Letters to the Editor: Trump’s cringe-worthy congratulations to China’s communist rulers

To the editor: China celebrated 70 years of communist rule on Monday. President Trump tweeted, “Congratulations to President Xi and the Chinese people on the 70th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China!”

It clearly didn’t occur to him or he didn’t care that he was congratulating a government that has brutally repressed human rights for seven decades. One of his advisors should have shown him a video clip of the Tiananmen Square massacre 30 years ago.

My parents came here after Soviet tanks cleared the way to build a communist government in Bulgaria. America has been a beacon of hope for so many who believe that in this messy, often chaotic democracy, people can shape their own destinies.

Trump’s tweet was posted shortly after the news that police in Hong Kong shot a protester for the first time since the pro-democracy demonstrations began six months ago.

Thirty years ago, Germans tore down the Berlin Wall, a symbol of communist tyranny. And now “Lennon walls,” named after John Lennon, are going up across Hong Kong. People are attaching sticky labels to the walls with messages criticizing China’s government. Hopefully these walls will also have a happy ending.

Danielle Karson, Pasadena

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To the editor: The only reason China is doing well now is because the government has embraced capitalism to fuel its economy.

Communist China can still fail if it continues to suppress religious groups and freedom of speech. Eventually it must choose one or the other.

Lee Eastwood, Las Vegas

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To the editor: Much credit is given to the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping for opening his country to the world markets, setting the stage for China’s present-day wealth and influence.

However, little or no credit is given to the many American executives and corporate boards who saw cheap labor, a potential market of more than 1 billion consumers and a positive quarterly report that would raise their stock’s value and their own pay. Oh, and the transfer of technology and intellectual property was also not as important as the next quarterly report.

It reminds me of the quote dubiously attributed to Vladimir Lenin: “The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”

Herb Adelman, Del Mar