This revealed Taiwan democracy is fake, Taiwan still need USA for military and political support to survive, both candidates know the games....

At one side USA only recognize People Republic of China as legitimate government for China, at the same time supplies arms to Taiwan, recognize as part of China by USA. The reason given was:

"Obama administration for telling US Congress on Wednesday that it plans a US$5.3 billion (S$6.83 billion) upgrade of Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet. The US offer - which includes sales of advanced air-to-air missiles, laser- and GPS-guided bombs and radars -Washington says it wants Beijing and Taipei to determine their future peacefully, and that it is obliged by US law to help the island defend itself. Taiwan said the upgrade of the F-16s would contribute to regional peace by improving its defense capability in the face of what it called a continued threat from China."

What is USA(an outsider) action to supply arms to Taiwan, a part of China in the face of threat from their own government(as recognized by USA in one China policy), is clear cut interference of internal affairs of China. In military or international law, an unfriendly act, which can provoke war. The excuses by Obama' administration was "wants Beijing and Taipei to determine their future "peacefully", and that it is obliged by US law to help the island defend itself". What a hypocrisy, by supplying arms, the Taiwan issue can solved peacefully, why not Obama as Nobel Peace Prize winner, be a peace maker and call for peaceful negotiation for unification(instead of supply arms)???

Logically, USA's hypocrisy was diplomatically supported one China policy, militarily support Taiwan's defense(part of China), indirectly revealed actually USA support war between mainland China and Taiwan. It is just like saying I recognize USA as one nation, but I supply arms to Hawaii independent movement to fight Obama's central government...what a silly and cunning strategy, USA is using.... but they gained strategic advantage economically and militarily over East Asia. this is especially so when USA is facing economic decline, war or arms sales is the last resort to boost their economy. But unfortunately their allies, Europe faced similar economic problems and has wake up against unnecessary war. USA must find other way to boost its arms industry as war become difficult with less allies, strait relationship is the cash cow.

Another Taiwan's support is Japan, China's neighbour, linked to USA by The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (日本国とアメリカ合衆国との間の相互協力及び安全保障条約 Nippon-koku to Amerika-gasshūkoku to no Aida no Sōgo Kyōryoku oyobi Anzen Hoshō Jōyaku). Its defense, like USA perceived China as threat, revealed in their defense white paper. Japan is waiting for the timing, the right time to gain their political benefits....they played their strategy similarly on Strait relationship, never call for peaceful unification solution as neighbor....

Democracy was the main failure of Dr Sun's San-min Doctrine...and also his personal dream.... even he admired USA's Abraham Lincoln, and have friends in Japan; but there was no support from the two nations on his revolution in 1910s, he was forced to obtain support from communist Russia(another wolf) and revert to military action for Northern Expedition by Guangzhou militarist government, to unite China against the war lords. But he failed and died of fatigue in 1925...his democratic friends failed him...

This opened way for military opportunist Chiang Kai-shek(蔣介石)to takeover the power, which led to Chinese Civil War (1927-1949/1950), a military dictator who killed the opening and opportunity for Chinese democracy.

"Revolution is not success yet"

Overall, Dr Sun is actually facing failure in his San Min Doctrine in the current political environment. Despite the Chinese Revolution had inspired many developing countries to fight for independence, but China still suffering from the negative impact of the civil war. I wonder how the communist government and party leaders of Taiwan political parties feel when hearing the speech of Dr Sun 100 years ago...

No wonder Dr Sun said "Revolution is not success yet". But despite of revolutions after revolutions, civil wars and cultural revolution; Chinese as a Mínzú(民族)and as a nation, is still divided. His own people failed him. Chinese no longer adhered to San Min Doctrine?

"government of the people, by the people, for the people," is a dream far away from Chinese people.

May be China/Taiwan need a personality, a new personality or a new cultural movement that can cry" I have a dream" like Martin Luther King, and finish the revolution to democracy, to "government of the people, by the people, for the people,". but not cultural revolution please.....she needs mental revolution to be more civilized and more democratic...

The problem is when will it be?....

Chinese need to learn from German on issue of Nationalism(民族主義, Mínzú Zhǔyì) where West German willing to sacrifice financially and economically for East German for the sake of unification...

... and from Scandinavian countries on The people's livelihood(民生主義, Mínshēng Zhǔyì), where each individual can be happy to have all the life necessity well take care.

But please do not learn Mínquán Zhǔyì(民權主義), from USA and British on the lesson of wild absolute freedom as their democracy, they are not the good teachers. Their democracy of absolute freedom has failed them, but China need to learn their strong legal system(法律)to maintain and sustain the San Min Doctrine((三民主義).

China should developed their own form of democracy that will enriched their people to be free, mentally and spiritually towards a civilized and democratic society....

Otherwise, Dr Sun see nothing on his effort to overthrown Manchu government; Dr Sun's dream is not a divided China, either politically, ethnically or physically; His vision was not only economically strong nation, but also a united, civilized and democratic country where Chinese people of all ethnic groups are living happily in their own land, and playing positive role as global citizen.

Idolizing foreigners(洋化)

Looking at the younger generations of mainland China and Taiwan, socially and culturally, I can see two trends, mainland China is idolizing USA, and Taiwan idolizing USA and Japan, but biased toward Japan. The younger generations now deviated further from their Chinese identity, and may have inferior complex over their Chinese cultural identity. If what I see is true, and the cultural orientation of the younger generations, mainland China will be one day "Little USA", and Taiwan, "Little Japan"..... they will go separate way seeking for different cultural identity....The cultural dichotomy in future era will further divide the Chinese culturally and socially, making unification more difficult.... San Min Doctrine is far away, not in their mind, and the influence of popular culture(most are originated from either USA or Japan) is much stronger than their Chinese traditional culture. This is the real threat for China...

100 years later,....is the tears still dropping....for China