Xinjiang in mind
The Olympic torch is coming to China's Xinjiang province - a region in the west of the country that borders Russia, Afghanistan and six other countries. Xinjiang is home to a large ethnic minority - around eight million Uighur people, who are Muslim.
The Chinese government has Xinjiang on its mind. Here's why...
First of all, a quote: "Although the general security situation for the Beijing Olympics remains stable, we still face the challenges of terrorism, separatism and extremism... terrorism, in particular, poses the biggest threat." - Zhou Yongkang, Minister of Public Security, 10 September 2007.
Now, a few events:
27 January 2008: Two militants are killed and 15 arrested in a raid in Urumqi, the capital of China's western Xinjiang province.
"Obviously, the gang had planned an attack targeting the Olympics,'' says Wang Lequan, Xinjiang's Communist Party chief.
7 March 2008: China Southern flight CZ6901 from Urumqi to Beijing makes an emergency landing in Lanzhou. China says air stewards stopped an attempted hijacking.
"The Olympic Games slated for this August is a big event, but there are always people who conspire to commit sabotage. Those terrorists, saboteurs, and secessionists are to be battered resolutely, no matter what ethnic group they are from," says Wang Lequan.
10 April 2008: The government says that security forces have detained 35 suspects and seized explosives and firearms in raids carried out in Urumqi. It says that security forces broke up plots to carry out suicide bombings and kidnap athletes during the Olympics.
"We face a real terrorist threat," says government spokesman Wu Heping.
So that's the government's view: China is facing a serious terrorist threat - and this threat comes from where I'm writing these words - the Xinjiang province.
China says that a militant group called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement is trying to break Xinjiang away from China (in order to form an independent state which would be called East Turkestan). China says this group is allied to al-Qaeda. It blames this movement, and other Uighur separatists, for attacks which killed more than 160 people between 1990 and 2001.
Because of this, China is keeping a close eye on progress of the torch relay through this province. We've just spoken to one shopkeeper here in the capital city of Urumqi - the relay will go right past her stall. She's been given a notice by the local government. This is what it says (our translation from the Chinese):
"All residents in this area, please shut all your windows from 7am till 2pm on 17 June. [the time of the torch relay] It is strictly forbidden to lean out of the window or to walk around near the window. Please stay in your home and watch the TV coverage - don't go out in the street. If you don't co-operate you will be punished in accordance with the law."
No unvetted onlookers, then. And the police are already keeping an eye on the streets. When my colleagues and I went out onto the street to test some of our broadcasting equipment, we were quickly approached by a plain clothes police officer who wanted to know what we were doing (we showed him our press passes and he let us carry on).
But it's worth saying that Urumqi itself feels very calm - shops are open, cars are on the road, volunteers on the street are selling Olympic flags (one yuan for a small flag, two yuan for a big flag), right now I can look out of the window and watch people wandering into a fast-food restaurant.
So, here's a question which is easy to ask and much harder to answer: how real is the threat that China faces? We know almost nothing about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. We don't know who its leader is, now how many members it has. It doesn't appear to post messages on the internet. Some believe the threat posed by this group has been exaggerated.
This is what Amnesty International says: "Concerns remain that the authorities may be overstating the 'terrorist' threat in an attempt to justify their tough security stance in Beijing, or even divert international attention away from the ongoing crackdown on peaceful activists."
A number of groups have documented discrimination against the Uighur people. In a report, the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China says that religious restrictions on Uighurs remain severe. The Commission reports increased control over Muslim pilgrimages and vetting of the content of sermons.
The World Uighur Congress, which campaigns from outside China, says this: "In the run up to the Olympic Games, the Chinese government has stepped up its heavy-handed policies to suppress the resistance of Uighurs against Chinese rule, no matter how peaceful it is. Uighurs are still living in a culture of fear, facing persecution, marginalization and assimilation that erode the very core of cultural identity, religious belief and economic rights of Uighurs."
This is a hard story to cover.
But we'll report on what we see in Xinjiang during the torch relay.
I’m 
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It is almost impossible to tell, truly. Admittedly in the West I have only heard of this threat, but generally problems like these do not make covers and stand out as news stories.
I'd like to believe that the threat has been somewhat overstated, but not to cover up for any policing changes but rather to unsure any threat no matter how small is dealt with.
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james,
do you think perhaps the West never cared to find out what the extremist group is?
because to you, it is another brilliant group whose core value is to destablise modern China.
pathetic!
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James
If you are really not clear about the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement" , please check the list of terrorist groups issued by the UN and US. There are much information on this group, and it is easy to find it out.
Apparantly all western journalists including you suddenly select not to point out this fact. This group is a terrorist group recognized by the US and UN. It is very interesting!
You, like all other western journalists, are loving to fabricate an impression that such a group is fabricated by China. Right?
Dare you say the same words to those terrorist groups against the west?
BBC always claim its objective and balanced coverage. But what it shows on the issue of Xinjiang and Tibet, it is obvioulsly bias to China.
The reason is obvious: a smaller China may be much much much better to the western world, right?
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i dont want to say this, but it is worth mentioning that the policy toward the Uighurs in big cities are sososo relaxed.
they rob, steal, and give their group a bad name. under the ethinic policy, the local police can not do much about them. (it also has to be noted, some are actually hard working people)
in Shanghai, the city I come from. every year when i go for holiday, i stop pick-pockets on the street, and most of them came from XiJiang. I tend to do this less often now as the fear of getting stabbed is growing.
i am sick and tired of the western so called value of "freedom" and "demoncracy". the gov here gieves "freedom" and "demoncracy" to people at treveal level, when it comes to things that matter, the invasion of iraq and afgan for instance, people do not have either "freedom" or "demoncracy".
Also, why is the western vaule so concentrated on the minority but ignoring the marjority?
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You have to admit James, the tone of this entry is rather accusatory.
Let me counter your final question with a similar one of my own: "Just how real were the WMD's in Iraq?"
The US wages a 5 year illegal war in Iraq and the world hums and haws. China seeks to protect her own land from those very same muslim extremists, ideologically and religiously driven, and it becomes an atrocity? No, there's no bias there at all!
And in a classic case of blame deflection, the US now attempts to deflect blame for some of the atrocities committed at Guantanamo Bay on China:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4894921
Bottom Line: If Urumqi is "calm," as you observed James, it is not because the threat is a phantom one made up by the CPC to justify atrocity (as you seem to allude to, and not very subtly might I add), but it is because it is calm in the way US airports are "calm" today ... vigilant security by PAP and airport security, respectively.
Perhaps you in Urumqi are made just as uncomfortable by Chinese security measures there as I am when flying by practically having to strip naked when I go through the airport mental detectors. But guess what ... I still gotta take off my belt and shoes!
You can take the same individual "terrorist," put him in Afghanistan and label him an insurgent. Put him in XinJiang and he's all of a sudden a freedom fighter! The world we live in, never ceases to amaze me!
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
even though I have not followed news in China rigorously nor I lived in China for the last 10 years, were there some explosion incidents in the last years linked to the East Turkestans? e.g., If I recall correctly, did they claim the bombing in the McDonald's in Xi'an several years ago? I also heard stories like the East Turkestans smuggled weapons, get trained aboard ..., I n any case, there is nothing wrong for any government to take precautions. especially in china, if something happens, no matter what the government does, they are the bad guys to blame for many people outside the country.
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James, BBC as US ally should have access to Guantanamo Bay right? Go there and you will see some Uighur terrorists in there,and you will know whether there is a link between Uighur terrorist and Bin Laden, don't use double standard please. China government is not perfect on the other hand, especailly in Mao's era Tibetan and Uighur suffered because of their religions.
The terrorism in London is real, in China is an excuse to supress minority ethnic Chinese, this is a standard double standard.
Amnesty International is basically Anti-Non-West organization, World Uighur Congress, is a sepratist and terrorist orginzation harbored by German, do you really trust them?
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James, searched on Wikipedia, copied in the below:
Approximately two dozen Uyghurs were held in extrajudicial detention at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base operated by the United States in Cuba. On March 3, 2006, the US Department of Defense was forced to release the transcripts of detainees who had attended their Combatant Status Review Tribunals. Most of the Uyghur detainees faced allegations that they were tied to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, Al-Qaeda, or the Taliban. They denied all such ties.
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James
I don't think the danger has been overestimated. A fellow classmate of mine from Urumqi has confirmed to me that this terrorist group does pose a severe threat to local security and development,commiting arson and murder during those critical times.The reason might, as far as I can gather, boil down to their desire to establish an independent Islamic nation.You mentioned that the general public(you included)know little about this organisation,that's because they are not strong enough to call the attention of the whole nation.Anyway,considering China's size,XJ lies in the far west of China,way beyond our reach,despite the convenience of modern telecommunication and transportation. As it stays remote from us living in other parts of the country,how can you expect us to know exactly what it is!But I know that the govenment has long been keeping an eye on this organisation,trying to prevent anything devastating from happening,as the organisation's sordid deeds have been put on record. In recent years, we commoners are also very much concerned about how things are going there in XJ, especially as the Olympics are drawing near. Had my fellow guy not told me about the story, I wouldn't believe that things could have been that bad. To conclude, it really doesn't matter whether the details provided by the Chinese government are true or not, what does count is that our security should be ensured and social order be stable.
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As someone who have many relatives, friends in Urumqi (some of them moved in with General Zuo Zongtang 150 years ago), I can tell you the terrorists threat in Xinjiang is very very real. So many bus bombing has happened in the past, that now very few people dare to take bus during holidays. The attacks were not reported nationwide because the Chinese government is always fear of frictions between Han and Uighurs. In general, Uighurs in Xinjiang live in a privileged status. They tend to get a lighter sentence than a Han Chinese for the same crime. They got easier access to colleges. What I can tell you is, if a Uighurs boy or girl tries to even half ass obey the law and put a third effort in study compared to a Han kid, she/he is almost guaranteed for the best colleges and will be treated specially when it comes to promotion, etc. It is funny that US Congress should say religion activities are strictly limited. Come during the time of Gulbang Festival (I don't know how to say in English) and you can judge by yourself. If that is called restriction, there's nothing can be called free. But anyway, everyone knows the US congress is just a bunch of puppets controled by big corps and illegal immigrants. Just think about any other city in the world that people are afraid of taking buses, I guess that is Juresalem. The terrorism threat in XInjiang is as real as the Sun in the sky. The Chinese government really needs to do better protecting its people and stop giving the Uighurs special rights such as carrying long swords in cities.
At last, a word to James. It seems that you have been in China for a long time, yet many of your articles are still quite disconnected from the reality. You are already in China, which gives a great chance to get the first hand information. Instead of just 'looking out of the window', why not get on to the street and talk to the people. I bet many of them will tell stories.
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the real question is: how will the chinese authorities effectively define 'terrorism'? Where does the central government draw the line between political dissent and terrorism? what about the local officials, how will they decide who to arrest, who to extract information from?
i have no problem with china protecting the safety of its citizens from terrorists who seek political goals through indiscriminate violence. especially in large population centers and during massive events like the olympics, protecting people from terrorist attacks should be one of the key functions of government. the threat of terrorism, however, has lately become available for use in justifying a great deal of injustice throughout the world. the world is angry about how the prisoners are being treated in gitmo, even as we are aware mass-murderers number amongst their ranks.
i disagree completely with the arrest and imprisonment of non-armed activist groups who are essentially peaceful in nature. in the past, those who speak against the chinese government have been sent to remote compounds, where interrogations rely on torture and lead to forced confessions, where prisoners are forced into physical labour and ideological 're-education'. my hope is that china isn't simply re-branding the policing of political dissent in anti-terrorist terms for the purposes of expediency during the olympics.
it could be that political dissidents pose a threat to central government, regardless of whether they plan to bring bombs or picket signs to Beijing.
providing they're non-violent, it's my view these minority groups should be protected by law, not suppressed. however, it's likely groups such as these will continue to be persecuted throughout china, not least because by their very nature, opposition groups pose an existential threat to the leaders of a one-party system.
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I have a friend working for anti-terrorism sector. he told me that situation is more severe than common people think. I don't think they are alert for nothing. Of course without a bombing or attack taking place, you could say it is exagrating or making up. it seems to be a bit funny for me to see comment from UK media, where more rediculous measures are taken to prevent terrorism.
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James
As a Chinese, I have to say sorry to you. What you western journalists expected to see does not really happen in Xinjiang.
So you have to act as an ostrich, as you mentioned before, again.
The facts are not what you want to see.
Therefore you have to repeat your stereotype once again:
Ask for help from those anti-Cina group and use their mouths to say what you really want to say: Uighur hate Hans and China should be split.
Right?
Do I break any rule of BBC's free speech?
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James:
I would like to hear your toughts on all the comments you are receiving. I am specially curious to know if all the Chinese flooding the website to defend everything the goverment does makes your work harder? does it make you want to give in and give them something they would like? How is the people around you? How do you personally feel with all of this (seeing so much death, destruction, sorrow, solidarity, people of all sorts, the responsibility of covering such an important time)?
I personally find it hard when I am in China not to feel isolated when people are so unwilling to discuss the negative aspects of things, and I am not referring to political things but rather simple situations that arise in everyday life.
Aside from "sensitive" issues, I have made great friendships in China and except for the ocassional xenophobic I have had a great time. Teachers, friends and people I meet during my travels are usually extremely helpful, polite and curious, for me it has been the country where I have been treated the best and the worst.
A curious fact:
My language teachers have been trained to teach Chinese as a foreign language in what are considered the best schools for this, but when I told them I planned to speak fluent Chinese and almost like a local they laughed and said it was impossible for foreigners to do this. I have only met three Chinese that believe it is possible for a non native speaker to speak perfect Chinese and that is because they have seen people that can do it.
Other people in your blog have said that bridging the cultural gap is impossible ( I have friends in India, Denmark, Korea, the U.K, the US and China, and we understand each other just fine) . I personally have never heard such an absurd thing and it probably reflects the lack of confidence those people have in themselves to do it.
Maybe they should say: We have been isolated from the world for a long time and we need time to adjust and understand how the international community (both east and west) work, instead they claim no one understands them becasue people don't agree with them for the sake of agreeing. What is sad is that as long as people like that exist there will hardly be peace in the world because to them differences matter more than what we have in common.
France and Germany vowed to destroy each other less than a century ago and now people can travel work and trade freely, The US "bought" more than half of Mexico and today we have full diplomatic relations along with NAFTA, the English commited horrible abuses in India and still they both welcome each other (an Indian company just bought two of the most prestigious English car brands: Jaguar and Land Rover, they bought them from Ford), and no one in England protested for that. Maybe China should move on in relation to similar issues.
Another curious thing is that they appeal to thousands of Chinese history to serve as an excuse for all kinds of things when they have only been alive for a few decades not to mention that their current political system and ideology is imported (quite recently also) The great ancient chinese philosophers should not be used to justify all kinds of actions.
PS If you think there is no criticism in the West towards itself go watch any of these:
American History X
Sick'o
Farenheit 9/11
Bowling for Columbine
The corporation
Malcom X
JFK
Ghandi
Rwanda (History of a gencocide by David Hazan)
The pianist
The recent movie (produced by HBO for the TV) that talks about what happened in the state of Florida during the 200 US presidential election.
You may also look in you tube to the argument bill clinton with a fox news anchor. Inquire about the US groups that fight against illegal discrimination for same sex couples, groups that are trying to stop the war in Iraq, protestors in London just yesterday calling Bush a war criminal (the BBC reported this even though the UK is actively participating in the war and a close ally of the USA), groups fighting for the rights of immigrants, groups fighting against what is going on in Guantanamo, the footage released of US torture techniques(the ones with the drowning that they say don't qualify as torure), doctors without borders, human shields etc......
In understaning western coverage you must understand that it is not as homogeneous as it is in China for example BBC Vs Fox News. I think you are lacking some context (which is understandable as a lot of things are blocked in China and things are filtered to show what is convenient) To me the main goal of an education is to build the ability to discriminate between right and wrong fair and biased, not to memorize stuff by rote and have people agree over most things (the ones that have a voice).
Gandhi wrote in his autobiography when referring to his responsibility (to communicate unbiased truth) in managing a newspaper:
"In the very first month of Indian Opinion, I realized that the sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countrysides and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy. If the control is from without it proves more poisonous than want of control. It can be profitable only when excercised from within. If this line of reasoning is correct how many journals in the world would stand the test? But who would stop those that are useless? And who should be the judge? The useful and the useless must, like good and evil generally go on together, and man must make his choice."
Keep up the good work James.
Those of you who do not like it please contribute with facts and constructive criticism or get your news somewhere else.
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James, I have suggested you to learn some knowledge before post your article, right? This time, you made the same mistake!
East Turkestan Islamic Movement is a pure terroristic organization which is admitted by USA and other countries! But you do not know this organization, shame on you!
You said China government exaggerate the situation in Xinjiang, oh, maybe you should ask any people who is living in Xinjiang now. They will tell you what the situation was and is in Xinjiang. The terrorists there killed hundres of normal people, some time, the residents dare not go out in the night!
Why you keep on attacking China? Do you feel happy with these? But it really humiliate BBC for this bias report!
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Sorry but I have to say pls don't draw a conclusion so easily before you have mastered or covered all the facts.
Actually Xinjiang kept unstable since recent years. A lot of Han Chinese lost their lives in the past few years for East Turkistan Terrorism. Have to say the only reason that you didn't get to know a lot may be the victims were mostly Han Chinese not Uighur or other minorities and seems it didn't satisfy somebody's taste which caused the news had been ignored totally, especially by those critics.
We need prevent the terrorist in advance, right? We can't just protest orally or sit on the chair to wait something happen until the terrorists start the crime. A real responsible and professional police shall keep tight eyes on it right?
What shall I say? When reporting Sichuan Earthquake, you said you were afraid to show too much Chinese grief and confessed that you hadn?t shown the worst. ?We're aware that our pictures are being broadcast across the world at different times of day and night - so we want to make sure that they're always as suitable as they can be for those watching? This is yourselves wording. At that time you mentioned the concept of suitability.
How about your recent two articles? They are far from ?suitability.? You don?t hesitate to reveal your and others? unfair guess and negative commentary without any investigation.
Be afraid to show too much of good image of China(even grief is just chosen to be passed) and don?t care it appropriate or not to criticize China government with full devotion. It?s not a double standard?
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Having lived, studies and worked in Xinjiang, and specifically Ürümqi, for over two years I'm delighted with the attention this area of China is getting in the media recently (including also for example episode 4 of the Wild China series).
The problems in this area certainly deserve more attention than they have got in recent years.
What I would like to know; why is this message board in pre-moderation? Is this in order to let slip articles on Xinjiang through the Great Chinese Firewall and thus allow people in mainland China from reading them? Forgive me for not bein very experienced with the BBC message boards but surely the label "aimed at children" doesn't apply to this discussion?
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james
i wonder why you alwasy quote from
a. report dedicated by NGO/GO targeting China
b. some organisations noone has ever heard of or only represent a tiny group of people.
I'd like to see more report on the
Chagos Islands
but I wont get any, will I?!
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Also
what a dumb and provocative title you've chosen for your report!!!
police out as.......
i see the police out everyday on the streets of London, are we also living in the era of a policing state?!
disappointment after disappointment
why will BBC ever let go the prejudice against China and the cold-war metality against many other countries on earth.
if there is one group of people provoking hatred, that will be you, the biased jouralists!
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Terrorist attacks have to be cracked down and provented.
British actions:
In UK:
shotting down an innocent brazilian, jailing innocent muslims, passing law to detent innocent people for 48 days.
Overseas:
killing innocent muslims in iraq and afhanistan, breaking into a police station controlled by the Iraqi govt to save their soilders who broke the law in iraq.
What China does:
In China: cracking down terroist group recognised by the UN and US, and advising innocent people not to go out on the street during the torch relay.
In the UK, I never feel there is a threat from terrorism (apart from the youngsters) but UK govt keep telling me that there is terrorism.
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to post 16
when China banned BBC, you critisise
now, Chinese can access BBC and read what BBC is really saying about China
and you tell us to go and look somewhere else
isn't it in the British blood to mourn and complain?!
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What I like about this blog is that it attracts interesting comments from Mainland Chinese people. Often they add information or correct specific points in James' blog. The blog is enriched.
But how do we shed the tedious "the West hates China" brigade? They greet any criticism with shocked outrage and then remind us of the Opium Wars or the burning of the Old Summer Palace or whatever.
Perhaps they should copy China's ambassador in London - Madam Fu Ying. She argues the governments case strongly but with considerable charm. In particular she assumes that the people in the UK wish to be China's friends and therefore differences are the result of a lack of understanding.
Alternatvely the paranoid brigade could confine their English reading to China Daily and avoid being shocked.
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Are the Uighurs in any way related to the Yuan dynasty?
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Hi, Raymond
I strongly suggest you watch the two documentaries BBC make: "Chinese School" and "Wild China".
I know you gain a lot of knowledge about China from books. But that's not enough.
If you stay in China for one month, you can write a book about it. If you stay there for a year, you can write a paper about it. After you stay there for ten years, speaking the language, living the life of ordinary people, you don't know what to say, where to start and how. Do you see my point?
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How real the threat is? It is easy answer. Just look across the border to Afghanistan and you will find your answer Mr. Reynold. People may argue that China is too harsh on the Uyghurs, but remember what happen to Iraq when Saddam is gone. What those Uyghurs rebels seek are not just to split the nation, but also to chase away other minorities including Han people that has lived in Xinjiang for centuries. The Uyghurs are looking for a nation based on their ethnic and religion. You can't expect them to tolerate other minorities like the Chinese government does today.
If you ask me whether China should relax its control over Uyghurs, I will answer yes, but not now. Maybe one day, when they can understand that they need to learn about tolerance first.
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Ah, I see now why this board is in pre-moderation. I'm loving the commentary though.
Let me just stop at saying this for now: to all of you who mention that the ETIM is actually recognised by the USA as a terrorist organisation and who go on to point out the "flaws" ? to say the least, I'll give you that :-) ? in American foreign policy, the ETIM was recognised as such by the US only because China put that up as a condition for joining the coalition of the willing, back in 2002.
Where there is smoke there is fire, and as a former resident of Xinjiang I do believe there are some violent factions/tendencies within the ETIM, but they are probably rather small and contained. The Chinese government has every reason to blow the situation there out of proportion, and clearly has been doing just that in the run-up to the Olympics.
To Mr. Reynolds: For what it's worth I think you're doing a great job reporting from China. There's plenty of Chinese who think so too. To them your reports come as a pleasant surprise after reading and seeing websites such as anti-cnn.com. They've come to expect 'much worse.' :-) Keep up the good work.
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China is a huge country and as we can detect from its recent political turmoil in Tibet, the Chinese government has become very conscious about any antagonising movement against the interest of the country and the majority of its people. I must say that China has all the right to practice its sovereignty over every inch of its land, and that includes Tibet and Xinjiang. As controversial as it might sound, Tibet and Xinjiang have always been ruled by the Chinese government and it shall then forever be. The issue on how the Chinese government looks after those two provinces remains questionable. I believe the people of Tibet and Xinjiang have been enjoying abundantly from recent socioeconomic improvement in China, there is no doubt about it. I think the Chinese government has been trying the best it could to ensure that the wealth of the country is equally divided. Having said that, China is changing rapidly and therefore we will see more development projects in these two regions in the near future.
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Necessary cautions must be taken in the evil presence of extremists, terrorists and separatists. Necessary sacrifice of the people has to be endured for grander purposes.
Congratulations to Chinese armed force and policemen in maintaining social tranquility of this honorable country!
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One word for your reporting style, 'lazy' journalism.
I suggest that you do your homework in the future before claiming ignorance of 'East Turkestan Islamic Movement'. After all, its activities/movements were already analysed, documented and published by the 'western' intelligence agencies or the likes.
Please do one thing for your readers, find out how many died over the years in the bus bombing campaigns plotted by the muslim militant group. Since you are in China, such information should be easy to dig out, someone must be keeping count, maybe try internet blogs.
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#16 Ashtanga-warrior
As a 'chinese' student, or a westerner learning chinese, I guess you are an astute observer. Like James Reynold.
You too have a role, whoever you meet, you represent part of westerner.
I say this, becuase while I was a student at the west, somehow, I was hold as representing Chinese. (In those day, there would only 1-2 chinese students at a school.)
Your observation echo mind , a significant part of the nation has ''self centreness' a mixture of 'mild form of self pity' and desire for recognition.
Basically an adolescent mentality, but with such force and passion, to grow it well, it will benefit the whole mankind.
Bluejeans, don't get me wrong, all coutnries take turns, it is like the adolescent time of USA in the 40s and 50s, so strong and powerful, even now, US is still the most powerful nation in the world.
The most important thing is the ability to self reflect. US fails because they are less willing to do so.
If China can do that, we have hope. Only that we or (Chinese ) do not like others to criticise, we need someone to prasie and give us a medal....
Just like my 10 years old daughter.
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Interesting as a reporter, this guy here accused government to post more security along the torch relay route...and more interesting, he even claims government, in order to achieve its untold purpose, exaggerates the terrorism in Xinjiang.
Then, please tell me, when you western guys, incl. USA, UK, etc, declared that Irak has kept some nucleur or more horrible weapons, but finally you found nothing there while killed lots of local people, which country is more ridiculous in exaggerating terrorism???
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Re: Masaier
"In American foreign policy, the ETIM was recognised as such by the US only because China put that up as a condition for joining the coalition of the willing, back in 2002."
Oppppps, a big surprise. I thought American government never compromises and always keeps the justice.
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Re: ashtanga-warrior
Most Chinese who read BBC and comment here are either in oversees or visit western media regularly. I agree with you that "a lot of things are blocked in China and things are filtered to show what is convenient" but I assure you I am not affected by it because I never read news from mainland Chinese media. I believe many Chinese here are the same.
But when I read this article, I strongly felt the existence of double standard and James? inclination. Just look at how often James has used ?China says? in his report. WOW, what an objective report! But what I felt after reading this is James is actually questioning what ?China says? and western readers who read the report are very likely to get their first impression that China is ?overstating the 'terrorist' threat in an attempt to justify their tough security stance in Beijing, or even divert international attention away from the ongoing crackdown on peaceful activists.? I would say this kind of report is objective in format, but biased in nature.
I am not blaming James but instead I would say he has done a good job which is much better than many of his western fellows have done. But he, like anyone else, does have a pre-formed judgement on various issues.
When you say there is criticism in the West towards itself, of couse there is. That?s what the media is supposed to do. But please keep that to yourself. Everyone time when I hear people in the west say ?China must?, I am disgusted!
Chinese are willing to accept criticism, especially from those who want to help in a positive and contructive way. When I read any report that quotes any words from ?Amnesty International?, I just give it a laugh.
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# 22, #23,
Agree. How should one deal with biased views and double standard?
hard job.
UK keeps telling her residents that terrorist everywhere, USA search your pants for bombs, Japan gives you a free photos.
All these, China has not done so, then Why single out China?
Indeed, why and does this single out thing do any good??
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But that's the point exactly. No country is being singled out here. No country, be it first, second, third world, gets singled out here by the western media. Every country can expect such criticism in (foreign) media because that is in part what the media are for.
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Re: zickyyy
"Oppppps, a big surprise. I thought American government never compromises and always keeps the justice."
Do you really think so? I certainly don't; I made that quite clear in my comment.
Moreover you won't find a lot of people in the west that really think it's all that straightforward. That also isn't the point I was trying to make.
What I am saying is that we can't judge the ETIM by the sole fact that the U.S. labelled them a terrorist organisation.
Information to judge the ETIM by should come from all different sources: the Chinese government, U.S. and other countries' foreign policy. NGOs including Amnesty and the World Uighur Congress...
I think Mr Reynolds provided us with an admirable attempt in this article to provide us with pointers to all these.
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"But it's worth saying that Urumqi itself feels very calm"--- This ironic word reflects how funny you are. New York was pretty calm too before 9.11 attack. How can u see it via your naked eyes. If you can, you can be Anti-terrorist NO 1.
I can tell you exactly that terrorists do exist in Xinjiang. One of my friends from Xinjiang told me of their suffering from the attacks, so tight security is very necessary, not only for Olympics but also for all the people there, Chinese or foreigners.
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To some of the people: Mr Reynolds just provided exactly what you want to hear, or expected to hear from the media.
You see, it's all you guys together with the media, have completed the circle of bias. When there's a need there'll be a market. Nothing that I or anyone above who have close relatives or had lived in Xinjiang for long years, nothing, could change your minds. So why bothering to pretend to be so full of wisdom and knowledge and trying to educate people on their history of their own land?? Do you know it better than them??
As to the question why there are comments stating that the westerners hates all Chinese, and the cultures can't communicate at all - that's because of you guys. Thanks to you.
And may I add - ???????????????,??????????To those of you who can't read Chinese and yet making comments here: it means that you people really like to put yourselves on the moral high ground and look down on other people, appreciating yourself while pitting them all.
Now exactly what makes you think that you are so great, I can never understand.
May I quote:
The water in a vessel is sparkling;
the water in the sea is dark.
The small truth has words that are clear; the great truth has great silence.
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please read more books before you write something. Han chinese live in Xinjiang before Uighur chinese. So Xinjiang is home to all chinese ppl.
How can you do you work with such attitude?
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James, I bet in few years of time you will be promoting an independent "East Turkestan ". I can see such great need of the west to destabalise China and flare up ethnic tention. All of this can be carry out in the name of human rights, freedom, and democracy.
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Well, thanks for this report on Xinjiang. What is interesting (and sad) about this region is that they make the same claims as the Tibetans. But they are not Buddhists, not led by an internationally recognized figure and more. As a result, they are treated like terrorists and nobody cares if their culture will disappear or not...
Maybe they did not chose the right agencies to be known...
Best,
Tomka.
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