China’s
economy has a reputation for being strong and
prosperous, but according to a well-known Chinese
television personality the country’s Gross Domestic
Product is going in reverse.
Larry Lang, chair professor of Finance at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong, said in a lecture
that he didn’t think was being recorded that the
Chinese regime is in a serious economic crisis—on the
brink of bankruptcy. In his memorable formulation: every
province in China is Greece.
The restrictions Lang placed on the Oct. 22 speech
in Shenyang City, in northern China’s Liaoning
Province, included no audio or video recording, and no
media. He can be heard saying that people should not
to post his speech online, or “everyone will look
bad,” in the audio that is now on Youtube.
In the unusual, closed-door lecture, Lang gave a
frank analysis of the Chinese economy and the
censorship that is placed on intellectuals and public
figures. “What I’m about to say is all true. But under
this system, we are not allowed to speak the
truth,” he said.
Despite Lang’s polished appearance on his
high-profile TV shows, he said: “Don’t think that we
are living in a peaceful time now. Actually the media
cannot report anything at all. Those of us who do TV
shows are so miserable and frustrated, because we
cannot do any programs. As long as something is
related to the government, we cannot report about it.”