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Macau, China — It is normal to expect that colonized peoples would hold a negative view of their former colonizers once they are free of their domination. But actually, European and U.S. colonization has had positive impact in many parts of the world. If the colonial power brought benefits to the people rather than oppression and deprivation, there is no reason to view the colonial period as one of "humiliation." The British and Portuguese colonization of Hong Kong and Macau are good examples.

Hong Kong and Macau are two southern Chinese territories located to the right and left of the mouth of the Pearl River in Guangdong Province. Hong Kong was colonized by Britain for 150 years, and Macau by Portugal for over 400 years. During this time, Hong Kong became the financial and trading center of Asia, and Macau became a famous gambling spot.

Hong Kong and Macau are probably the most stable, prosperous and peaceful cities in China, with low levels of crime and corruption compared to their counterparts in the mainland. More importantly, the people of both cities enjoy basic freedoms of assembly, forming associations, speech and publication, as well as religious freedom. These are basic human rights that the Chinese government currently cannot provide to its 1.3 billion people.

Although the Chinese government takes a negative view of the colonial periods of these territories, it is because of the colonization by Britain and Portugal that Hong Kong and Macau now enjoy these precious freedoms. This is indisputable fact.

Because the Chinese government is unable or unwilling to grant the citizens of mainland China the same rights and freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong and Macau, it made the two territories into special administrative regions and invented the "one country, two systems" formula.

Human rights and freedoms, including the right to free speech, association and movement, have been driving forces behind the contemporary development of Europe and the United States. What we now call "modernization" is to a large extent equal to Europeanization or Americanization. One can argue that this is also related to Christian values, as these are the underlying values that have dominated European and American cultures for centuries. Spreading these values throughout the world was one of the side effects of colonization.

Carrying this argument further, let us consider the issue of religious freedom. The purpose of all religions is for human beings to connect to their creator, God. Where this connection exists, the blessing of God can flow to the people. In a society where there is no religious freedom, and those in power block the intentions or deny the existence of God, this blessing cannot freely flow.

Although the Chinese government argues that Chinese citizens do have religious freedom -- the right to believe or not to believe in religious ideas -- they cannot freely act on their beliefs, and those without belief do not have free access to religious ideas. For example, many Christian organizations want to preach in China during the 2008 Olympic Games, but the Chinese government has upheld its ban on preaching in China by foreign religious groups.

As long as China's leaders continue to deny their people religious freedom, the country's growth and development will never include the growth and development of the spirit. It will never produce a great culture or a harmonious society.

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(Dr. Chang Chuan-fong is Asia director of the International Educational Foundation and former associate professor in the Department of Education at Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. ©Copyright Chang Chuan-fong.)