There’s so much I want to talk about China. It’s impossible to fit them all into one post. But yesterday’s incident was the spark I needed to really sit down and arrange my thoughts and to give a more complete description about my views on China. My recent blog hunt and news stalking had given me a wider perspectives about China’s problems and more insights about people’s political mindset in China. No matter how hard I try, I find it impossible to feel completely apathetic to those who are suffering across the world from me. China’s improvements make every Chinese excited. Who doesn’t want to be proud of their roots? But before I can sit back and relax, I remain skeptical. It’s clear China has a lot more to improve. I can not leave myself with “aw, it will change” and walk away.
Many problems in China are yet to be touched. Last I heard the city people are making 2.8 times more than the rural areas. Read Wen’s speech: “Not long ago, Secretary Evans of Commerce had a talk with me about China/U.S. economic relations and trade. Before he met with me he went to see some rural areas in China’s west and in our meeting he showed me two pictures he shot in his visit and reflected the state of backwardness in those quarters. And in fact he felt strongly about what he saw. He said that he would never forget the people that he met within that trip. I said to him that out of the total of 2,500 counties in China I have personally been to 1,800 of them and I’ve been to the poorest areas in China. I said to him that what you saw in fact is not the poorest of areas…”
Corruption is also unbelievably prevailing. Outcries are suppressed. People who are not affected either don’t know, don’t care or wouldn’t do anything about it. Most of the time outcries are not even heard. Media is still heavily controlled. It’s a tradition since the beginning of PRC. Has it improved? Not much. I would regard the internet as a fresh beginning for the Chinese government but oh no, they completely smashed it – which is still considered as a miracle by many governments. Keep average citizen uninformed politically, they manage to suppress the other voice. A voice like Wei Jingshen’s. You can bash the government in china privately but as soon as you try to make a scene and try to get more people to hear you, you get yourself in jail faster than anything. But why? Why can’t there be another voice to keep the government in check?
The result? the destruction of mass political involvement.
those who had dreams, changed their course. because they say “I found my character and thoughts could not fit in with China’s political condition, and I did not want to change myself from heart to fit it just in order to get my political objective. I love freedom and do not want to be controlled by dark human relationships.”
leylop said: to her, policement are gangs, political leaders are corrupted, law keepers are bastards. thus story like the one i posted simply doesn’t surprise her any more. why is an outrangous story like that deemed as part of the society in China? Does every Chinese take “it will change” as a satisfying answer?
apparently there are those who feel there’s nothing they can do. hailey responded to the story with another incredible story of a student beaten to death and yet suppressed by school to make it a big deal. Chinese people have no power in their country. Does any Chinese question the truth behind “it will change”?
I thought politics is supposed to serve the people and represent the people?
Sufferers?
Those who are worst off. People in the middle simply turn a blind eye. People on the top are too far away to reach or too busy to care. You really think the central government will do anything to help the villagers in this small town? Their voice is ignored because they don’t write memoirs or blog online. We can only rely on sites like this and foreign news to get a glimsp of their lives because Chinese government would not release any true information about them. How could I ever imagine these photos if all I see on TV are beautiful minority dresses on CCTV new year’s celebration?
And yet those who attempt to show are officially labeled anti-China and their webistes blocked.
It’s impossible for Chinese to objectively view their country because so much info are blocked out. Take a Chinese history course in America, you might find many surprises. But what kills me to find out is instead of embracing different perspectives, most Chinese puts up a mental barrier. They believe foreigners talk about problems in China because they have a different type of government or because they have different culture. Despite of limited available foreign sources, to objectively view China through them is even more out of the question. I can not understand that mindset personally but I know for a fact it is true. I am greatly saddened by the fact but I will not give up hoping someday it will change. As least it makes me feel better that Wen admitted to many problems in China.
Economically, China has been improving in light speed. Anyone who goes to China can see that. But if you are Chinese, you ought to question deeper than the surface. That’s why whether you believe I am anti-China or not, I will not give up my right of freedom of speech, my right to criticise and my right of critical thinking. I am far from have to do what Chinese government tells me to do.
If everyone who demonstrated against US war in Iraq is imprisoned, US must really expand its prison.
If no one knows or gives a damn about Fauziya Kassindja, she should be home celebrating her genital multilation now.
I know China has a long way to go but I am looking forward to see examples like above happening in China someday. Not by simply believing but constantly checking its progress.
Pure-Essence.Net 
oh dodo
if only there were more people like you. And pshcha XD anti-china…. i’m not even going to comment on that comment xP LOL
but yeaa… i don’t know what to say. 😦 My mother often tells me one day she’ll take us back to China on a trip…. but i honestly shudder at the thought. I doubt my sanity would be able to cope with what i’ve been “missing out” on.
but you know what dodo?
you would be a great ambassador between China and the US =]
i can picture you being one 🙂
are you kidding me? i will be sentenced 15 years and then wish that to happen in next life LOL
You should take a look at the actual situation in china before believing in american funded anti-china sites. Mainly because their main aim is to make china look as bad as possible while glorifying their own country. the situation in the states is quite the same. media is heavily guarded and influenced to affect people’s views. only the americans are smarter… they do it subtly.. theres a large gap between the rich and poor and corruption is extremely high. lots of friends of mine who work in law enforcement have either been fired or edged out just because they wouldnt “join the group” and take money that didnt belong to them.
and the situation in iraq? here’s an iraqi quote that came from a pro-american news agency: “the only difference between saddam and the americans is that saddam killed you in private but the americans kill you in public.” pay attention to real news and more pressing matters. youve been living under american influence too long 😛
nope, i don’t agree with you at all. the only reason those sites are funded by chinese living in americans is because they are banned in china. i’m sure everybody is happy if such a site can even exist in china. remember those sites are still written by chinese. actually there are many sites like that. i am living in america, but what i am hearing is the truth the chinese is trying to block out. not mentioning Wen himself mentioned some of the most harsh condition in china. don’t be so afraid others to make you look bad. a truly functional government can easily withstand the criticism, and should try to learn from it, not supress it.
btw, i never said in my argument that american government is perfect. why you think just because american gov’t is not perfect thus it’s ok for chinese to have the same problems? why can’t we do better?
“pay attention to real news and more pressing matters. youve been living under american influence too long ” – what exactly is real news? news i read from washington post is not? words i read from mainlander bloggers and blogs of foreigners who currently live in china are not considered real news? i never quoted anything from a source that’s by US only. Wen’s speech is posted by Chinadaily.com.. please point out which of my source is not considered so-called REAL NEWS? and present me with some REAL NEWS. thanks.
i found another flaw in your argument. you said “Mainly because their main aim is to make china look as bad as possible while glorifying their own country” – i suppose you are talking about chinalaborunion.org? did you even read that site to make such a statement? i don’t find anything glorifying america on that site. if you do, please point it out to me. btw do you mean who wen jingshen is? he was imprisoned in china for a long time and then banished by the chinese gov’t. he’d never choose to leave the country. at least that’s what he said on the interview i saw. also i brought up the iraq topic to show that people who demonstrate against government decision is left alone in america unlike in china. whether the war is justified is totally irrevelent to my argument. no idea what that quote was trying to show.
Oh gosh! I guess we are all blessed here in the USA. I almost cried looking at those pictures. I can’t imagine how hard life is in China. Economic boom? Yeah, but not all Chinese are benefiting. Oh well, just a thought.
Lex, I’ve lived in the US and in China. Trust me, you are much safer in the US, especially if you want to express your true feelings about the government. You can still say whatever you want, even with the Patriot Act and other silly post-911 laws. It is still a free country with a lregal system to protect you. That legal system just jumped into action to protect two Guantanamo Bay prisoners! In China, the party is the police, the judge and the jury. If they want you in jail, there’s zero you can do about it. Check Jasper Becker’s book The Chinese, the chapter “Rule of Law.” It’s scary as hell. And there’s nothing like it in America — and I am no big fan of America!
I really admire you for looking into the situation before writing it down. Great site and hope you had a good xmas
Why are y’all arguing about China & USA? I bet all the countries in the world have some sort of corruptons & human rights abuse. Whoever runs the gov’t are all the same. Its all about power, greed & money, that’s all there is to it. So, let us not be judgemental for we know nothing until we have the power to change things. It is unfortunate in the USA because we the people elect these idiot & corrupt gov’t officials.
you obviously know nothing about china. from you said, since it’s all murder, why should we have different rulings for different circumstances and degrees?