Recently, a video circulating online has sparked discussions regarding the comments made by Ma Jun, a professor at the National Defense University of China, criticizing the pro-unification faction of the Chinese Communist Party. In the video, Ma Jun can be heard condemning the promotion of extreme nationalism and advocating for sacrificing a large number of Chinese people to confront the United States and achieve “reunification with Taiwan.”
Ma Jun’s remarks reflect a rare public voice within the establishment, representing the sentiments of many silent individuals who disapprove of the idea of using the entire Chinese population of 1.2 billion as bargaining chips in a potential nuclear conflict with the United States. Despite this dissent, the prevailing belief within the CCP remains steadfast in its intention to not relinquish the idea of forcibly unifying Taiwan.
One video uploaded by a netizen on Tuesday shows Professor Ma Jun expressing his fury towards certain individuals within the Chinese Communist Party who have endorsed extreme measures, such as sacrificing cities in eastern China in a war with the United States to achieve their goals. Ma Jun vehemently opposes such reckless notions and warns the public against being influenced by these dangerous ideologies.
Ma Jun emphasizes the absurdity of considering the sacrifice of potentially hundreds of millions of lives as a means to achieve their political objectives, calling out individuals like Major General Zhu Chenghu and scholar Li Yi for their provocative statements advocating for such extreme measures.
Major General Zhu Chenghu’s previous statement in 2005, suggesting readiness to sacrifice cities east of Xi’an in a potential conflict with the United States, drew significant backlash from the American government, leading to calls for corrective action from Beijing. Similarly, scholar Li Yi’s comments in 2020 proposing the acceptability of sacrificing 140 million Chinese lives to achieve unification with Taiwan caused public outrage.
The spread of Ma Jun’s video on the internet has captured the attention of netizens, with many noting the rarity of establishment figures openly criticizing prominent figures within the party. This development has led some to speculate about a potential shift in the leadership’s stance towards nationalist fervor.
Former political consul at the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, Chen Yonglin, noted that while Ma Jun’s voice resonates outside the Great Firewall, it faces substantial restrictions within Chinese social media due to its contrarian nature. These dissenting voices, while representative of a significant portion of the population, clash with the authorities’ narrative, thus limiting their visibility domestically.
Taiwanese political analyst Li Yutan expressed his belief that China’s aggressive rhetoric towards Taiwan lacks legitimate moral grounding, especially in contrast to Taiwan’s democratic values that prioritize individual rights and freedoms. The dichotomy between China’s authoritarian approach and Taiwan’s democratic principles underscores the lack of moral authority behind Beijing’s unification ambitions.
The public profile of Ma Jun, born in 1953 in Shenyang, Liaoning, includes academic credentials from prestigious institutions such as Northeast Normal University, the National Defense University, and Peking University. His vocal criticisms of the prevailing militaristic mindset underscore the growing dissent among Chinese intellectuals against the regime’s aggressive policies.