My Article has been published on LBJ Journal The Olympic Torch Relay

Written by Joyce Zhao

As a Chinese citizen studying abroad for the past two years, I carefully follow the news about China. I am eager to know what people from other countries think about us and our country. Even though most of the time the news about China is negative, I have been trying to learn how we can improve these negative comments. However, the news coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay has touched a nerve and makes me feel that I need to speak up. I understand why there were demonstrations in London and Paris regarding Tibet. However, I was angry about the demonstrators attacking the torchbearers and the torch, which represent friendship and peace. I appreciate the foreigners who care about defending human rights in another country so much that they join the protests about Tibet. But when they joined the Tibetan demonstrators, did they really understand what is going on in Tibet? The Tibet issue is more complicated than just merely freedom. The issue has historical, social, religious, and ethnicity components. Given that it is a very poor, less economically developed region, I am worried the tragedy would fall on these Tibetans if it were separated from China. What makes more sense is to think of what is best for the Tibetans. People who are genuinely interested in this should research or visit the region to see the current situation, and the progress that our government has made to help improve people’s welfare there. However, I do not buy the saying “Tibet was, is and will be part of China,” not only because I do believe it is part of China, but that also I do not think the “history theory” holds water. If you go back in history long enough, land does not belong to anyone. If you dig in every country’s history, they each have different stories about the land ownership. I just want to remind people to think of this more practically. Given the current situation, what are the Tibetans’ best interests? I do not want to digress too much about the Tibet issue, which deserves a separate article, even a paper to talk about. The purpose to bring it up here is that I wish that people could fight peacefully for the right things and not get hurt. When they join the riots, not only are they possibly hurt, but others are hurt physically and emotionally as well. Aren’t the people who claim they are human rights defenders violating human rights themselves as well? Do not the Torchbearers have their own human rights? In Paris, the Tibet demonstrators attacked the outstanding Chinese handicapped fencing athlete, Jin Jing, a 27-year girl who was sitting on her wheelchair and tried her best to protect the torch. She flew a long way from China to Paris with her beautiful hope to bring Olympic spirit and Beijing’s warm welcome to Paris, but she could not even hold the torch when facing these demonstrators. She wrote to the oversea Chinese students that she could not believe that she came to a country which is famous for their friendliness. But you probably do not even know her, due to a lack of media interest in her and her story. I was shocked by the media coverage of the whole process since the Tibet riots began. I am from a place where most people do not believe in having free media and am now in a country that is very proud of its free media. However, I was deeply upset and hurt. From the very beginning, CNN showed the video with the Chinese police chasing the monks with batons. I was totally shocked that they were not even Chinese police and in China. That was happening in Nepal. Chinese police have never worn those uniforms. The police in the video were Nepalese police. People argue that these images were shown because the Chinese government locks up the information and denies public access. However, the media has a responsibility to accurately report the true situation. They should alternatively state, “We cannot get information or pictures from Tibet,” instead of using fake pictures and giving wrong information. As time marched on, bias of the media became more apparent. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the BBC, who typically are so good at putting people with different opinions together in order to facilitate an understanding of opposing sides, failed to do so in this case. They generously gave the full coverage to the Tibet separatists, neglecting the Chinese students who were exposed to the chilly weather holding the flag of their country for no reason but the love of their country to welcome the torch. Knowing exactly how influential the media is, they are abusing human rights themselves by muffling the voice of Chinese citizens and the progress our country has made, while exaggerating the downsides of China. Please do not say that we are nationalists. Everyone has the right to love his country. Needless to say, we did not beat the demonstrators, we did not join riots, but we were standing there with tears in our eyes to welcome the torch and the torchbearers. Unfortunately, while you can find the demonstrators’ name on the media, you can’t find the names of the torchbearers, who have beautiful stories about why they were selected. You would never see those touching pictures and know the names of Chinese students and scholars on the same street. I do not expect the media to change their view, but at least, especially those who claim they are fair and just, they should show both sides to let people make their own judgment. It is alright to discuss where China needs huge improvements, but at the same time, let people see our passion to host a successful Olympic games, our eagerness to integrate ourselves into the world and make contributions. And most importantly, consider the progress we have made and are still making. Joyce Zhao is a second year masters student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs Image courtesy of: http://somblog.zhwin.ch/studytrips/uploads/2007-China/3.March/china-flag.jpg

Protect our red flag

Whenever you turn on your TV, China is all over the place. “China is responsible for the spiking oil price, China undermines the international efforts to promote human rights”…Now , China’s population growth drives US food price up??? Because of Bush’s administration’s ridiculous policy that largely promotes ethanol, people shifted the corn production to produce ethanol. Now the effect came out and poor people finally cannot afford the regular food. Then the media started to blame China. Economists and analysts do talk about revising the policy, but please do not drag China in all the time and we should not be the “scapegoat” for everything. You have problems. You need to fix them.

The second news I saw was “ Red flag on Mars”, of course it is talking about China’s space technology. The military analysts were saying that China would gain the superior over the U.S. in 2020 and they push the presidential hopefuls to have new space strategy. I am worried that whether Deng Xiaoping’s modest strategy would work under the circumstance that we are in fact exposed to this crazy world and millions of eyes are watching you everyday. But I do believe that we are way far from confronting the western world directly and I believe cooperative attitude while cautiously adopting their advice would help us develop ourselves. National security is never as urgent and important as now, however it comes from different aspects like economic security, financial security, and information security. Attacking is never as secretly as nowadays as well. New weapons like ideology influence, culture immerse, international financial speculations, etc, are not so obviously identified but more powerful than a war. Keep in mind Soviet Union’s collapse, it is always our alert and I do not want the tragedy would ever fall on our nation.

China needs a great number of intelligent people, not only engineers, scientists, but also social workers and diplomats. The same time with flying the red flags on the Mars, China needs us to play with western media and the U.S. politicians to gain support from international world and protect us from unnecessary attacking.

Who do you like more

By simply defining thousands of hundreds of Chinese oversea students, scholars, Chinese descendants gathered today in San Francisco, who showed overwhelmingly proud to the progress their country has been made, as supporters, the western media put all their energy to report how great the Tibet demonstrators were and took tons of pictures of them.

Not even mentioning one word of the torchbearers, who are the outstanding athletes and representing human beings’ great spirit of challenging themselves, the media just tuned a blind eye to them, but tried to capture every face of the demonstrators.

Totally ignoring the fact that torch brings the message of friendship and peace all along from the other side of the world, again, the media just remember to slash on China’s face.

If you are a fair and just media, why do not you even show your people just even one picture of Chinese students? If you are fair, why do not you put the progress we have been made and where we need to improve together for people to make a fair judgment.

Olympics belong to the whole world and it is the opportunity for the whole world to get together to celebrate. It is not some people’s tool to realize their personal conspiracy and neither is it your political target to show how tough you are.

I respect people’s passion of protecting human rights, however, could you please act after you find out the truth. How come CNN simply uses Nepal Police chasing monks’ pictures to fool the whole US nation? It showed up on TV again today and I felt so sad. People do not even know Chinese police never had and have that uniform.

Please wake up

The same time as the Tibet separatists have gained tremendous attention from international world by attacking the torch passengers and trying to distinguish the torch, they have pushed all Chinese people all around the world get together and believe their country more than ever before. They do not understand the fire can be put out, but a nation’s can never be. The whole world, please be think of this rational, why would some ones who label themselves as human rights supporter and always claim peaceful solution in Tibet just attack the torch passengers so brutal? When they are blaming China’s abuse of human rights, there does the respect to the passengers go? Even though she is a handicapped athlete still sitting on the wheel chair! Human rights supporters, do you really understand how to respect a human being’s human right? We do not really have to go back to see history and we do not have to check with the record at this point of time. Just the very simple fact in front you, please tell me what these people are doing.

Then again, the media, who are claiming just and objective, where are the Chinese students protesters who want to have their voice heard to fight back with the destroyers? CNN, FoxNews, BBC, who are so good at putting people with different opinions together to facilitate the audience understand the truth, why do you give a blind eye to the other side of the street, where thousand of oversea Chinese students and scholars were protesting to your biased new coverage! You are generously give the full coverage to the Tibet separatists, most of whom were paid to give the big show, however, totally neglecting the Chinese students who are exposed to the chilly weather holding the flag of their country for no reason but the love of their country. Knowing exactly how influential you are, you guys are abusing human rights yourselves by muffling the voice of Chinese who are from the country witnessing the progress our country has made and exaggerating the downsides of China.

The human rights supporters please wake up! When you are saying you care about China’s human rights by supporting the extremists, you are hurting 1.3 billion Chinese people. Have you ever thought about their real wills and real feelings? If you do care about human rights, please learn to respect 1.3 billion Chinese people’s feelings. Have not you see through what these Tibet Separatists are doing? No one, who ever believes human rights, would destroy the representation of peace of Human being, Olympics. No one, who ever claims human rights defender, would attack the innocent people, like the girl sitting on the wheel chair. Sorry, because of your free media, you cannot see the ugly moments when these devils slash on the little girl’s face!

I have promised Captain to write an article to Daily Texas and I agree at least, we need to have our voice heard. However, I am under extreme anger and could not streamline my thoughts. Will work on this continuously. Yes, the world, we Chinese people love peace and friendship. It is the time we are trying to show our openness and friendliness. Any attack and destroy would make us unite stronger than ever before. We are hoping a beautiful and peaceful Olympics.