History is on record as repeatedly proving that in times of national distress, students and young people of China will stand up to defend the nation and uphold political justice.
It was youth that overthrew the Manchu court and established Asia's first republic early in this century. Young people subsequently unified the nation and formed the backbone of the resistance against Japanese aggression. Now youth is carrying on the struggle against tyrannical Communism.
Chinese young men of ancient times were as vigorous, dynamic, and patriotic as their contemporaries. Young scholars played an important role in the unification of the nation by the Chin dynasty in 221 B.C. These scholars toured the warring states to seek an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. One of them, Su Chin, persuaded six of the states to form a military alliance against the growing power of Chin. His schoolmate, Chang Yi, who worked for Chin, later broke up the alliance with threats and lures. Thus China was able to unify the nation by annexing the six states, one by one.
Chin was short-lived. In the early years of the succeeding Han dynasty, young men had to meet a new challenge. Emperors came to believe in Lao Tzu's philosophy of inaction and adopted feudalism. However, the growing strength of the feudal princes soon threatened the central government. Young men were called upon to put down separatism and consolidate the central government.
A scholar named Chia Yi, then in his late 20s, suggested to Emperor Wen-ti (179-156 B.C.) effective ways to centralize political and military power. Although the emperor accepted his ideas, Chia Yi himself was framed by irate princes and officials and sent to a remote area. He died at 33.
During the era of Emperor Ching-ti (156-140 B.C.), another young scholar, Chao Cho, urged the central government to take back some of the land from the princes so as to enhance its power. Seven princes revolted and demanded the head of Chao Cho. Although Chao became a victim, the rebellion was suppressed and the central government of Han strengthened.
After feudal influences were brought under control, the young scholars had to establish ideals for the spiritual foundation of the nation. When Wu-ti was enthroned at 17 years of age (140 B.C.), he began to accept the suggestions of the younger generation. Youthful intellectuals even won the prime ministry. Under their administration, the nation adopted Confucianism as its ideological guide and inspiration. Cultural achievements were outstanding.
Economic stability prompted many youths to go to frontier areas to seek their fortunes and hold back barbarian tribes that harassed the country. A young general, Wei Ching, launched seven expeditions against the Tartars in North China. Another young officer, Huo Chi-ping, undertook six operations against the Tartars when he was only 25 years old and subjugated their king. Other young military men brought small neighboring countries under China's control. Chinese territory was enlarged and the people proudly cal1ed themselves the "men of Han".
Injustice Protested
Because of famine and heavy taxes during the reign of succeeding emperors, the people, and especially farmers, became disgruntled with the government. Bureaucratic inefficiency and the usurpation of power by the eunuchs and princes ran counter to the progressive political spirit of the young intellectuals. Social crises arose and a revolution seemed imminent.
Prime Minister Kung who controlled the administration for 17 years, did nothing to improve the situation. An honorable official, Pao Shuan, criticized him and was sentenced to death. More than 1,000 college students stopped the coach of the prime minister to protest the injustice and then petitioned the emperor for commutation of the sentence. Pao's life was saved. This was the first large-scale student movement in Chinese history.
In the early years of the first century, Wang Mang, a remote relative of the royal family, became very popular among the young intellectuals. He established many public schools and increased the number of college students in the capital to more than 10,000. Eventually he was placed on the throne. But his overly drastic economic, social, and political reforms then led to his overthrow by a college graduate, Liu Hsiu, who was also a relative of the royal family.
In the latter years of the Han dynasty, leaders of college students became spokesmen for the people. Two student leaders attempted a coup d'etat to eliminate the powerful eunuchs but failed. When an official was demoted because he performed an autopsy, several thousand college students petitioned the emperor. The official was pardoned.
Examinations Upheld
During the Sung dynasty from 960 to 1278 A.D., China was attacked by Western Hsia, Liao, Chin, and then by the Mongols. Young men united to fight the foreign invaders and their own corrupt officials.
When Prime Minister Tsai Ching ignored the requirement of public examinations in appointing public functionaries, college student Li Piao planned to write a letter of protest to the emperor. Tsai learned of his intention and had the student imprisoned.
Later, when Tsai was impeached and dismissed, he was succeeded by a henchman who planned to follow similar policies. Another college student, Chen Chao-lao, bared the true situation in a letter to the emperor. Although his communication was ignored, his courage brought strong support from other students. As a result of continuous pressure by young intellectuals, Tsai's followers were discharged and some were put to death in 1126.
Also in 1126, traitorous officials advocated a ceasefire and concessions and reparations in the conflict with Chin. College students demonstrated to demand the dismissal of these officials and the reinstatement of a honorable bureaucrat. Joining them were hundreds of thousands of citizens and soldiers. The result was reinstatement of the honorable official, Li Kan, who opposed concessions to Chin.
Invaders Checked
Later, Chin violated the ceasefire, invaded China, and captured two emperors of the Sung dynasty. To expel the enemy troops and to save the nation, college students helped build defense works and conducted surprise attacks on Chin troops. Some attempted to persuade the commander of the enemy forces to release the two emperors.
After the Sung dynasty moved its seat from central to southern China, the nation was faced by internal chaos and the advance of the invaders. Fortunately, such young officers as Liu Chi, Han Shih-chung, and Yueh Fei scored victories and stopped the Chin advance. The resulting stalemate enabled the Sung dynasty to last another 150 years.
In 1162, defeatist officials urged the signing of an unfavorable treaty with Chin. Despite the threat of severe punishment, 72 college students petitioned the emperor to put these officials to death.
Many petitions advanced by young intellectuals demanded that Chin be attacked and the lost territories recovered. Subsequently China was conquered by the Mongols.
In 1244, when Prime Minister Shih Sung-tse failed to guard against the invasion of the Mongols, 145 college students petitioned the emperor to dismiss him. The petition soon was echoed by other young intellectuals. When the court failed to act, the students went on strike. One of them, Wang Wen-lung, jumped into the sea in a suicide of protest. At length Shin Sung-tse was dismissed .
200 Armed Revolts
When Mongolian troops laid siege to Changsha City, students joined in the resistance. History reports 90 per cent of them were killed in action.
Strong resistance to the Mongols never ceased during their occupation of China. A Mongolian official, Tsui Huo, reported that in the first few years of Mongol rule, there were more than 200 cases of armed revolt in southern China.
Young Chinese intellectuals preached nationalism and patriotism in literary and artistic works. Asked why he painted orchids without any support, student Cheng Hso-nan replied: "The land of China is occupied by foreigners; how can I tolerate painting the earth?" To discredit and degrade Chinese intel1ectuals, the Mongols divided the people into 10 classes and ranked the intelligentsia behind beggars and prostitutes.
After occupying China for 88 years, the Mongols were driven out by the Ming dynasty. According to Ming laws, students were prohibited from participating in politics. Young intellectuals were restricted to academic clubs and societies.
When the Manchus overran China in the early 17th century, they were met with strong resistance from Chinese youths. Student Hsia Wang-shun used his inheritance to finance the raising of troops. He was only 16 years old. When his teacher Chen Tse-lung, who led an army, was defeated by the Manchus, he joined another army headed by Gen. Wu Yi. When Wu Yi's troops were defeated, he decided to go to Taiwan to join Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga). He was captured by the Manchurian coastal guards and later beheaded.
No Surrender
Koxinga's father, a naval commander of the Ming dynasty, decided to surrender to the Manchus. Koxinga, then a 23-year-old college student, recruited a force of several thousand in 1646 and held the port city of Amoy and Kinmen (Quemoy) Island. The Manchus once sent his younger brother to Amoy to talk him into surrender. He flatly refused.
In 1658, Koxinga led his fleet northward to attack the Manchus. The expedition was lashed by typhoon and many ships were damaged. The next year he launched another expedition and quickly moved to Nanking. But because of the adverse military situation elsewhere, he could not advance farther and eventually was defeated. More than 500 of his warships were destroyed by fire. Finally he had to withdraw to Amoy.
Manchus Opposed
In 1661, Koxinga drove the Dutch out of Taiwan and occupied the island. He died the next year at the age of only 39.
After ruling China for two centuries, the Manchus had become weak and corrupt. They failed to cope with either domestic dissatisfaction or foreign aggression. When Dr. Sun Yat-sen advocated armed revolution to overthrow the dynasty, Chinese youths and young intellectuals at home and abroad responded enthusiastically. The Tung Meng Hui, forerunner of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), was established by Dr. Sun at Tokyo in 1905. Most of its several hundred founding members were Chinese students.
Armed revolts against the Manchus in ensuing years were largely the work of students. The Canton uprising of 1911 was suppressed by Manchurian troops at a cost of the lives of 72 martyrs whose average age was under 39. Soon after came the 1911 Wuchang Revolution that overthrew the Manchus and established the Republic of China.
Chinese participation in World World I did not help China. Instead, the Versailles peace conference permitted Japan to take over Germany's special rights in China. When news of this reached China, the whole nation erupted in angry protest. On May 4, 1919, several thousand students in Peiping demonstrated to demand the punishment of traitorous government officials, the rejection of the Treaty of Paris, and cancellation of the 21 unequal conditions demanded by Japan. The government adopted a high-handed policy and arrested 32 demonstrators. This led to student strikes throughout the nation. Shopkeepers and workers also struck. Cable after cable was sent to the Chinese delegation in Paris to demand rejection of the treaty. Finally, three government officials, including Ambassador to Japan Chang Chung-hsiang, were removed from office. The Chinese delegation refused to sign the Treaty of Paris.
With the warlords undermining the national interest and preventing unification, student organizations wrote to Dr. Sun urging a northward expedition to create one united nation. The Kuomintang established the Department of Youth to organize and train young men for such a mission. Large numbers of young intellectuals in northern China joined the Kuomintang.
Youth Unites China
In June of 1924, Dr. Sun established the Whampoa Military Academy in Canton to train young patriots. He said to students of the academy before he left for Peiping in November of 1924: "There are civilian students and military students who are now listening to me ... Even if I die now, I will be assured of the future of the revolution, because I have successors to carryon the revolution."
Under the leadership of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, the young officers from the Whampoa Military Academy took one province after another in the Northward Expedition, crushed the warlords, and unified the nation in less than two years
The unification of China aroused fears in Japan and that country quickened the pace of its aggression against China. Toward the end of 1935, the Japanese warlords tried to instigate a separatist movement in northern China. On January 29, 1936, students of Peiping demonstrated against the scheme and their cry soon was taken up throughout the country. Even the Chinese Communists were compelled to dissolve their "China Youth League" and pretend to support the Central Government's resistance.
Youth Corps Formed
The Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937. In March, 1938, the Kuomintang established the San Min Chu I Youth Corps (San Min Chu I is the Three Principles of the People of Dr. Sun) with Generalissimo Chiang as its chief. The objective was to solidify and train revolutionary youth, defeat Japan, and materialize the ideals of the Three Principles of the People-nationalism, democracy, and social welfare. By August, 1943, the number of members was 400,000. By March, 1946, the figure was 1,330,000, of which those aged between 16 and 20 accounted for 51 per cent and those aged 21 and 25 accounted for another 32 per cent. Half of the members were students.
When the war entered its crucial period in the winter of 1943, students launched a campaign of voluntary enlistment. Enthusiastic support came from universities and colleges. On October 24, 1944, Generalissimo Chiang called on intellectuals aged 18 to 35 to volunteer for a 100,000-man army. In a few months, more than 120,000 young men answered the call. They were organized into nine divisions and given intensive military training. Many were sent to India and Burma to assist the British in repelling the Japanese aggressors. The pushing through of the highway from China to India via Burma and the defeat of the Japanese in Burma were largely the achievements of Chinese youth.
After the withdrawal to Taiwan, President Chiang saw the need for a new and vigorous youth organization and in 1952 established the China Youth Corps to guide young men of the nation in the struggle for recovery of the mainland. Ideological and physical training were stressed. The China Youth Corps has sponsored summer vacation activities every year since 1954.
In 1964, students of the National Taiwan University launched a self-awakening campaign to urge young people to honor the traditional virtues of the nation and actively participate in preparations for counterattack against the Mao regime.
The Chinese way of thinking is reflected in an open letter of the China Youth Asian Relations Research Association in Taipei to Chinese youths at home and abroad last August 12. The letter made four points:
1. The Republic of China, Vietnam, and Korea-facing the common Communist enemy - should establish an anti-Communist alliance.
2. The Asian Peoples' Anti-Communist League China Chapter should organize an army of volunteers to support South Vietnam. Chinese youths at home and abroad should join this army to fight with the South Vietnamese soldiers and people.
3. The United States should support an anti-Communist alliance of Asian countries. Washington also should give moral and material support to an army of volunteers to help South Vietnam.
4. Chinese youth should back Vietnamese and American soldiers who are fighting the Viet Cong with both words and deeds.
Chinese youth has not changed through the centuries. It is still fighting for a free country and a peaceful world.