For decades the Communist regime in China has had a credibility problem with its intellectuals. In the 1950s, Mao Zedong’s Hundred Flowers campaign encouraged many to speak out-and thus betray themselves. Then the Cultural Revolution brought death or disgrace to millions. In 1989 the democracy movement was crushed by the massacre at Tiananmen Square and a crackdown on intellectuals. More than 160,000 scholars, scientists and other educated people have left since senior statesman Deng Xiaoping opened the doors in 1978, and the vast majority of them are still overseas. At 87, Deng is trying to secure his legacy by promoting economic reform and inviting the expatriates to return. But he has not called for political relaxation and, so far, few intellectuals are taking the bait.
The government keeps trying. Even Li Peng, the hard-line prime minister, promised recently that exiles were welcome to come back “no matter what their political attitudes were in the past.“China needs help from its best and brightest overseas. “We lost a generation in the Cultural Revolution,” says a university official in Sichuan province. “More than anything, we are desperately afraid of losing another.“There is a dire shortage of teachers, doctors, scientists and engineers. Even orchestras are under pressure as Western talent scouts sign up promising young musicians.
The government is offering inducements to draw expatriates back. Xinhua, the official news agency, announced recently that “preferential policies” would give returning scholars “more living space, more chances [for advancement] and freedom to move family members to big cities.“In prosperous Zhuhai, one of the special economic zones, 200 young scientists sent in job applications after local officials offered Audi cars, cash bonuses and big apartments to attract recruits.
Political dissidents among the expatriates don’t think it’s safe to go home. “There is no forgive-and-forget mentality in China,” says a graduate student who did return. Chen Yizi, a political reformer who now lives in Princeton, N.J., says “the authorities can be very sweet with their words but very harsh with their actions.“Last week China’s chief prosecutor, Liu Fuzhi, said activists on the government’s wanted list ,‘must be arrested” and will have to “repent” their crimes. Many dissidents say they won’t go back until political prisoners have been freed. “Some of those [in jail] are my friends,” says journalist and political scientist Yuan Zhiming, who also lives in Princeton. “If they’re in prison, we will be, too.”
Less politically active exiles will make what an American educator calls “a cold career choice”: they will go back to China if they can get better deals than the ones they have overseas. The prospects aren’t promising. For most intellectuals, China offers only low pay, poor housing and substandard facilities. Seniority restricts career prospects. Lu Feng, a 36-year-old political scientist, fears he will be “locked, blocked and buried” if he goes back. Writer Su Wei returned from overseas in 1986, encouraged by government promises of housing and good pay. Homeless for a year and earning only $20 a month, he left again. “If I returned in 1986, when reform was in the ascendance, and they didn’t honor their promises,” he says, why should I believe them today?”
The regime will promise almost anything. Recently it began again to tout the virtues of free enterprise, calling for “the correct understanding and use of capitalism.” Deng says he is convinced that “without reform … there will be only the road to ruin.” The Communist system is close to ruination already, with rising unemployment, a spiraling budget deficit and thousands of money losing state industries. Private and semiprivate business ventures account for most of the country’s economic growth. If educated exiles don’t come home, Deng and the relatively moderate officials he now seems to favor may not be able to make good on their economic promises. But so far it appears that the regime cannot win the trust of many expatriates until it allows political change to accompany economic reform. Writer Su Wei went home in 1986, lured by government offers of good pay and housing. Homeless for a year and earning only $20 a month, he left again. ‘Why should I believe them today.?’ he asks.
