Since Liu Xiaobo received the Nobel Peace Prize, China’s gross domestic product has nearly doubled, to roughly $11 trillion. It now vies with the United States for global economic leadership. To be sure, China’s economy still suffers from many shortcomings. But on issues relating to free trade, sustainable growth and climate change, and even the future of capitalism, China could very well soon be the world’s dominant economic force. Yet the case of Liu — and of thousands of other Chinese intellectuals, thwarted Communist Party reformers and frustrated journalists — shows just how unfit China is for global political leadership.
