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yetingsong

Listed below are comments made by yetingsong between Sunday, 24th August 2008 and Friday, 6th February 2009.

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Chinese charm 2:00pm on 06 Feb 2009 If anything the new opinion poll shows off the good work done by James and others - Well done James, it seems your persistent negative report on China has proven effected in amongst your western viewers.

The other day I was talking to a local kid in London, asked him what he know about China, three things he said: Communist, Tibet, and Fake products. Thumbs up for the western media for portraying an effective stereo type on China. I think this makes the Western citizen feel good about themselves, which in turn will keep their government in power. Check and check in James' world.

But for more open minded, China is of course much bigger than the three things the poor kid was let to know by the western media. Especially during what I would say the turning point of the world Economy. The world needs China more than ever and in the same token China needs the world.

Knowing only three things about China, I'd say it's your loss. China opens an welcoming hand to the world, and if you don't clinch it, others will. Because after all, the world is much bigger than this little island off the coast of Europe.
Wen Jiabao's 'Confidence Trip' (2) 2:10pm on 02 Feb 2009 Premier Wen does give interviews to foreign media if respect is shown. In fact he gave a very frank and humble interview to CNN (transcript can be found here: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/chinese.premier.transcript/index.html)

If you could show some willingness to listen and research the subject on both side of the story beforehand, I'm sure you would have gotten your wish.

Please try not to be pretentious, China is a much bigger place than just the Tibet and Tiananmen. There are real people and real issues besides the ideological war between communism and capitalism.

A few questions comes to mind for you to ask:

The passed 30 year the growth of the Chinese economy has been largely based on foreign investment and growth in export. In the next 30 years, what would be the driver of the Chinese economy growth?

China is the manufacture base for many if not most of the international household brands, but China has very few world famous brands to call its own. Why is that? Did China grow too fast too quickly?
Looking to Gaza... and America 2:59pm on 20 Jan 2009 The problem between Israel and Palestine is created after the world war II when the state of Israel is founded by the joined agreement between Europe and America.

To be brutally honest, this is a problem created by the Europeans and Americans, and because of this we have half of century of pain and terrorism, extremism. (I have no bad feeling towards Israel nor do the Palestinians, I'm just saying what is the truth).

Now why would China want to dip into this mess and solve this problem? What's in it for China when it's quite possible to cause bad feelings to both Israel and Islam fractions?

On the other hand, China can sit back and enjoy the relative peace within its own borders and watch this mess unfold by itself.
Serfs' Emancipation Day 11:57am on 19 Jan 2009 Just to point out - Serfs' Emancipation Day is not going to be a national day, as it's only for the Tibet region.
Does this man remind you of anyone? 5:39pm on 07 Jan 2009 I think it's sad that Mao Xinyu is still living off the legacy of the old man. The country has moved on, its people have moved on. I'm not sure Chairman Mao would approve of this in his grave, after all, he is the last person on earth to try and create some sort of a Mao dynasty and allow his descendants to live off his fame and fortune. After all He sent his oldest to Korean War and was killed in combat.

With regards to Mao's mistakes and contribution to modern China, I think it's fair to say that Mao is the first person in the history to put China firmly on the map of the world, and he is the first person after the world wars to have stand up to both U.S. and the Soviet Union. To this degree, I think Mao has certainly earned the respect of most Chinese people. It's hard to imagine what China could be, or indeed what the world would be without Mao. Respect is the key word here.

As for his mistakes, most people in China are fully aware of it, whose life has probably been shaped in one way or another by the policies he endorsed. However I don't agree with people here (BBC especially) comparing him with Hitler, Emperor Qin and so on who have committed crimes against humanity with full intent and firm resolute.

Of course Mao's image has been tainted by these mistakes and he should bare full responsibility, but there is big difference between policy mistakes and deliberately causing human suffering. To this day I think no one in China is questioning the motive of these policies he had made.

Last word about James sarcastic comment (an official Communist Party verdict delivered after his death ruled - with precision - that Chairman Mao was 70% right and 30% wrong) - James you have once again misinterpreted and it shows your ignorance about Chinese people. This is actually a clear demonstration of the Chinese culture, we Chinese are fuzzy about numbers like this, we'll say 70, 30 causally, and what it really means is that the communist party thinks Mao's contribution is greater than his mistakes and nothing more. Given that the party itself is founded by him, I think it's probably fair enough.

James, again I hope you should go and take some lessons in Chinese Culture and its language, otherwise please let someon else in BBC to have a go at it.
Obama's victory 06:16am on 05 Nov 2008 I have never cease to be amazed by America's ability to Change, the opportunity for the wanting, the hope for those who desire. I am most amazed by, how a president can inspire not only an entire nation, but also all around the world. Indeed such sceptical does not happen anywhere on earth but in America. America is special again tonight, Americans are the lucky bunch on earth tonight.

Americans seems always able to change whenever they are in trouble, every four/eight years it seems the new government and the president is given the clean slate (almost), misgivings of the previous governments are irrelevant, new hopes and new beginnings are being installed amongst the Americans. This is the get-out-of-jail card, this is the advantage of the America's democracy, this is an advantage almost at an irony to China's political system - the CCP, after so many years and so many generations of governments, is still getting blamed for all the wrong doings 30 years ago.

After all the party has finished, after promising so much change, so much ideals, so much hope, after Obama begins his presidency and meet reality face to face, it remain to be seen of how much America can change.

Democrat Presidents traditionally has a harder time with the relations to China, Democrats seems to promote protectionism of American's businesses. I am certain however, once he finally lands after so much hype, Obama will do the right thing for the interest of not only the America, but also the long term interest of the world. Friendship between America and China will do a lot of good to world.

Congratulations to Obama, Congratulations to America, Congratulations to the Americans.
Spending on China's credit card 11:43pm on 30 Sep 2008 For those of you who wants to hear another side of the story, or to hear first hand from the leader of the Chinese government, please go to CNN and find the Zakaria-Wen Interview.

Part 1
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/09/29/gps.intv.zakaria.jiabao.part2.cnn?iref=videosearch

Part 2
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/09/29/gps.intv.zakaria.jiabao.part2.cnn?iref=videosearch

Transcript:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/chinese.premier.transcript/index.html
Keeping the faith 10:03pm on 23 Sep 2008 Hi James,

Do you read the comments left by your reader? The BBC Blog is supposed to create a dialogue between reporters and news readers, but it seems like you haven't really picked up anything from the comments left here - it seems that here you talk with authority of selft-promoted emperor-letic China, and it seems you even found more evidence to support your theory. Well, what is your aim here? are you saying the Chinese people is at wrong here? are you promoting the Chinese people the throw away these backward thoughts and rise up against the "emperor"?

In hoping you will read my post here, allow me to point out some errors you made in your assertion (some silly, some deliberately cheeky)

First, the official fired this week is the head of the food quality control, it's a ministerial department that oversee the food quality and regulate the food industry in China. So, firing him is pretty much the highest official job you can fire. If anything this shows the improvement of the accountability of Chinese government.

Secondly, you seems to suggest that there is no independent oversight or legal system, and that it is impossible to have one under 1 party rule. Well it's silly to suggest that there is no regulation or oversight in a country of over 1.3 billion people, and I don't think having a two party system will guarantee you an meaningful checks and balances. Democracy doesn't create oversight and a functional legal system, on the contrary, a functioning legal regulations and mature oversight system is a prerequisite of having a proper democracy. And I think China is on the right track - I would not be the first to tell you that the communist party takes no pleasure in these incidents and do not profit from the income of these companies (a sharp contrast to US system where companies contribute to political election found raising). So blaming these directly on the communist party is cheeky of you. Immature product regulation body and overly greed as result of the recent radical materialist shift of the entire country is probably the real evil here.

Thirdly, despite of many commentators here rejecting your notion a all powerful emperor and entire nation at awe, you seems to still put words into the Chinese people's mouth. As many has pointed out, the current administration does enjoyed higher than normal approval from the public but it doesn't mean it has always been the case. The previous administration did not enjoy nearly high regard from the public. And contrary to your believe, China does not run by a single person, it is just not possible. So please stop this silliness!

However many will say that Chinese culture does put more emphasis on collectivism than individualism, which sometimes does mean Chinese would recognise more authority than the western counterpart. But so is most of the Asian culture - Japan is notoriously so - respect the elderly and authority. But this is far from emperor-lectic view you seems to suggest here.

Respect for the authority and the greater good of all allows the Chinese to takes a much longer view than your most western politicians, which is one of the strongest strength of the Chinese government. This of course is in sharp contrast to American election - it's more of a personality contest than an election, which most of Americans don't vote anyway.
All back to normal? 4:48pm on 17 Sep 2008 In my opinion product Quality has always been one of the major issues in modern day China. On one hand, less quality control usually means reduced cost of ownership, which is one of the factors that enabled China to enjoy long period of low labour cost. However, as we all see now, poor quality products can create crisis that will cost far more than the saving made by less quality control.

With the ever increasing living standard of ordinary people, Chinese consumers will sooner than later demand better quality products and more importantly better legal means of fighting against poor product quality, which may have a indirect effect on increasing the cost of manufacture.

This is a good topic in that it concerns real problems in China - so, well done James, I think this is probably the first time you have touch upon a real issue in China that can be argued from many different angles and is well worth discussing (in contrast to the superficial problems you have deluded yourself for the past year or so.)
Sacred ceremony ends Beijing Games 5:58pm on 24 Aug 2008 Credit should be given when credit is due - come on James, let us hear you admit your suspicions were unfounded, let us hear you say well done to China.

China is a huge country, and the Chinese people have be fully captivated by the Olympic spirit, what will they believe next? well, they only have to believe in themselves and carry on the Olympic spirit - faster, stronger, higher!

And I hope can Olympic spirit will be carried on by the people in London, I hope people in the UK are large enough to put aside the differences of religous, political, culural. We live under one world, we all have one dream.

if the Olympic spirit lives on, everybody is a winner!

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