James Reynolds’ China

James Reynold from BBC wrote (some time ago) about the National pride in China.

Among all his other stories, I find that this is one entry that he successfully give a balanced view of the issues surrounding China.

here goes…

National sentiment

Here’s one of the stronger comments posted on this blog…

“It doesn’t matter how much you hate China and Chinese, we are destined to be stronger and stronger, we will disappoint you, I feel sorry for you again…” (fairreport)

And this is an email I received from someone in the UK after reading comments like the one above…

“One cannot help, upon reading such comments, perceiving that the Chinese feel an immense patriotism which we in the West have often tended to underestimate. Any critical reporting on the part of the foreign media is immediately met with charges of bias – and this, presumably, from fairly ordinary citizens. What I, and no doubt many other foreign observers, find hard to understand, is the source of all this national pride.”

I want to try to answer this.

In some ways, Chinese national pride is easy to explain. The first thing you learn about the country is that China calls itself by the ancient name of “Zhong Guo” – or Middle Kingdom – a reference to the time when China was at the centre of the world. Many Chinese contributors have written on this blog of their pride in 5000 years of civilisation (for around a thousand years – c.500AD-c.1500AD – this country was the world’s leading power.) China also gave the world inventions such as paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. So, there’s a lot to be proud of.

When things are going well, this sense of national pride lives alongside a desire to make friends with the West. I know many people here who download western music onto their iPods, who complained bitterly when a local cable company made it too expensive to watch Premiership football, who learn English, and who want to go and study abroad. I’ve been to events where people politely ask if they can have their picture taken with me – because they want to show off the fact that they’ve met and made friends with a foreigner.

But, this national pride takes on a much sharper edge when China feels under attack from the West. This year, this sharper edge was sparked in by protests in Tibet in March and by disruptions to the Olympic torch relay a few weeks later.

Whenever China feels under attack, the country thinks back to a period that everyone is taught at school: the Century of Humiliation. This is an age from 1842-1949 in which China suffered successive, humiliating defeats to Western powers and to Japan. During this time, chunks of the Middle Kingdom were handed out as prizes to conquering nations. I would argue that if you get the Century of Humiliation, you get how China often sees the West.

These are some of the events of that every Chinese pupil is made to learn (students are tested on these facts throughout their school years.)

1) 1842 – Treaty of Nanjing
The Treaty that marks Britain’s defeat of China in the First Opium War. Britain forces China to open up several ports to foreign trade, to allow Christians to come in to start missionary work, and to exempt foreigners from Chinese law. China also has to give up Hong Kong for Britain to use as a harbour. Over the next few decades the Treaty of Nanjing is followed by more than a dozen more treaties signed with other Western countries. Collectively they are known as the Unequal Treaties.

2) 1860 – Destruction of the Summer Palace
At the end of the Second Opium War, Britain and France destroy the Old Summer Palace in Beijing as a way of punishing the Emperor. This is seen one of the most potent symbols of China’s humiliation.

3) Japanese Occupation 1931 – 1945
Japan invades Manchuria in 1931. The subsequent 14-year occupation includes the Nanjing Massacre in 1937 in which China says that more than 200,000 people are killed by the Japanese army.

The ordinary person in the West hardly learns any of this (even if they learn the facts, they’re certainly not taught the Chinese perspective.)

This narrative of humiliation – a series of western tricks, massacres, and defeats designed to keep a once-great power down – often defines how China interprets the West’s actions. It leads to an acute sensitivity and suspicion of the West’s real motives…

“Please keep your hands of our motherland, because it is our own family problems. We would love to talk to you if you try to understand us a bit more in a fairly way. We like to make friends with you as we did never truly hated you, even you destroyed our country and cut our land in pieces many years ago (read the Chinese history in 1899 and during the 20’s – 30’s” (GoonerCow)

Some recent events as seen through the lens of the Century of Humiliation…

1) 1999 – Belgrade Embassy Bombing
US warplanes bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade – killing three Chinese diplomats. The US apologises and says the bombing is a tragic accident – its forces had been using out-of-date maps. But many in China don’t believe the explanation. Thousands demonstrate outside the American Embassy in Beijing. Many here believe the US bombing was deliberate – another western attempt to keep China down.

2) Climate change
The West urges China to cut down its carbon emissions – as part of a worldwide attempt to stop global warming. But China sees this as an attempt to stop this country’s development – a co-ordinated Western plot to keep China weak…

“Oh yes everything is on us, milk price gone up cause the Chinese started drinking milk; fiscal deficit, cause China’s weak currency; soaring unemployment, cause Chinese cheap stuff; anything else?…Don’t you need worry about China’s going to skip the responsibilities. This world got to be a fair world, the new China is never to be anyone’s’ scapegoat.” (ronnieji)

3) Dalai Lama & Tibet
Many in the West see Tibet’s spiritual leader as a moral leader who preaches non-violence and campaigns only for better human rights for his people. But in China, the West’s support of the Dalai Lama is seen as a conspiracy to support a violent secessionist who wants to achieve the long-standing western aim of dismembering China in order to keep it weak. China also argues that the West’s romantic view of Tibet is false. Under the Dalai Lama, China says that Tibet was a brutal, feudal society. China says that Communist rule has brought development and better rights for poorer Tibetans.

4) Taiwan
This is the self-governing island off the coast of China – seen by China as an integral piece of the Middle Kingdom. In China, Taiwan’s separation from the motherland is seen as the last, and greatest, symbol of China’s historic losses. Much of China’s sense of humiliation is built on the loss of territory. Therefore, getting land back – and keeping the land the country’s already got – is vital. It’s why Britain’s handover of Hong Kong in 1997 was so important, it’s also why so many people email this blog to insist that Tibet will always be a part of China. Some even argue that the Century of Humiliation won’t fully be over until China regains Taiwan.

5) The Beijing Olympics
China looks forward to the event as a chance to prove to itself and to the world that it’s ready to retake its rightful place on the world stage. But pro-Tibet campaigners disrupt the Olympic torch relay as it goes through London, Paris, and San Francisco. In the West this is seen as part a democratic right to protest. In China it’s seen as part of a deliberate, coordinated attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympics – because the West can’t bear to see China take to the stage and resurrect itself as an important power…

“No matter Bush comes or not, Olympic will continue, business between China and American will continue, Tibetan’s remain in the Chinese family will continue and so will the Communitist party’s rule.” (zickyyy)

When it comes to reporting on China (ie – what I do) the same suspicions arise …

“BBC continues to publish distortion about China. Why don’t you just add up all the emission by developed countries in the last century and then compared will all the emission by China. Then there will be no argument about who are the real contributors to the Global warming. Why BBC do not do that is baffling. Unless BBC has a hidden agenda to smeared China’s good name.” (TheMiddlePath)

“The reason why west media can dare to demonize China is that Chinese people are too nice when they face west.” (YiXin921)

It’s the job of a reporter to be critical – to investigate, to challenge, to shed light on the stories that a government doesn’t want to tell. The BBC does this in every country – and gets accused of bias wherever it reports from (I know this, in particular, after spending more than five years reporting from the Middle East.) No one – including people in Britain – likes foreigners to criticise what their country does. The particular problem when it comes to China is this: when the western media reports on difficult subjects, many people here accuse us of being out to demonise and humiliate their country.

In many ways, then, Chinese national pride goes together with suspicion of the West’s real motives. Each feeds the other.

Much of this is hard for the West to understand. Many in the West simply don’t know much about China’s history and genuinely don’t feel they are trying to tear chunks out of the country and repeat what happened in the 19th Century. The West sees that China has the world’s largest army, its own nuclear weapons, a UN Security Council veto, and ambitions to send a rocket to Mars – and finds it hard to understand why such a powerful country should feel so sensitive and so victimised.

Back, then, to the original question: what is the source of China’s national pride?

It’s a belief that China should be allowed to retake its proper place as a major world power. When China feels under attack, this pride turns into a frustration and anger that the West is still trying to hold it back and humiliate it.

Does that answer it?

Beijing’s Olympics 2008!

While I’m writing this entry, its officially 21 hrs and 2 mins to Beijing’s Olympics 2008.

The opening ceremony starts on 8th August 2008, 8pm.

In a communist country where faith and religion is supposedly prohibited, The People’s Republic of China has (since the cultural revolution) taken a big step when it allowed its people to believe in religion and faith once again. From a completely closed society during Mao’s rule, to the opening of China in Deng’s rule…, China has came a long way. From a nation with mainly poor peasants to the modernize 21st century China where businesses around the globe are yearning to enter, this is a nation that is desperate for world’s attention. It’s rate of economic development throughout the years are unbelievable.

Yes, China has lots of issues that still need to be addressed. As compared to democratic countries that practice absolute freedom of speech and human rights actions, China does seem to have a long way to go.

However, Communism, like any other political system,should receive the same respect as Democracy and Socialism. It is communism that turned China around. It is communism that makes China one of the rising superpowers.

Communism has brought China The Olympics.

Many Western countries as well as protesters, in view of the coming Olympics, have used the opportunity to attack China political beliefs and governing system. China’s corruption is brought to light. China’s pollution is brought to light. The unresolved issue of Tiananmen massacre is brought to light. The Tibet issue is brought to light. China’s internet censorship is brought to light. China’s media practices are brought to light. China’s human rights issues are brought to light…. The list just goes on and on.

I think the nation gets the idea…

a large percentage of the world is unhappy with China.

The basis of the Olympic game is to promote friendships among the different continents. Peace. Unity.

I guess in the mist of all the chaos, the world has forgotten the significance of the game. They are blinded. Blinded by the prospect of opportunities. They forget about the symbol of Olympics. They just want to voice out their suppressed crtics and unhappiness.

China is not a free nation. China has never been a free nation that practices freedom of speech. Many developed ‘democratic’ countries do not practice absolute freedom of speech. Instead of being the ‘watch dog’ or the ‘fourth estate’, many media industries across different countries still have restrictions of what to say and what not to say. For centuries, China has never practiced freedom of speech. Its people have always been shield from the outside world. For hundreds of years, they are being led by leaders. For a country that has never practiced any freedom, is giving its people free speech the best solution? In regard to the country’s history, the chinese today are way priviledged than their ancestors. China’s ‘ME’ generation has the opportunity to pursue their passion and seek their individual voice like never before.

*

The number ‘eight’.

It is suppose to symbolize good fortune, luck and prosperity.

But this yr, with the among of criticisms that China had received from the world and the natural disasters that hit them, China seems far from being lucky.

Nevertheless, the country stays proud and united to make the Olympic game a success. It is a moment in history- the time when the tide turns to China.

Yes, China still has alot to reflect and improve on. It is not a perfect country with the perfect government. The slogan for Beijing’s Olympics is ‘One world, one dream’. China, a self-sufficient country, is willing to open itself to the world, but once again, it is slashed and rejected. The world has pushed China too far. In desperation, China reverts to suppression. That is what they are taught to do in times of chaos and emergency. However, the country is changing…and seemingly…to the better. The world needs to embrace China.

The holding of this world’s sports game is the starting point.

China wants to compete. They want to win.

Let the game begins!

***

BBC news: World leaders gather for Olympics

BBC feature: What China wants from the game

TIME: The Village people

******

2008 Beijing Olympics song”Welcome to Beijing” MV(full)

周杰倫《千山萬水》全新編曲 正式版 [Jay Chou’s Olympics Song, Final Version]

A Mei – Forever Friends 永远的朋友 (Beijing Olympic song)

Leehom’s Olympic song: One World One Dream demo version

Tibetan activists condemn Beijing Olympics – 13 Mar 08

Faith is the problem. It is also the cure.

I am born in a Muslim country, raised in a Buddhist family and taught by a Christian teacher.

I have no religious faith.

My friends are believers of astrology and horoscopes. Capricorns are rational and practical. Aries, on the other hand, are stubborn and adventurous. Aquarius are humanitarians while Taurus are self-indulgent narcissists. If you are a Gemini, you are in for a treat. Although you can be tense at times, you are generally a witty and sociable person who has the ability to influence people with your energetic and youthful vibes.

These beliefs guide my friends in finding their identities. Along with their faith in religion, they believe in the natural. They believe that humans are born a certain way.

It is just the way it is.

Faith gives courage.

Tony Blair once said in a TIME interview that his faith has helped him make tough decisions. “..when you are so scared of losing support that you don’t do what you think is the right thing. What faith can do is not to tell you what is right but give you the strength to do it”, he said. A leader, who sometimes had to secretly attend church behind the limelight because of his nation’s cynicism towards religion, chose not to abandon his faith for a better reputation.

Faith guides citizens of the world.

They act as mentor and guidance when one gets lost. They act as comfort when one is miserable. They give people a peace of mind when some things are beyond man’s control.

When my mother is stressed or worried, she prays. She prays for his family and for health. It gives her a peace of mind. It helps her blood pressure. She is calm.

The rules of religion guide people. They govern the world. Politics is never separated from religion. Peace and war is related to religion. Extremists… terrorists… they all have their own religious faith. In a historical book that I have read…on the day that Hiroshima was bombed, people found shelter in churches. It was where they felt safe. Many churches turned into temporary hospitals during the World War Two because people held faith in religion.

Tony Blair Faith Foundation believes that collaboration among different religious faiths can help address some of the world’s most pressing social problems (from TIME). India and Chinese were long connected in history by the Silk Road. Historical Europe was scarred because of unrest between Catholic and Protestant churches. People try to separate the actions of terrorists with religion but these extremists strongly believe that they are simply obeying God’s order… so really, when you come down to it, wars and politics… from roman period till the 21^st century have not change a slightest. They all have faith as the basis.

In this case, Tony Blair Faith Foundation has dedicated itself to the right cause. There is just one problem left. With such a long history of disagreement and conflicts among different religious faith, is there a chance that the gap can be bridged?

I am one of those people that tick the box ‘free thinker’ in application forms. I believe in history, psychology and science. I think that everything happens for a reason and if we dig into it, we can find an explanation. I dislike things beyond my control.

Life mysteries can be solved by digging through past events. A nation’s history shapes its cultures, traditions and operations. When we analyze world historical events, we can go into the mind of past leaders such as Hitler, Churchill or Stalin. When we know the why, what and how of history, we can understand the world.

Tony Blair Faith Foundation does it and they find one of the roots- faith.

Anwar Ibrahim arrested over allegations of sodomy

This is simply ridiculous.

check out BBC new’s:

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim arrested

Malaysia’s Anwar released on bail

News update: Malaysia

Three months after the general election, Malaysia hits BBC headlines again…

Malaysia’s Anwar seeks sanctuary

A party official said Mr Anwar had received death threats

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has sought refuge in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

He told the BBC he had gone to the embassy because he was afraid of being arrested or assaulted.

Earlier, Mr Anwar rejected a new allegation of sodomy made by a member of his staff, describing it as a complete fabrication to discredit him.

He says the claims by a 23-year-old are designed to block his political resurgence after success at the polls… (more on BBC NEWS)

Obviously, BBC’s story seems more slanted towards Anwar’s side of the story. If you want to hear what our government says about the issue, turn to local papers; they never fail to deliver our government’s words to the public.

Anwar receives death threats, in hiding (Update 3)

I don’t have much to say about ‘death threats’. Yes, I am a typical generation Y consumer. I am cynical about everything. I study news, I learn marketing, I learn public relations, I study media and politics. Maybe these theories that I am learning about how politics work makes me a cynical freak.

When I see this news in BBC website, I am not concerned about which sides I am going to take.

I am rather ashame.

Malaysia Tomorrow 1

2.09am on March 9, I stared at the computer screen like a grandma who just discovered the fascination of technology.

It was not because I just uncovered the mystery of internet. Rather, it was the bewilderment that I felt on what was appearing on the screen.

“I think the result was not finalized yet. Or maybe I’m too sleepy to see the correct figure”

It cant be…. for some reasons, my eyes were manipulating me; fore the screen wrote : “Information revealed that the opposition had won over Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor”

Not believing what I had seen, I checked the latest online news again at 10am.

“so its true… 4 states…” I told myself…stunned.

My first reaction was to grab the phone and made a long distance call back to Malaysia. No harm double confirming the information with people who were IN the country right?

And there I was. Hit into the unexpected reality.

Before the election, I was amazed at how the oppositions were rising in power through blogs. I saw them as children in the country who are growing into their adolescent stage. During that time, I was happy about how much they have grown but I definitely did not see them as grown adults who were capable of ruling or keeping charge.

Days after they were hit into the ‘adult world’ (of practically ruling the states),the opposition immaturity and messiness of being a novice was revealed. First, in the state of Perak. When three kids (DAP, PKR and PAS) cannot even settle collectively and efficiently (in ways that do not involve mainstream media having the chance to dig trouble stories out from them) on who should be the respected Mentri Besar of the state, how do you expect them to rule the whole perak with no conflict???!! (More information about the issue on Star online)

Because of the circumstances before the election, the oppositions decided to be ‘allies in war time’. They said that they ‘will work together peacefully so that Malaysia can have a brighter tomorrow’.

However, one thing remains clear.

Each of these oppositions have very different ideology.

Similar to the history of chinese revolution where all rebels acted together to bring down the Emperor, the opposition parties in Malaysia worked together on the same basis.

Clearly, they want to strengthen their powers to weaken BN.

But their common visions ended there.

Now that they had won some states, signs of ‘break-ups’ after a war were slowly revealing among the oppositions.

DAP decided that it is time for Penang to abandons the 30 years long pro-Malay policy whereby more jobs, educations and social services opportunities were given to poverty-stricken ethnic Malays.

The basis behind the change in policy is good.

DAP wants to provide a fair and equal society for all races.

However, one has to keep in mind that the pro-malay policy has been around the country for decades. This policy has been embedded into the cultures and behaviours of every Malaysians. Malays are used to being given privileges while other racial groups are used to fighting harder to gain the same opportunity.

These behaviors have become part of Malaysian identities.

To create a fair and ‘colourblind’ society, Pro-Malay policy does come as a problematic policy.

Nevertheless, due to the policy’s deep history in the country, a sudden abolishment of the policy may only be an act of eagerness and not rationality.

If I were a Malay in Penang, I can imagine that this abolishment may come as a betrayal to Malay racial group.

On one hand, DAP leader was promising that he will not marginalise Malay; Then, he turns around and abolish the policy that all Malays treated as a natural privilege.

I am not here to doubt each political parties’ attachment and love towards the country.

With no doubt, each members of the political parties were patriotic citizens of Malaysia. Their ideas and desires to make Malaysia a better nation is good.

But that does not mean that they have the skills and knowledge to rule.

From my heart, I wish that a beam of light can be shined on Malaysia. I pray that every politicians, regardless of their differences,  can lead my homeland to the right path. We can’t afford to fall anymore.

I love forward to a greater Malaysia

The election that goes down in History

Barisan Nasional lost control of four states – Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor, while PAS secured two-thirds majority to keep its hold on Kelantan.

It is Barisan Nasional (BN)’s worst performance in a general election since independence in 1957.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s multi-racial coalition won 139 out of 220 seats counted for the 222-seat Parliament, state television reported. Even if the BN wins the remaining two seats, it would fall short of the 148 seats needed for a two-thirds majority.

The opposition alliance of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Islamic Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), won 81 seats. In the outgoing parliament, the opposition had 19 seats.

The only other time the 14-party BN coalition failed to win a two-thirds majority was in 1969 when it secured 66% of the seats. This time, it would have only 63.5% if it wins the remaining two seats.

A two-thirds majority is needed to amend the Constitution. The last time the BN lost that majority was in the 1969 election.

Nurul Izzah, eldest daughter of opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, who was facing a three-cornered fight ousted a sitting minister in an inner-city seat in the capital while her mother, Wan Azizzah Wan Ismail maintained her seat in Penang. 

The result shows how the people stand up to ensure that Malaysia does not equate to Barisan Nasional.

Check out Channelnewsasia coverage on the election:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/video

PM’s post election press conference

DAP Lim Guan Eng’s Speech in Penang

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/ (Message from Anwar)

A New Dawn for Malaysia

My fellow Malaysians,

Today at the ballot box, you listened to your heart with the firm conviction that the time for change has arrived.

The people of Malaysia have spoken. This is a defining moment, unprecedented in our nation’s history.

Today a new chapter has opened. The people have voted decisively for a new era where the government must be truly inclusive and recognize that all Malaysians, regardless of race, culture and religion are a nation of one.

The people have expressed in no uncertain terms that they want accountability, transparency and the rule of law.

Today unity, consensus, and mutual respect triumphed.

Tomorrow, we start working to build a brighter future, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. This is a new dawn for Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim

“Are you in Malaysia? Did you vote? How do you see the political situation developing now?”

This is a question posted by the BBC news to all Malaysians. Comments came in voicing that this election result was a ‘betrayal’ to the party which made malaysia into what it is today while others said that Malaysia so-called ‘multi racial harmony’ is just a ‘big fat lie’.

As a Malaysian, please help to answer this controversial question made by BBC and think about the basis in which all Malaysians cast their vote yesterday.

Is the result a reflection of mere anger towards BN or do the people have pure faith in the opposition??

Are you voting in accordance to the race of the candidate or are you voting in accordance to the cause in which the candidate support?

Election countdown..

I asked.. why is it that they want to cast a vote to the opposition when they know that BN is going to win anyway?

The common replies came like this:

“We know that they are going to win, but we need opposition in the seats to weaken the government and allow the opposition to have a say in how the country is going to be govern”

“If we, the people, don’t give a chance for the opposition to prove themselves, who are?”

This is one of the speech by Anwar. I heard from people (because I absolutely do not understand the speeches which were made in BM) that his speeches reflect the voices of Malaysia citizens. Some viewers left comments saying that Anwar Ibrahim should be the rightful leader of Malaysia while others take the chance to jeer Umno as U—- untuk, M—- manusia, N—- no, O—- otak.

One thing is very clear in this election. The oppositions are gearing up their strength in the new media by being active bloggers and internet activists. Even though many of Malaysia’s news agencies are still huge BN fans who only report positive things about the party, many readers have shifted their sources of information about the coming election online. Instead of reading newspapers that said ‘BN support EXPANSION, while opposition support EXPENSIVE’, voters, especially new voters in their 20s are become very much cynical to the mainstream media.

In dinner tables or tea sessions, we hear young voters talking about the latest election news in malaysiatoday- www.malaysia-today.net/ (an Independent news edited by Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin which also includes commentaries by Anwar Ibrahim) or other online activists. A mention about the newspaper can make them shake their heads in despair. Unknowingly, when it comes to election analysis and coverage, the standard of Malaysia mainstream media has become less sophisticated than the freelancers online.

In a few days time, Malaysia is going to vote. We all know that BN is going to continue to rule the country in the next four years, but how much will the opposition get a say after the election?