China's Economic and Political Change: A Look Into the Future

Wang Dan, one of the leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Sqaure demonstrations in Beijing, is giving a presentation at GMU's Arlington campus this Wednesday at 6 PM. You can register to attend here.

Presentation by Wang Dan

Wednesday, November 28th - 6:00-7:00 p.m.
George Mason University School of Law Atrium
3301 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201
Reception to follow

In 1976, the People's Republic of China began emerged from isolation and undertook a wave of economic reform measures called "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics." The results have been impressive. In the last 20 years alone, over 400 million Chinese people have been lifted out of extreme poverty, and today, a wave of new middle class home owners is on the rise. Although this trend is welcome, China still faces numerous issues that will pose challenges to its growth and development: conflicts over land use, inequitable job distribution, inefficient state-owned industries, and seemingly unattainable political reform.

Wang Dan was a leading figure in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing. Following the demonstrations, he was arrested and sentenced to Liaoning Prison, ultimately serving seven years for conspiring against the Chinese Communist Party. In 1998 he moved to the United States and is presently seeking a PhD in history at Harvard University.

In preparation, GMU will also show a screeing of the documentary The Gatoe of Heavenly Peace on Tuesday from 6:00 to 9:15 p.m.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace is a documentary about the 1989 democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and the following crackdown. The film explores the history of the demonstration and comments on the "deep structure" of political habits and attitudes that have informed public life in China over the past century. The filmmakers present a wide range of Chinese perspectives on a defining moment in China's modern history.