Raining on Beijing's Parade Carries Risks

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Aug 8, 2008 9:28 AM EDT

Article Source: Reuters

politics, us, china, media, olympics, protest, censorship, tibet, beijing-olympics, foreign-relations, olympics-2008

It won't provoke a diplomatic incident and patriotic mobs are unlikely to take to Beijing's streets, but if Western leaders and the foreign media rain on China's parade it could leave a damaging legacy of resentment.

"So far it's going very poorly in terms of China's broader relationship with the world community," said John Delury, a China expert at the Asia Society in New York. "There's a good chance it's going to lead to some bad blood."

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3.4

{"commentId":2399295,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}

Jack Huang

I think the gov'ts of most nations fully realize this, which is why they're leaving the protests to grassroots activists. However, they would be wise to encourage a cooling of protesters, as Chinese sentiment towards the West has already become unstable over the past few years, and sabotaging the spirit of the Olympics would be the final dumbbell that broke the camel's back.

{"commentId":2399295,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sphinx"}

1 vote

#1 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 9:41 AM EDT

{"commentId":2399432,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}

Jack Huang

"Through the prism of the international media we are getting a pretty negative impression of China," he said. "People who watch things closely in China will see the real story was the world being a bad guest."

Several Chinese claiming to be "ordinary people" tried to stop a Reuters reporter from talking to three U.S. Christian protesters on Beijing's Tiananmen Square this week, saying they were angry that China's viewpoint was being ignored.

"Don't talk to them, interview us. Let our voices be heard," one man shouted, trying to drag away the reporter.

While the author of the article most likely thinks that the ordinary citizens weren't, the frustrations are widely felt throughout China.

Looking at coverage of the protests before the Olympics, e.g. the torch relays, how many China supporters were interviewed? The media's portrayal of the Chinese political situation has been extremely one-sided, almost to the point of creating their own little version of what China is by avoiding actual journalism with regards to the perspective of the Chinese people.

{"commentId":2399432,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sphinx"}

1 vote

#2 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 9:53 AM EDT

{"commentId":2403409,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I have a feeling you and I, Jack, are going to be a bit like Siskel and Ebert when it comes to China and the Olympics - sometimes we'll agree sometimes but often we'll disagree but hey we'll try to make it entertaining or at least interesting.

For viewers new to the Jack and Scott show we've disagreed about whether (and how often) the Olympics have gotten political before (we talked about this in your prior seed)

and whether instances like this can be believed (I believe it, he doesn't)

However, we've agreed, for example, that the U.S. has little room to preach to Chinese about human rights and we've agreed that the Chinese government HAS improved in recent years and that we'd still like the Chinese government to do better

You can find some of our prior, er, engagements via the Olympics group this is clipped to.

{"commentId":2403409,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 3:50 PM EDT

{"commentId":2404242,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Hmm, I let my stomach get in the way of my brain. I was going to post that and then offer food for thought but instead I just went to get the food. Ok, now here's two things to consider. Both are admittedly a bit blunt:

1) Since when does China care what other nations think?

2) Why should we care what China thinks?

(Hey, I admitted they were blunt.)

Now I, like many who I've seen criticizing China on Newsvine, am quick to allude to T. Square when talking about China. And Jack is right in pointing out that things have changed since then.

That said, I remember being quite upset that the U.S. government gave China Most Favored Nation status despite the repeated human rights violations. And we'd debate this issue with people the responses were often 1) we don't want to create an international incident and 2) China doesn't care what other countries think anyway

Has that changed? Does China now care about criticism?

What about the argument that China - like the U.S. - won't improve until protests and criticisms force it to change?

I understand the "hey, let's just focus on the sports" argument but I also don't want to see criticisms thrown under the rug like so many human rights violations of the past that seem to hve been ignored when China was named host country in the first place?

{"commentId":2404242,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

1 vote

#3.1 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 4:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":2404539,"authorDomain":"sphinx"}

Jack Huang

Since when does China care what other nations think?

Honestly, they've cared for a while, but such care is tempered by a strong sense of pride, both in nation and culture. It may surprise you to hear this, but China is a rather complacent. It engaged in no empire-building, it rarely tries to impose/force policies on other countries, and to the best of my knowledge, hasn't fought an aggressive war for its own sake in at least the last half-millennium.

What about the argument that China - like the U.S. - won't improve until protests and criticisms force it to change?

Hmmm, that's a somewhat difficult question, I think. China will listen to protests if they escalate to the point where a real economic impact will be felt, but up till then, protests will only compel it to become more and more forceful in asserting its own will.

Why should we care what China thinks?

That's an easy question. China is the most powerful developing nation on Earth, and will soon rival Japan and the US in economic clout. Heck, the US already treats it with great respect, knowing the economic (and thus, political) power it wields.

Further, I'd say that what China publicly thinks impacts their real policies more so than a similar causality for the US. It's relatively new to the aggressively delicate game of big-time international politics, and as such, it lacks skill in psychological manipulation (e.g. bluffing, etc.).

{"commentId":2404539,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sphinx"}

#3.2 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 5:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":2404982,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Wait, no comment on the Ebert-Siskel comparison?

{"commentId":2404982,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#3.3 - Fri Aug 8, 2008 5:38 PM EDT

{"commentId":2415985,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

I just posted an article setting up a larger discussion. Hope you'll take part, Jack.

{"commentId":2415985,"threadId":"328147","contentId":"1731467","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#3.4 - Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:06 PM EDT

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Raining on Beijing's Parade Carries Risks

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