Events foretold
China once believed that you could see the Great Wall from space. But this morning the mist was so heavy that you could barely even see it from the ground.
Still, the latest leg of the Olympic torch relay at the Great Wall went ahead as planned. This morning (at 4am) we were driven to a portion of the wall at Badaling, just outside Beijing.
We were escorted to a stage set up by the wall. Several thousand cheerleaders all wearing yellow stood on the wall itself. A giant Olympic slogan ("One World One Dream") had been placed on the hillside - but the mist was so thick that you couldn't really see it properly.
Then, at 6.15am, before anything had even happened, we were handed a press release (distributed by the Propaganda Department of Badaling Special Zone Administrative Center.)
"At 6:30 on the morning of August 7th, the Olympic torch motorcade arrived at Badaling Great Wall scenic area. The Great Wall was covered in a holiday-like atmosphere with flags and sounds of gongs everywhere."
The press release went on...
"After the torch-bearer get to the top of the fourth watchtower in the north side and waved the torch at the crowd, 2008 pigeons flew up into the sky, and 2008 balloons were released [...] All the colour-bearers and volunteers were waving their flags and cheering for the completion of the torch relay."
It was slightly curious to read about all of this in the past tense when it hadn't even taken place.
But, of course, the events unfolded in the exact order foretold in the press release - no interruptions, no disruptions at all.
When you're entirely confident about your plans, you can write about the future as if it's already happened.
I’m 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~56~RS~)
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Hi James,
I wonder as a journalist, what are you doing in Beijing. In 4:30 am, it's very common there is mist in the mountain area. And pls introduce more about the normal people's opinion about this event. You've being in Beijing for 1 and a half year, but I can not see any article which you interview the normal citizen about their feelings about gov. and Olympic. Is is impartial? As a journalist you should stand on the middle, nither bias to the gov nor the truth!
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James, after Olympic is over, the anti-China party is also over,Beijing Olympic will be released as a hostage and a tool for some people to obtain fame, you ought to return your normal duties as a journist.
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I've been to the Great Wall several times myself. It's in the mountain of the rural area. Mist is very common in those areas. There's no pollution. Acutually the mist helps to picture a beautiful scenery. Unfortunately it doesn't seems you were enjoying it.
BTW, was that you who declared that Chinese media wouldn't report the protest of tourch replay in London after you only checked one Chinese TV channel? (Actually even that particular channel reported the protest 1 hour later because of the time difference between the UK and China).
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I've read every article in this blog. I'm wondering if James dislike China and Chinese people this much, why he takes the job there? Is he trying to tell his boss - I don't like here, please just let me go...
No matter how many suggestions people have given in these comments, Mr James just keeps his eyes shut and blindly report the 'truth' in China. If that's how every BBC journalist works, I'm wondering how BBC can be such a media giant. Or is that exactly the reason why BBC becomes a media giant - just keeps catching eye balls and earning £££, let alone whether the report's true or false?
James, you don't even understand China (or Chinese) how can you be qualified for your job? You probably need to think about why most Chinese people love their country so much if China is such a hell as you described. Is that because Chinese don't need freedom or all those Chinese are less intelligent than you and cannot see what you see? Are you really catching the essence of China? Or you are just trying to catch the key of keeping your job? I'm sure you will find it so much different even if you just open up your mind a bit.
Hope you can keep your job, enjoy your life in China and the Chinese food and I would like to see what you would write if someday you were relocated to another country.
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Hi James,
Nice lighthearted article.
I love the comments placed by the 'Beijing bureux of moaning about anything written about the Chinese.' Anyone with the slightest sense of dry humour can see the amusement in being given a press release describing the future in the past tense.
I really don't see anything in the article that is negative to the Chinese, just wry amusement at the way a non democratic state can make assumptions on how things will work out. This permanent Chinese sense of injured pride is starting to get on my nerves, it's like being in Wales.
Memo to journos - keep it balanced but for Mao's sake, keep writing.
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I think this is an excellent article (although somewhat short) as it combines the ancient belief that history is circular and therefore future events can be accurately predicted from those of the past, but seems to acknowledge the much more important reality that a totalitarian state can not only predict the future but actively ensure that the future they have predicted is the one that comes to pass.
I did not read this blog before but I shall from now on.
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James,
The Chinese were taking a risk wording the press release in the past tense, but they are in good company when it comes to time-shifting.
A high proportion of BBC News stories tell us what is going to happen. You know the sort of thing; 'The government is expected to announce x', 'Inflation is expected to rise when figures are released later today'.
I sometimes think the BBC operates in a special time zone, 6 hours ahead of the rest of the planet. I am sure you are soon planning to introduce 'News for tomorrow', a programme dedicated to events that will happen, with full details of what people will say and obituaries for those who will die.
What is the point of reporting actual events and researching facts when you can just make educated guesses.
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Hi James,
The day to day coverage is magnificiently detialed, even if somewhat condescending. I think hosting the olympics is a magnificient achievement for China, so I am surprised the media are not more enthusiastic about it but often choose to pick on perceived negatives. If the plans went off as foretold that just might have been due to good organisation. Go China!
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Did you not have your trusty PM10 sensor with you to measure the polluted mist? In any case, you should correct your significant PM10 data interpretation error on your page "Beijing pollution: Facts and figures" That is, the "blue sky" criterion for PM10 is 150 microgram per cubic metre or lower, which is a PM10 API of 100 or lower. Your daily photograph could be much better understood if you included the API because otherwise most readers will assume that the API is over 100 for concentrations between 101 and 151 PM10-microgram per cubic metre. Keep up the good job.
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An explicit example of your comparing apples to non-apples is "For example, on Monday 28 July, the BMEPB reading was 98 - compared to the BBC's figure of 134." The former is an API while the latter is in units of micrograms/cubic metre, which converts to an API of only 92.
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I've been reading James' blog for a bit now, and there are a few things that are really starting to annoy me now. I apologise in advance for the large amount of presumptions I'm about to make.
As the name of the blog suggests, 'James Reynolds' China', it is a blog where "I’ll be sharing my thoughts on day-to-day life in China plus the big events". HIS take on China; it's already HIS opinion he's putting across.
Let's look at this entry. He's sharing his thoughts: he thought the mist was rather heavy - and presumably he thought that we might want to know. I doubt that he's been up to Badaling at 6:15am that often to know what the morning mist is like up there, and neither do many of us reading this blog (I myself have only been to Badaling once, and that was in the afternoon). Just because he mentioned something which buaadallas assumes is common, obvious, and taken for granted, it doesn't mean that James is displaying poor reporting. In any case, the purpose of this report appears more to highlight a strange peculiarity of press releases that he may not have come across in the UK. It's entertaining, not necessarily profound.
Furthermore, no matter what he does, James is constantly accused of 'not understanding China'. The way that this accusation is put across by several readers almost leads me to think that it's a near-herculean task to even try and understand China and Chinese culture - because any effort inevitably seems to fall short of any standard of understanding that these readers expect. I lived 14 years in HK, but I'm sure that my own understanding and viewpoint of China would be deemed 'not enough'. Fair enough, it was exposure mainly to the HK Cantonese, but well, it's the viewpoint I formed from MY experiences. It's demeaning and insulting to people to constantly denigrate their efforts to try and comprehend, especially if they've given over a large amount of time (in James' case, over a year) in order to do so. What makes their experience any less valid?
Just accept this as a blog of thoughts and ideas about a variety of experiences, and be encouraging about expanding cultural discovery, instead of being critical of incomplete efforts.
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Now now James. Don't be naughty. You know full well that press releases are issued ahead of an event or immediately after all the time in the West. As well as obviously putting the organisers views across, the press release is meant to be helpful to the journalists so that all the organisers main points can be covered in case any are missed - and also so that journalistic deadlines can be met. This isn't meant to signify control (since you can end up writing what you want).
Generally, speaking, I think we all have to appreciate that the Chinese hosts will be nervous about how events unfold and need therefore to make sure that the organisation of events goes to plan. In the London Evening Standard the other night one of the leaders of the London 2012 Games said that he was even being kept awake because of some worry over the building work for the Games - let alone looking out for trouble-makers!
Also in the London Evening Standard reference was made to the trouble caused by a couple of Britons and US citizens in Beijing. Although the protestors have all had their day of fame what I find really strange is this: since their protests really won't have that much effect in the fullness of time, what they have succeeded in doing is getting themselves banned from China, probably (and hopefully) forever. Since they say they support the monks, it's a bit odd they by their foolish behaviour they have now ensured that they will never be allowed to travel to Tibet again. Perhaps they don't care; I think they're a bit stupid, actually.
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I think there are sevel misleading points in this article:
1. The English name should be "Publicity Department", not "Propaganda Department". Chinese do not use propaganda for ages, but I am not sure why you deliberately choose this negative word here. To clarity the media regulation, any country has organisatioin to supervise the media to make sure they cannot say whatever they like. In Great Brtain, the organisation is Offcom.
2. You got to have the ability to distinguish the meaning: fog, mist, pollution. Beijing is always being very misty due to humidity even before the industrilisation 30 years ago.
One thing you have pointed out: Chinese government should learn more of public relation (PR) skills from the wester. They are learning and I believe they will become more clever one day in this area.
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To Warrior_and_Breaker:
If James is an ordinary person, I believe a lot of chinese will sure not care about whatever he tells and his thoughts. However, he uses the platform of BBC, a big name, to publish his thoughts, and very often, unjustified thoughts and full of his personal assumption and misleading, that is the reason his blog got attention by Chinese.
You have to admit journalists or correspondents are very powerful nowadays. Because they have platform to express their opinions whatever they like, but we do not have, unfortunately.
Actually I think many Chinese here are fighting for the brand of BBC, hope it would not be damaged by several its irresponsible journalists. I am pretty sure BBC brand has been damaged in certain extent in China anyway, but I hope it will do better in the future. At least, it gets a big name.
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I used to think that athletes were above ordinary mortals, if not actually inhabiting in the realm of gods. Their desire to triumph in sports is matched with their stoic ability to endure hardships and pain. What am I witnessing today? Athletes arriving in Beijing donning face masks for fear of minor discomfort to their throats. I have heard a plethora of complaints concerning the quality of China's air, water and what-not. The only thing I have yet to hear is that the sun above China is not the same as the one shinning brightly over London or Washington. Maybe Mr Reynolds would like to work on that for his next blog posting.
The Chinese authorities and the Olympic Committee should seriously consider asking those athletes, who think that China's environment unsafe to compete in, to return home. As compensation for their efforts in making an unnecessary trip to China, Beijing should, as a form of courtesy, offer these departing wimps plastic replicas of the olympic gold medal in whatever games they had originally planned to represent. Given China's manufacturing prowess, churning out these replicas in such short notice should not prove too much of a problem.
And if there are extras left, maybe they can be given to journalists the likes of Mr Reynold and the BBC team that spared no effort in its use of sophisticated instruments to measure China's level of air pollution in the run-up to the Olympics.
In this way we can truly have a memorable Olympics in which those who don't win will have no reason to utter: "Through your fault, through your fault, through your most grievous fault."
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James, seems me that you do not really enjoy the stay in China.
Come back to London, I do a tour for you in Dalston/Hackney, you tell me how you would write about your home soil.
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The only people that got excited about the 4 protestors in Beijing were western journalist whose only reason there was to report on the Olympics.
A few wannabes want to make a name for themselves and the journos including the BBC got suckered in.
The real news is everyone in Beijing was enjoying the celebration. The only fools are are the one out to cause trouble. If you dont like China and the Chinese or the Olympics don't come. I don't come to your house and tell you and your children how to behave.
The best way is for the Chinese people to ignore these parasites.
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I really enjoy reading your blog, but the comments are often rather tedious. I’m almost tempted to believe there’s a department out there somewhere devoted to writing dim comments about how you need to speak to more *ordinary* (is this a euphemism for unquestioning?) people. And you’re not the only one - other fora are plagued by this kind of thing too.
Another common complaint is that you just don’t understand China. By the same token posters should understand that this blog isn’t China and should maybe consider that they don’t understand the critical, questioning Western culture behind it. Perhaps if they took the trouble to understand that they wouldn’t be so offended.
After all, we all have that constantly questioning and changing culture to thank for little things like the Internet.
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"And pls introduce more about the normal people's opinion about this event. "
It's a blog about his feelings, not a news report. That is why it is here under "blogs", rather than on the main BBC News portal.
I have been reading this blog since it started, and I agree that sometimes James may have been a little too negative toward China, but now Chinese are coming here complaining because he mentioned it was misty??
It seems anything that James writes that suggests China is something other than fantastic, is somehow a negative bias attack filled with lies and hatred.
He was commenting on the weather - it's a British tradition. There's really no need to take it so personally.
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Warrior_and_breaker,
If James' effort to understand Chinese deserves respect, then what also deserves respect is 1.3 billion Chinese's effort of becoming a good host for the Olympics. You are annoyed by some comments on the blogs of someone you don't know before, then I would assume you can probably understand why Chinese people are annoyed by endless western media's picky report on Olympics.
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Well, this is one of the blog entries with which I do not have major problems with.
I guess all the media WRITE their reports about big events ahead of the time (so that it can be released on a real time basis), but the Beijing government took it one step further and RELEASED ahead of the time. I guess the reason was because after the torch relay ended, they would have not chance to distribute it any more.
I hope James was not disappointed that there was no disruption.
To Post 11:
I appreciate your frustration. While James definitely has a right to express his view in this blog, all commentors also have a right to dispute against him and against each other (subject to the house rules, of course :-) ), and I thought that was the whole purpose of this blog - to create a forum for open discussion. Everybody is naturally biased. James is biased, so are the pro-China commentors, including myself. I don't expect that we will ever see eye to eye with James on all China related issues, but with discussions we can at least try to narrow the gap between us. And I think that's what most people are trying to do here, even though sometimes the words used are a bit "heated".
Interestingly, if you switch "James" with "Chinese" and "Chinese" with "James" in your 4th paragraph, your statements would still be largely valid. What I'm trying to say is no matter what the Chinese/Chinese government do, it's never right in the eyes of some western media. They will always be able to find something to criticise, to make fun of, or even to condemn. The same kind of frustration that you are feeling from reading the entries by China supporters are being felt by the Chinese everyday. Look at the report on China by western media - how much percentage is negative? Is China all that bad? That's why some Chinese are offended, and are getting sensitive.
Let's all take one step back, relax, and discuss in a constructive way.
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To some of my dear fellow Chiense, I think James used mist not smog in his blog, don’t jump into the fence so quick, please.
It’s not a bad thing that the CCP, Beijing, China, Chinese people are getting so much scrutiny because of the Games, even though I do think there are more negative articles than the positive ones. All these media attention reminds me that there are lots of things the CCP needs to improve. As a responsible person we need to take these criticisms (no matter it’s constructive or condesending …) seriously, and in our own way make the place we live in a better one. The first step perhaps is to not shut your ears followed by shouting. When you accept something, ask why , and when you reject something, also ask why. Before you accept or reject something, can you find other angles to look at the issue, and why.
The propaganda department of Badaling Special Zone Administrative Center do need to sharpen their PR skills better. Even though there are normally two versions of a press release for a successful or a failure/ or unexpected result, respectively, can’t they wait till the event is over to distribute them?
Proganada or Publicity, it depends on your view point and/or starting point of your view point, again.
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Hi James did you find their water contains H2O2, or have you tested if it is trace of heavy water? I am sure the air in Beijing has the radioactive carbon14. How about ozone? Definitely you can get that in the pool of Watercubic. You did not say you got sun burn. Don't ride bike in Beijing, poor quality. You shall bring your own there and enjoy your duty free privilege of equipment as a foreign journalist
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James,
"When you're entirely confident about your plans, you can write about the future as if it's already happened".
I am even more confident about the sort of topics in your plans, and I even know what you are going to write about in the distant future.
Yeah, that's the reason why US and UK could attack Iraq as if they had already found the weapon of mass destruction.
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Let us now get set to enjoy the games, rather than talk sarcastically about China.
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Thanks.
This happens with football games too... fill in the blank for the winner.
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To Warrior_and_breaker
Relax.
Just as James entitle to his opinion, we entitled to ours too, which is his opinion is biased contantly. No need to put up so many rants. Can I using James' words " British can be a bit over sensitive when come to criticism."
To chaobai
It is not james who doesn't want to enjoy china it is his boss doesn't want him to enjoy china. Have you heard a german journalist got sacked on the spot as he dared to report something different from the unanimous bashing of china? James just works for his salary, just don't take his comments seriously. When there is wrong with fact, pointing out. That's all. It only serves good if they don't come to bother us at all after the game.
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Been reading James' blog for quite a while now... and it has been the comments that I find most interesting and I'm sure most of you share the same view too.
I do have to agree with the majority of the "pro-Chinese" ppl on this blog that James' comments and views tend to sound more negative than not on China. However, I also believe he's doing it more for the purpose of making his blog and, of course, BBC's website more popular. It's always easier to gather more reaction and attention by saying something negative about something than positive.
So in some ways, I don't believe he has genuine "anti-China" sentiments as some might be led to think. Still, I can certainly understand the frustration of the pro-Chinese readers of his blog. To this group, I would say that the best way to show your disapproval of James' blog is to stop visiting it. The more discontented readers that post or read here, the more pleased his bosses will be (more hits on this site) and this will encourage him to write more on things that seem "anti-China".
To those who tend to agree with James, please take the things he says with a pinch of salt. After all, it's just the view of one man who has been in China for less than 2 years. Best way to "know" China is to visit the country yourself and/or get to know more Chinese ppl and understand their way of thinking. Form your own thoughts.
Peace to all...
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I can't see a hint of negativity implied in this post here. I don't know why people are having problem with James saying it's been misty there?
James said it's misty just because it's misty. What's wrong with reporting how the weather's like? Perhaps some people here somehow managed to relate mist, a weather phenomenon, with pollution, which is all about bias and hostility when a western journalist mention in their reports?
Apparently some people think this blog would be way more interesting if you only write about the happy people on this wonderful land.
But I think they already have enough of that from their local media. Perhaps that's what they understand what journalism needs to be. They might also think 'ordinary' people are worth more media attention than those unfortunate minority.
Why don't we just ignore the unfortunate minority altogether? That way we would be way happier, being able to know only what we want to know.
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zickyyy
If you are looking for news on the main event, you probably want to find it on the news main page, not on this blog.
As someone already pointed out, "This blog is where I’ll be sharing MY THOUGHTS on day-to-day life in China plus the big events, most notably the Olympic Games in 2008."
"China's confidence to foretell events before they happen" where's the disrespect here?
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James,
You need report mainly the voices of local residents, not yours.
Your articles in English are for non-Chinese readers, who prefer to hear voices of local citizens, not yours.
There is no doubt you are able to make comments on everything, but readers outside China want to know the responses of local people.
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dear comrades of the chinese army,
looks like you wait all night and thrash james the moment he updates his blog. Let me suggest a better thing to do, go get some tickets and watch the olympics.
this is his blog and not mainland china for heavens sake. He can express his opinion fearlessly here. Unlike most of you who dare not in your country.
So i understand you are new to free speech and dont know how to react to a different opinion. Let me help you here, in situations like this, get a wrigley's double mint gum. dont waste your sleep any more you need to watch olympics all day
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To Heyone,
I believe the minority people is far more happy in China than minotiry people in here. Have you ever asked Muslim in this country? Are they happy? I have travelled around China to many areas where minority Chinese living including Tibet, Xingjiang, Yunnan, they are very happy people just like other Chinese in Shandong, Henan, Anhui etc. The unhappyness of minority are deliberately portrated by west media and you are one of the persons who might be brainwashed.
To some british people in this forum also to James: Chinese is collective/general word just like British in this country. British include english, scottish, welsh, british muslim, british chinese, british african .... Chinese simply inlcuding Chinese han, Chinese Tibetan, Chinese mongolian, Chinese muslim, Chinese Bai, Chinese Qiang .... 56 nationalities who living in the land of China are simply all called Chinese.
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To those who argues this is merely a one-person-blog rather than a mainstream BBC news, I can tell you this blog is regularly featered on the BBC's main news pages, and James himself were featured on the BBC news channel many times too.
The BBC should change the blog's name from James Reynolds' China to James Reynolds' Dark Side of China. Then I wouldn't pay attention to it.
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The volume of Chinese people expressing their displeasure at this and any other blog is amazing, it makes you wonder if the Chinese Government has employed all the Chinese English speakers, put them in an Internet warehouse and told them to inundate with comments every blog that mentions their hallowed land. Please get a sense of humour guys, you are making yourselves look so much more silly than any blog could manage. The point is of course that this is a blog and not a report as so many of you have missed. The reports and blogs from the BBC have been very balanced regarding China in my mind and thankfully we can say that about our press.
I'm sure it's going to be a great Olympics and you can see how impressed everybody is with China already, if I was ethnic Chinese I would be careful not to spoil that impression by howling and screaming "not fair" whenever anybody expresses an opinion about the country. Many of us in the UK have never had the pleasure of getting to know China, a country in many ways so different, and therefore fascinating, to ours.
Celebrate the differences and laugh at us back, after all the UK could never release a press statement such as this as the end result would surely never be anything like planned. Wait for 2012!!!
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My goodness: no wonder James is a bit down on China. Dare to suggest that the weather is misty and have a chuckle at an incongruously prescient press release and within seconds a hit squad from the 59th Whingeing Division of the People's Liberation Army abseil in with accusations of poor understanding, shocking bias and negativity.
James - pick up a flag and paste on a smile. All I want to hear from you in future is sycophantic adulation - got it?
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Heyone
It is a press release distributed by Badaling Administrative Center but what the title suggests is like the whole China is doing this. It is like when some protesters attacked olympic flame carriers in London torch relay, can I say "Britain attacks Olympic torch replay"? Probably not a perfect example, but I hope you can see my point.
The main page news are even worse than this blog. Many people in England asked me whether the whole China is heavily polluted, whether anyone who criticizes the government will be punished etc etc..... Thanks to BBC.
James, please ask your Chinese friends what "CHUI MAO QIU CI" means.
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Don't like painting everyone with one stroke but it does seem like this blog has been infiltrated with some 50-centers trying to harmonize the message....and if I overdo the cliche - doing push-ups. Folks...please....don't shoot the messenger. James is just doing his work and according to me doing pretty well. If you are not satisfied with the balance of views in James' post, I suggest you go watch CCTV for few minutes and come back. That might help you find the balance.
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i've been following this blog for several months, and i think james is doing better and better. he is hardworking and he puts up a lot of pictures and videos which i think play a important role in making this forum a interesting one.
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Will all of you China defenders give poor james a break!!!??
You need to understand the following...
1) James and co has an agenda to keep up...the "mist" is designed as a cheap English humor-jab for the supposed "air pollution". Even if it is real mist, it MUST be implied as "pollution". It's like the BBC cropping the picture of armour carriers on the streets of Lhasa...it must be identified as a "TANK" (for dramatic purposes), and lets just cut out the Tibetan mob tossing motolov cocktails at it since it's "supposed" to be a "peaceful protest" that the Chinese "violently and brutally crushed"...remember?
2) James must produce....or he is outa here! So he must find things, anything to keep his readers mesmorized by the storyline...and the "story" of these games is the "good West" (otherwise known as the "international community", or the defender of universal morality---better known as "hypocracy")) vs the "evil Chinese". So, nothing beats an epic struggle between the white knights and the red dragon...
I wonder what would have happened to those 4 activists for "free tibet" if they had dared to do their antics in the middle of the day, and not at 5:45 am in the morning, when no regular Chinese citizens were around. I think their beating at the hands of the indignant Chinese people would make a very good story....but James surely will call those Chinese "government thugs". You see, truth is always a moving target for James and Co., and easily manipulated for the sake of western journalistic integrity.
3) James is working for a journalistic publication...and the only source of succor and nourishment, in the form of advertising money, comes when there is an obvious need for "reporting". And that need is best when there is a "crisis" or "incident"...so if everything is going well, it's James's job to stir things up. If there is no "crisis", these media outlets would be out of a job. So, there has to be something, and if there is none, make something up!
I wonder what is worst..censorship or outright lies?
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To heyone:
Looks like you are having a problem with many chinese commentors ganging up on James?
How about think this way: this is only a few weeks and a few posts. On the contrary, western media have been ganging up on China for years, non-stop. What would you feel if you are a Chinese?
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Come up, guys, give James a break, will you? He doesn't speak Chinese as you do. Mistakes and bias are unvoidable.
Somehow, no matter how sarcastic he talks, 60% truth is still much much much much better than XinHua's near 100% lie record since 1949.
You guys want to hear only good things about China? You are in a worng place. Go to Xinhua agency website.
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heyone,
I would guess most well educated people could learn what it means when James said, "China's confidence to foretell events before they happen". If you are saying he only means "China is confident" and "China can foretell events". I would have no doubt that you cannot really understand what James wants to express.
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Hi James,
You have managed to get people talking more about you, than your intended message.
I don't mind if you are consistently negative or positive. It is your view and I respect that. Your consistency gives me comfort in knowing that I can react a certain way to all your reports.
Some of your thoughts become news reports and I also see the constant view.
Perhaps some of your readers are a bit naive to expect journalist reporting is a matter of fact. Those days are long gone.
Many journalists feel the urge to speak on behalf of others against the establishments, the governments, the institutions. Problem is, they themselves are not always in the majority.
Nonetheless, we are lucky enough to have free speech, and that's why you have blogs like this, so that everyone can retort, if they feel the reports are not correct.
After all, even George W Bush is entitled to have his opinion heard about the US's support for Human Rights...I love to see him say that standing in Guantanamo, instead of Bangkok. People in glass houses....
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Moreover, perhaps James, you should respond to some of your critics here, rather than just moving on to the next topic.
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#31 Heyone, I think that James knows that he's being a bit negative in some of his blog writing, so I wouldn't be inclined to defend him too much!
When he says he was escorted to a stage it almost sounds like he was in handcuffs and leg irons, when what he meant to say was that he was showed to a place by the organiser's attendants - it's just that "escorted" sounds more exciting. When he says that he was handed a press release by the Propaganda Department, what he means is that he was handed a Press Release by the Information, Marketing or Public Relations Department; whether in China or the UK they do exactly the same thing - it's just that "Propaganda Department" sounds more exciting as well.
Although I do find an issue or two with what James says, actually I find the style quite interesting. It's like he throws out a disrespectful comment and then stands back and says: go on, hit me!
I think though that journalists do have a fine line to tread, and not to feed unfair prejudices. Every organisation on this Earth that has invested so much in a public event such as the Olympic Games will want to make sure everything goes off as planned, and this requires close management. No-one should judge China too harshly in this respect.
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Commenting on weather is nothing to blame, but James's defenders, was James just commoning on weather? If you insist, please check the #3 photo about torch replay. What does BBC say under the photo of the heavy mist? Stop defending him on the basis of poor ground. Everyone with some brain can tell he is trying to make a case that China could not keep to its promise that the air quaility would be within WHO range. And he will keep doing that with a handheld PM10 (20% error) beside a construction site in traffic.
I major in Environmental Engineering. Beijing's air is poor, but a shut down of traffic will largely reduce the amount of hazardous fine particles from cars (which is measured by PM2.5, not PM10) drastically. A Large amount of PM10 in the developing countries are due to poorly managed construction sites and barren farm land, which is not a big threat to human health.
Go back to England James, you do not deserve the friendly faces the Chinese people have given you in China. They are hosting a party for the world, and you go to their home and telling them how dirty their floor is. We all know about the British humor but where is the British Matters?
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Hi, I am an overseas Chinese from Singapore. I think in this blog, James never mentioned the word "pollution". He only said that the mist was so thick, he could not see the Great Wall. I do not understand why some people are reacting negatively to his blog here. James, in my opinion was just reporting the fact and added a sense of humour with the use of past tense. It should not be taken too seriously. Some people are just reacting negatively based on their preconceptions of Western media's take on the pollution matter. If you cannot evaluate each writing/blog objectively, then I can those of you that you are not fit to comment on James' views either. Please comment smartly.
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Ironically you wrote your blog as foretold by a lot of your readers: rather dull. Bit like the lacklustre but nevertheless annoying British weather passing over England right now. Akin to that weather, we have no choice but to bear it.
I fear as much envisioned happiness, a democratic BBC or weather would bring, it wouldn't balance points of view or the eco-system.
Therefore, thank you James for your blogs, for it is because of them, interesting comments arise.
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I do not think that this press release has anything to do with the foretold events. It is simply the language. There is no such thing as past tense in Chinese language. It just happened that the writer or translator used the past tense. But whatever happens in China, your westerners will interpret in a funny way. The press release is really unnecessary, like “adding feet to the snake”. Just as other press release in China, the English translation is not really needed because many reporters even asking questions in Chinese. Why should the Chinese provide an English version?
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Many people, e.g. heyone, in the blog are asking for the ordinary Chinese people’s opinion. But my question is how ordinary is ordinary? To many westerners, the people who are against the Chinese government are ordinary people. But they are not the majority.
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All this minute-by-minute coverage of China by BBC is commendable, but what about extending some coverage to Rwanda's accusation that France played an active role in the genocide of 1994, in which some 800,000 people were killed. Surely on the scale of things, this event should far outweigh the actions of the Chinese police against attempts by a handful of foreigners to disrupt the Olympics by calling for a so-called free Tibet or so-called religious freedom in China. I would think that, in the light of the history of colonialism, any disclosure of European complicity in the murder of large numbers of Africans would be an extremely newsworthy item to report. Possibly even one that should eclipse the pontification of US President Bush in Bangkok concerning so-called lack of freedom in China, something diligently covered by BBC in the last hour or so. Yet in the last few hours that I have been following both BBC and CNN, not a squeak has been heard of the Rwandan development, but plenty about the disruptive activities of a handful of foreigners in a city of some 13 million Chinese.
Do I detect a certain amount of selectivity here, one that must underdermine both BBC and CNN claims to impartiality and objectivity in their coverage of news? Can it be that unfavourable coverage of another European or western country is off-lmits, while so-called flaws of non-western countries, especially China, are fair game? Is there some rule governing journalism in the West which I'm not aware of? Pray, will someone enlighten me.
Is it any wonder that in recent months more and more people in my part of the world are relying less on the western media for our understanding of Asian reality and turning to CCTV instead. That said, I guess the western media like CNN still has its uses. One could still rely on it to keep us informed on the latest in the life of Paris Hilton.
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"1. The English name should be "Publicity Department", not "Propaganda Department". Chinese do not use propaganda for ages, but I am not sure why you deliberately choose this negative word here. To clarity the media regulation, any country has organisatioin to supervise the media to make sure they cannot say whatever they like. In Great Brtain, the organisation is Offcom."
The difference is Ofcom is an independent regulator and not run by the government unlike its Chinese counterpart.
It's painfully easy to spot Chinese users through their unyielding lack of humour and nauseating nationalistic pride. I can understand you don't want to be misinterpreted or put in a bad light but a lot of the comments are bordering on pedantic drivel.
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Heh, just to explain the context of my post (no. 11). I tend not to write anything for a long time, then I let it out in one big go. So that's why it may seem a bit angry
I understand that people will disagree with James and they have the right to express it. However, it'd be nice if people thought through their criticisms more - it's becoming hackneyed to just accuse him of 'not understanding China'. I'd hate to think that he's really done nothing good in the time he's spent in China.
I do also get upset at really negative reporting of China, because I sympathise with the Chinese people, and because I instinctively think that the issue at hand is so much more complex and less one-sided than what is being reported. Also, some of the criticism of China seems to be constructed rather crudely, or drawn some misplaced conclusions. Too quick to condemn sometimes; but not always.
That's why I don't always take as gospel truth what journalists tell me. That's why when I approach this blog, I just see it as one opinion; I can always go elsewhere to get another opinion.
It's ironic that I get riled up about people getting riled up over something that I don't think is worth getting riled up over! Hehe
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Hi James,
i would say, thanks a lot for bringing these interesting comments. for Chinese they always sees negative as we have saying in Tibetan"chinese loses becauses of doubts" they are always like this. they like to dream even before they sleep. Many chinese people are solely depended on thier comunist mouthpiece news papers and news channel, they always feel negative about the other news world or the journalist. We can't help make them straight but i commend on your daily blog which is very true and open and fairness, that the true spirit of the journalistic ethics. keep it up.
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I have the sense that Mr.Reynold is trying to convey some sort of messages and yet is desperately trying to do so in a less provocative way lest he might be vehemently rebutted by Chinese respondents. So he decided to prevaricate. If I am not mistaken, Mr.Reynold was again castigating the Chinese Communist Party: the party attempts to control everything, the journalists, the dissidents, AND, the future. Am I right, Mr. Reynold?
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I agree that there is no single negative word in James blog. But after you have read the whole article, do you have a positive feeling about China? Those of you who think that James was just telling the truth, do you think that James was grateful to the Chinese local authority for trying to make the journalists’ life easier by distributing the press release?
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James,
You are fabulous, and the way you play with words, its really humorous.
At times people whose country is at receiving end, find it arrogant also and put derogatory comments, but I know like a true BBC journalist, you will come up winning down the line.
For others
I have read lot many articles written by Mark Tuli, one of the BBC journalist, who spend almost 20 years in India, far away from his family and his friends. I do not know how much he was liked earlier, but when he left reporting from India, lot many people missed him. I hope you guys will also miss James when he is no longer reporting from your Country. Thats a long way to go.
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Hi, james
I am so disappointed because my home is in beijing but me is in the UK now. I believe now that we will have a wonderful opening ceremony. however, Idon't know how to express my feeling when I know there will be over 100 presidents from all over the world come to Beijing. for myself, it is not necessary. the reason I have beening arguing for my country is not for this kind of show, I do for a kind of spirit of olympic which is from the west. I am so proud of being able to enjoy it (even some protests).
sadly, it seems to have become a war between chinese government and western media this time.
I have to say here, we chinese people is the one who give the last word! Don't ignore it!
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I've been reading James' blog for a while, this is after all his blog and he is entitled to voice his opinion.
Anyone with intelligence can make their own judgment of whether James being too subjective or what have you, being a Chinese myself it is sad to see so many Chinese launching personal attacks to James, talking about a country with 4000+ years of history and culture, we Chinese can do better than shouting over other people! where are the spirits of taoism/buddhism gone these days? be calm and be forgiving, my friend!
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To heyone.
What unfortunate minority you are talking about? China has 56 ethnics. Anyone that belongs to a minority is not subjected to one child policy. They needs much lower marks than Han student to get into university. Muslims get more food allownce on top of other offers. The Chinese government sets up special economic zones in the area where there is large population of certain ethnics. The government collects no tax from Tibet.
It is white fellas who had slaved the blacks, colonised and looted other continents, killed the native, and took their land. Heard of stolen generation of Australia aboriginals? It was done by the white government. We Chinese do not do that. Whoever live on the land that is called China are in the Chinese family. We are one family, we are brothers, we are sisters.
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Post #4: "I've read every article in this blog. I'm wondering if James dislike China and Chinese people this much, why he takes the job there? Is he trying to tell his boss - I don't like here, please just let me go..."
We all know he gets paid to be negative toward China and Chinese people. If he weren't negative, he'd be out of a job!!!!
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At the time at which I'm reading this post, to the right of the screen under "Latest Reporters' Blogs" there's a post from Mark Easton about race relation problems in Burnley, and then one from Robert Peston about problems in the UK economy and the chancellor not giving him an interview.
Which all goes to prove that the BBC is a malicious propaganda machine that's anti-Britain! All they ever focus on is the negative stories about Britain, never the positive ones. And it's all just because they don't understand us Brits and/or are jealous of us. All the BBC wants to do is make us Brits lose face! Those Brits at the BBC will be sorry when we Brits get them back... oh, hang on...
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Why are so many people on this blog always sobbing whenever something is said against the Chinese government, or even if there is the slightest hint that someone might be "attacking" them?
If you bother to take the time to read English/New Zealand/Australian/Korean etc. newspapers, you'll see very quickly that media is just as quick to pounce on their own government as anyone else's (including the Chinese).
There wasn't even anything untoward in this article anyway. OMG, Renolds said he saw mist!! OMG it's the end of Chinese civilisation. Get over it! As for the news release written in past tense, I'm sure that's quite a normal thing, but it's amusing nonetheless. It's not even a slight jibe at the official(s) who wrote it.
And why do the moaners always equate things said about the Chinese government to be a swipe at Chinese people? Governments all around the world do things wrong every day. Why shouldn't it be reported?
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Hi, James
Was the press release in English or Chinese? If it was in Chinese, then what did you mean that it was in "in the past tense "?
Sorry, I don't mean to be picky, but I am just curious about how the original Chinese text was worded.
(Those who speak Chinese should be able to understand my question :)
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Clearly if the BBC webpage was not unblocked by the Chinese Government, Jame's Blog won't be bombarded by the views from the other side. Give credit to BBC for bringing free speech to China.
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I agreed with Warrior_and_breaker that Mr. James Reynolds is trying to make a real effort to do good reporting in China. Indeed Mr. Reynolds had been traveling up and down, left and right the country, whenever there is something major and negative happening in China (the key word is negative), you can count on his being there. While I commend his courage and hard work as a journalist, I couldn't help being a bit curious - this is a question that somebody else has posted before: if you appear to be so negative about a country, why bother being there? I say this with no intention to offend anyone. I know that there are plenty of people who do not like China - it is just unavoidable (and true for any country for that matter), but personally, I would live and work in a place I enjoy.
It was not until after I read his blog entry "A cup of tea with China's police" and watched the embedded video when I realized what the problem was. In the short video clip, Mr. Reynolds reported about the suicide bombing event in Kashgar. Apparently, the crew was questioned by the Chinese police. They also tried to pose questions to some passer-by. The problem is that Mr. Reynolds was not the person dealing with the police, nor the person asking the question - he just stood by when apparently an interpretor did the work. Unfortunately, unlike his predecessor Mr. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, Mr. Reynolds does not seem to speak much if at all Chinese.
True, this is Reynolds' China blog. But if Mr. Reynolds does not report his interaction with the local people and at least try to understand the people there through such interactions, he might as well write his blog 10,000 km away from Beijing after watching some subtitled video clips sent from Beijing over the internet.
Still, I am hopeful that Mr. Reynolds will make some genuine effort to make his time in Beijing/China more meaningful. After all, he has a very nice Chinese name to begin with: I urge Mr. Reynolds to be fast and outspoken like the thunder (Lei 2) and to be pure and honest (Jie 2) and insightful (Ming 2) so that he may present the world a balanced view of China, untainted by personal biases.
Thank you.
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To Warrior_and_breaker: you are entirely right. This onslaught on James Reynolds is a telling sign of just how difficult it is for some Chinese to face criticism, even if it is not there! I wonder whether the people here who 'defend China' actually understand that they do China no favour attacking people like that.
I've been to the Great Wall a couple of years ago and there was haze there just like that in the picture. Some mist may add to the atmosphere of the place, but haze like this simply obscures vision. If now I see someone trying to persuade me that it "helps to picture a beautiful scenery" I can only shake my head.
As enjoyable and informative as James's blog is, it pales in comparison to user contributions. But I do hope things haven't changed as much since I left China two years ago and that the Chinese haven't become so incredibly tense and touchy. Have they?
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In the form of propaganda, past tense is always the grammar for future. Pictures seen on propaganda paper are always far from reality.
We went to the Birds Nest yesterday. It was afternoon time, hot and steamy. The locals call this typical Beijing weather a 'sauna day'.
The smile was nice but the info service was poor. And the Olympic line only serve the ones with the special pass. So, we walked miles there from the last subway station(not too mention there was no taxi no bus link no drink selling anywhere all due to security reason).
All fenced. The stadium was shining in a handsome gray colour against a background of the same handsome gray mist. Busy vernacular photographers were struggling to get a sharp picture through their expensive lenses. But all you get here were just blur lines of gray.
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It's a bit strange to me that when I look at these comments I got the feeling that free speech to the westerners means that they should criticize China but Chinese shouldn't argue back. If I were a westerner I would love this kind of free speech as well.
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To 58 Evantej:
"Indenpendent regulator"? Please don't fool me. BBC claims itself a dependent media, why still gets involved in the telephone fraud?
I have many friends in the UK working in independent organisations. What is the real meaning of "independent"? Making money and profit as much as possible and keep the managers job.
Please do not use so called "independent" to fool me anymore, please.
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I'm an Indian and I come here quite often because I'd like to understand a bit about Chinese people and Chinese thinking. You are our neighbours, after all.
I can appreciate that Mr James Reynolds can be annoying sometimes. He is no doubt condescending, but he can't help it. Being condescending is a fundamental English characteristic, like eating fish and chips and watching Dr. Who. It's what helped about half a dozen English guys to rule millions of us for centuries. But it's not a criminal offence.
The thing is, yes, Western reporters often repeatthe same things about China -- regarding pollution, democracy etc etc. Often it's a stereotype. You have every right to feel insulted when this happens.
But if practically all my Chinese friends here assume that everything James writes is negative, isn't that a stereotype too? As in "ALL Western journalists ONLY write bad things about China". How is it different?
Quite a few people seem to be telling James, "If you don't like China, why are you here?". Firstly, I don't think there is any great dislike for China, though he can sometimes be a bit sarcastic, and yes, condescending. Someone mentioned Mark Tully. He was the BBC guy in India for years. In the beginning, he got a lot of flak, too. People didn't get his British humour, and we have our own 'White Man = Drain Inspector' complexes. But over time, he changed, and we changed. I think it's fair to say that he's highly respected, and quite well liked. And yes, he came to understand India, better than many Indians, in fact -- but it took time.
My point is this. Do you only want journalists who unconditionally praise China to come to China? All he did in this mail was mention some mist, and point out that a press release came out 15 minutes early (C'mon - that's funny!). If so many of you keep relentlessly attacking him for things like this, then I guess he truly will leave China and go somewhere else.
I say this with the greatest possible respect, and mean absolutely no offence, but, honestly, will not China be the poorer for it?
Personally, the thought of one billion angry neighbours who get offended by practically anything -- that's very scary. A lot of us have a lot of respect for the Chinese people and Chinese culture -- but does it have to be unconditional?
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""Then, at 6.15am, before anything had even happened, we were handed a press release..."At 6:30 on the morning of August 7th"""
James
Take a page from the Chinese, if something is happening that early (6:30?), write what you "think" will happen so you can sleep in. :)
from your blog it seems that half the time you're up past midnight with the police, the other half you're up at 4am for some event. You gotta catch a break wherever you see a chance man!
just remember to be relatively vague (i.e. no final scores of olympic events, etc.)
Just kidding. Enjoy the Olympics
-signed,
yet another James Reynolds..
Texas, USA
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Hi James,
I thought you understand Chinese...but apprently you don't.
Unfortunately, lots of these harsh sounding propagandas and the strange sounding text may just be the result of bad translation...or just the fact that we have diif expression which may sound terrible to you but reallly is nothing to get so worked up about.
Chinese like to be organized. Are you suprised that for teh Olympics, they planned everything down to the last details??
Why is it that every post you write have this tinge of scepticism regarding anything positive from China and you always bring up some negative points on China no matter what the occasion / point of the story should be?
Why don;t you interview some normal people on the street?? Their opinions are much more representative and meaningful that yours
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just on the mist part...
people should understand we Chinese find beauty in a misty morning/ mountain...all James compalins about is that he can't see the torch.
The torch went across the world for god's sake. to see the torch from where you sit is not the point
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james reynolds, you're doing a good job as an anti-China propagandist for the bbc (just like your counterpart john vause of cnn). now that the Olympics have started, can you let sports take over?
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To shovonc No.79,
To me, arguing with James' posts doesn't means Chinese only want him to praise China. Rather, many Chinese come here to share their own views to help James understand more of China. Debates are doing just that.
Do you think it's better that all Chinese humbly listen to every criticism and accept without thinking? Let me know.
Please don't worry about one billion angry neighbours. We only get angry when angriness is what's called for.
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Don't you just love free speech in China?
Wait until all the Chinese in China can read, write and speak english, better hide your head in the sand when this comes to past.
Yeah, go ahead and badmouth anything about the Chinese ways or anything directly about China and you'll gonna get a good tonge lashing and some good old Asian ranting from the Chinese ppl.
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that is Chinese Charateristic!
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To comment #79 by Shovonc
Agree with you, Sir. Sometimes people did not quite understand what James meant to say. I can tell he has toned down quite a bit. he now writes more about ordinary things (other than politics), and without too much unfair criticism. As time goes on, no doubt he would write some positive things about China.
In my view, criticism is good as long as it is based on facts. Looking forward to your insight and comments. Thanks.
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I applaud Mr. Reynolds' astuteness. If copy is written in advance, it is unreliable. In fact it should be presumed to be a lie, since if the events did not turn out as previously written in the past tense, they would certainly be veiled in lies.
Good show, JR!!
There are people posting here who simply have no idea of the responsibilities of a free press and of a serious journalist with obligations that go along with free speech. They don't understand.
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When you have many western countries (and India) sponsoring Chinese separatists, you can't blame Chinese people, including who live overseas, sometimes over-react to James' blogs, which are sometimes baseless.
Sincere criticism is different from propaganda, intentional or otherwise. And they are not that difficult to differentiate.
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i can not understand,
i only posted it to say that : chinese does not have past tense. it must be the translators' fault using the past tense.
and the tense does confuse myself when i do the translation.
why this kinf of comments break the rules of the house???????????????
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#89. I'm afraid you have no understanding about how public relations works, and compound this by congratulating James for something he himself knows happens all the time: ie the issuing of a news or press release in advance. This is not the same as a news article. A press release may divulge the contents of a speech to be given by a politician, or perhaps the planned sequence of events at a function. Press releases are issued in advance all the time in the UK and this is what happened in James's case in China. Nothing unusual about this, but to claim that a press release issued in advance is therefore a lie is ridiculous.
And I would say that James's reporting in this way does seem to be encouraging such comments.
A news article is a statement of fact or interpretation after an event has occured. Having attended the event at the Great Wall and with the press release in his hand, James then had all the tools to write his article.
Have you ever come across the word "embargoed" in relation to a press release? An embargoed press release is an announcement of something in advance to the new media that should not be divulged until a certain time. Again, this is used all the time in the UK.
Maybe before presuming a Government has lied, you should try and understand how all Governments and organisations work. Advance press releases are part of normal public relations. They are part of journalist's tools. Fact.
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