Since my last article in malaysiakini , ' A mind enslaved ', was published, I have received a couple of virulent responses. One doubts my long-standing position on universalism, while another accuses me of pandering to Chinese chauvinists, which is ill-suited for a multi-racial society such as Malaysia.

Not belittling the rather strong views of the two concerned readers, frankly I could not help laughing. For to tag me a 'Chinese nationalist' is as good as saying Adolf Hitler was a humanist and Mao Zedong a genuine democrat.

Passionate I may have been in the defence of the right of the Chinese in Malaysia to mother-tongue education, nowhere in my previous writing did I suggest a deference of one language to another, for I am acutely aware of the witty words of the late Jacque Derrida that one of the greatest perils in human life lies not with linguistic differences, but the subordinate relation of the lesser tongue to the greater one.

Still, it is incumbent on us to acknowledge that, with its rising economic, political and military might, China is set to assume an increasingly indispensable role in the international arena.

The seemingly unstoppable rise of an ancient civilisation has indeed aroused considerable keen interest as well as profound fear the world over, but the single most important factor behind the euphoria of some Chinese educationists in Malaysia is, needless to say, the earnest hope that a stronger China would do much to lift the status of the Chinese language on world stage, incidentally giving an impetus to the Chinese education movement in Southeast Asia in which the Chinese have long been seen as 'the enemy within'.

As far as these Chinese educationists are concerned, the growing influence of China has catalysed the coming of age of the Chinese language. Week in, week out, one hears the argument that the world should seize the opportunity to study Chinese, for the future of the language cannot be brighter.

Such materialistic view is, of course, no different from that of those who promulgate the magical power of English as a language of modern technology and trade. Tinging the language issue with hegemonic fervour only serves to make the right to mother-tongue education look superfluous. I am convinced that the inalienable right to one's own native language cannot be traded whichever way the globe turns, and not for all the tea in China, literally.

Democratic deficits

I am indeed skeptical about the possible windfall for the Chinese education in Malaysia in the wake of a possible 'peaceful rise' of China. Nevertheless, whether or not China would become a benevolent superpower in the decades ahead is now a hot topic across the globe. Recently, several active netizens of The Freemedia have been debating on whether China, with its current one-party dictatorship and dearth of political accountability, would be a threat rather than a stabiliser to regional peace.

A participant expressed the concern that the authoritarian China would be detrimental to a speedier democratisation in Southeast Asia, embodied in its belligerence towards Taiwan (and also, in my view, its staunch support for the Burmese military junta by Beijing), while others hold that democracy may not be a cure-all solution, as the Philippines remains mired in social disorder and economic chaos after nearly two decades of democratic experience.

I personally find this debate vitally important, as China, Japan, the European Union and the United States are being locked in intense diplomatic manoeuvre to compete for influence in Southeast Asia and to secure their respective geo-strategic interests.

Among the four, China stands out as the only power without a democratic structure, which generates the angst that a more assertive China would jeopardise the democratic experiment of some countries in the region, while the entire Southeast Asia could be forced to resume a tributary relationship with the Middle Kingdom in not too distant a future, as was the case during the Ming Dynasty.

Immanuel Kant, the great German philosopher whose credence in a democratic union of peace enthuses me in more ways than one, argues from beyond the grave that a world where every state is a democracy will be a world of perpetual peace. Utopian, retorts the realist, but Europe has indeed involved into a union of democracy and peace that makes it a shining example for others. The prosperous and peaceful Europe is now not even a shred of its former self, a continent characterised by incessant dynastic wars and territorial conflicts pre-1945, and seems destined to realise the Kantian ideals of democratic peace.

A mortal myself, I am certainly aware of my human limitations and least interested in crystal ball gazing. No, it is not for me to predict if China would have its wish for a peaceful rise fulfilled, but I have no doubt the authoritarian regime of Beijing is already showing its fangs even in a relatively small country like Malaysia.

Malaysia's self-censorship

Three weeks ago, the editorial team of the Oriental Daily took the liberty to hatchet part of an article of mine, criticising sharply Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing for his sabre-rattling behaviour vis vis western journalists when plagued by the issue of human rights. I was not bemused when Li's name was left out so as not to embarrass the Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Unnamed sources later informed me that the fledgling paper had come under enormous pressure both from the Chinese authorities as well as Malaysia's Internal Security Ministry to moderate its 'anti-Beijing' rhetoric, because Malaysia 'is a friendly state to China adherent to the One China policy', although all that several columnists have done is nothing but highlighting the human rights abuses and the democratic deficits under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as taking a sympathetic view towards Taiwan.

And where else would be the best venue for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to make overtures to China if not at the 37th World Chinese Press Conference ?

Meanwhile, other Chinese newspapers in Malaysia, and Nanyang Siang Pau in particular, have been acting more like a mouthpiece of the CCP. With more clashes and ethnic violence flaring up across China, one reads very little of indepth analysis on the news in the Chinese media, which has been adroitly avoiding washing the dirty linen of China in public, a far cry from the way the same newspapers that regaled their readers with excessive pride and joy in the successful launch of a manned spaceship by China slightly more than a year ago.

As more protests are registered with the editorial team of the Oriental Daily concerning the critical stance of the columnists towards China, Jiang Yuting, an anchor commentator, has felt compelled to ask in her recent column, "I have been writing critical pieces about the US, Sudan and Malaysia, but why should I be demanded to come up with an explanation only in regard to my criticisms of China? What makes China so special?"

Kant pins his hope for world peace on creating more democracies, while China aspires for a peaceful rise minus democratic credentials. Given Beijing's intolerance of political dissents even when expressed by foreigners, let's pray the much hyped-up peaceful rise would not turn into wishful thinking.