Gao, a good choice

I fear that Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards, in the Sept. 1 column entitled "Chinese Trustee carries too much baggage," may have missed the memo circa 1971, so I will generously relay it to them. When two nations, groups or people have a conflict of ideologies, political or otherwise, there are two ways to go about it. The stronger can 1) contain, isolate and slowly dissolve the weaker, or 2) choose to engage and compromise- in President Richard Brodhead's words, engage in "trade-offs." Let us now return to the present. In the year 2008, whatever your ideological views regarding the relationship between China and the United States, it is not only highly inadvisable to choose containment versus engagement, but, frankly, impossible.

Thus, though it is entirely true that the interests of Duke-a liberal-minded, progressive and free-thinking research university-is at almost complete odds with the Chinese Communist Party-an authoritarian, conservative and censorious government-it is equally true that both parties seek engagement, out of necessity if nothing else.

And in the middle is Gao Xiqing. As the third generation of a Chinese family persecuted and exiled for receiving a Western education, I was most shocked not by Amnesty International's condemnation of the CCP (surprise, surprise!), but rather that a Western-educated Dukie such as Gao can rise so far in the CCP. Assuming Gao's qualifications warrant his trusteeship, if Duke were to reject such an appointment, what message would that send to the CCP regarding "risky" Western-educated officials? Further, what message would that send to those Chinese studying overseas, who may one day wish to reform China from within? It is my opinion that the door, however closely guarded, should never remain closed.

In choosing Gao, Duke chooses to leave the door ajar. Time will tell, if it has not already convinced you, who is on the right side of history.

Muyan Jin

Trinity '09

Editor, Duke East Asian Nexus