Travels in China 2006
The Unique Role of Golden Courage International in China
On the second day in Beijing, we visit the headquarters of Golden Courage International. Our taxicab picks us up in the courtyard of our large apartment complex that houses thousands of people and is located in the much-desired "First Circle" of the city, within walking distance of the very heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City and Tienenman Square. Accompanied by Dr. Pang and Dr. Chow, we speed through the most amazing cityscape I have ever witnessed. Towering and boldly imaginative steel and glass architectural wonders intermingle with ancient one-story structures ready to be demolished to make way for yet more apartment buildings for the growing population or corporate headquarters for the multitude of multi-national corporations anxious to be centered in the financial sector of Beijing.
Periodically speeding and then inching our way through the crowded city highways, we read the names of prestigious corporations from every corner of the globe atop massive buildings situated in key locations which announce their presence in this wild new marketplace of China. After 20 minutes, we turn off the highway to an area of the city that houses the buildings of the Central Government of China. Here, tree-lined streets shade lovely well-manicured gardens with multi-colored blooming flowers. Dr. Lu points out which important departments are housed in the various buildings as we just begin to understand the all-encompassing role of the Central Government in the lives of the Chinese people.
We pull up to the gate of the large complex of buildings that houses the offices of the Revolutionary Committee of the Gourmindong (RCG), one of the six or seven smaller political parties that participate in the governance of the country in collaboration with the ruling Communist Party. "Small" in this case means 21 million members, many of whom represent the business and educated segment of China. GCI is sponsored by the RCG and has an office in their headquarters. Political sponsorship is required by the Central Government for any legally registered non-profit organization.
It's hard to overemphasize the unique position that GCI has in China and within the Chinese governmental system. GCI has a dual identity. We are a China-based charity, one of only two private, legally registered charities recognized by the Central Chinese government. In the U.S., GCI is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that can accept tax-deductible donations. We are one of the insiders in both systems, which is a highly unusual and extremely useful position. In both countries, we have complete control of our funding and activities and are independent organizations. As a result of our status in China, we have direct access to the children and families in need of our services, and we have access to all the appropriate governmental officials and agencies to enable us to collaborate effectively in the country.
As we enter the office, Dr. Lu proudly displays the framed document of the legal registration of GCI from the Chinese Central Government that hangs prominently on the wall of the small but strategically placed office, front and central in the RCG complex. Also framed are the words of Sunya Xian, the father of the Chinese nation who built a new China based on democracy and human rights, and brought the country out of the Ching dynastic rule: "Love and Compassion without borders." These wise words are used many times while we are in China to describe the work of GCI and the motivation we have to travel half way around the world to lend our support to its programs.
Soon after we arrive, three important visitors come to welcome us: the Deputy Mayor of Beijing, the Head and the Deputy Head of the RCG, Beijing Branch. These two men and one woman, all very simply dressed and with low-key demeanors, bring a formal welcome to Dr. Lu, who is back in China after his 11-year absence.
I am just barely beginning to understand the complex dynamics that exist between all the various political parties, political officials, and the individual citizens of China. Then add to this complex mix, GCI, one of the two legally registered non-profit charities in China headed by Dr. Lu, in the lineage of "lords" from the Ching dynasty who survived the Cultural Revolution living homeless on the streets of Beijing for the first 11 years of his life, and who is just returning home for a visit. Every expected behavior and protocol of interaction is thrown into question by this unique man with this unique organization with such a distinguished heritage and family lineage in Communist China, which profoundly recognizes and yet tries not to recognize who he is.