On the afternoon of March 11, 2018, Beijing’s Great Hall of the People was filled with 2,964 delegates of China’s National People’s Congress casting their vote on a plan regarding several constitutional amendments.

One of these votes was invalid, two were against, three declined, and 2,958 were in favor.

The plan included 21 constitutional amendments, of which the previous limit of two consecutive terms for the president was removed. This not only directly influences China’s future due to the country’s prolonged rule under Xi Jinping, but it also symbolizes the general direction of Chinese ideologies.

Many have criticized this move, considering it a regression away from liberalized ideas. He Weifang, professor of law at Peking University, describes,

“If the constitution of one nation can be amended by the most powerful person according to his or her will, the constitution is not a real constitution”.

This decision has received significant backlash from Eastern and Western media. The weeks before the ballot were filled with protests in cities such as Hong Kong and Beijing. The Chinese youth has been particularly vocal on this subject. Within hours of the announcement, posters printed with the slogan “Not My President” lined the campuses of many Western universities.

但是也有明显的支持。它引起了中国和外部的专家和公民的称赞。许多中国新闻消息来源公开表示与选票保持一致。为了充分理解这个问题，我们必须回顾历史并研究双方提供的证据。

现代中国政府首先开始从第二次世界大战的废墟中浮出水面。在与日本战争期间，民族主义者与共产主义者之间的临时联盟之后，两党参与了内战，导致了共产党对中国大陆的统治，民族主义者撤离到现已被称为台湾的福尔摩萨岛。从那里，毛泽东将中华人民共和国和他本人建立为领导人。不久之后，毛泽东和其他共产党领导人开始大规模重建中国社会，从宪法进行了几项修正案开始。其中，毛泽东获得了担任共和国总统一生的权利。

政府还提出了许多旨在在农业，工业和文化上动员国家的计划。其中，很少有人能达到他们的期望。这些计划中的许多计划只是要求在不切实际的时间范围内预期的不切实际的目标，这是由奇异和未经检查的政府推动的。旨在保护中国文化的计划尤其灾难性。著名的文化大革命最终破坏了中国的许多文化遗产。鉴于“红色守卫”的标题，一群学生被授权找到并摧毁他们认为代表资本主义，不良传统或西方的任何物理对象。

At this point, it is worthwhile to note several positive impacts the singular Communist government had brought about. For one, the spirit and pride of the Chinese people were at a historic high. Few times in Chinese history had the entire nation ever been so unified and excited. Furthermore, the party, unopposed, had quickly produced several laws prohibiting certain unethical or “unmodern” traditions. For example, a marriage law was passed, banning polygamy and arranged marriages while promoting women’s equality and the freedom when selecting a spouse.

After Mao Zedong’s death, the nation slowly progressed to more liberal, or “Western” ideals, led by the prominent politician Deng Xiaoping. In the 1980s, the Chinese government began loosening their control over businesses and land. Many previously government-owned enterprises became privatized, further contributing to the economic growth. It was also during this time of change where the limit of two consecutive presidential terms was established.

It was in the 1990s when the economic boom of China really became apparent to the world. China had become an international powerhouse of industry and production, boasting cities and infrastructure that could rival its Western counterparts. In its economic growth, China had carried with it it’s liberalized government. China political system had developed into a mix: not quite the staunch Communism Mao had envisioned, but also not the free capitalism of the United States.

2013年3月，习近平成为中华人民共和国的总统。在任期的头几年中，习近平利用中国的独特政治制度为该国带来了进一步的繁荣。实际上，直到近年来，中国才表现出任何回归的迹象。在2月下旬和3月初的几周中，这种变化加速到了我们现在的立场。

Those against the constitutional amendments claim that the current Chinese government is regressing into Mao Zedong’s time, predicting that Xi Jinping’s presidency will result in a similar unsuccessfulness. Specifically, it has been argued that China’s economic growth in the 1980s was largely caused by it loosening its economic regulations. With tighter control, China could potentially lose its booming economy. Also, a more powerful Communist party could indicate an endangerment of citizen rights, similar to the programs Mao had put into place that negatively affected the average Chinese citizen.

但是，支持方指出，时间不同。当今的中国在经济上繁荣，在世界领导地位中拥有强大的地位，而毛泽东之前的中国很贫穷，没有国际权力。全世界都在观看全世界，中国无法回到很远的地方。此外，支持者指出，假设他们在正确的领导下，进一步倾向于共产主义可以使中国政府更加有效。伦敦SOAS大学中国研究所主任Steve Tsang总结了这一点

“如果习近平是正确的，他将在实施政策方面更有效。但是，如果习近平在任何重大政策问题上都误解了，上帝会帮助中国，因为没有其他人可以”.

In uncertain times like this, it is worthwhile to consider the lessons the past offers us in determining where we are headed in the future. China’s recent constitutional amendments themselves are of obvious importance, but of at least equal importance is how we, the rest of the world, react to it. And China deserves to be fairly judged.

请随时在下面对这种情况发表您的意见和想法。任何反馈和批评也将不胜感激。