A few days ago, I wrote about how there was no mention of the SNP in the 'China Daily' in its small report on the Glasgow by-election. My assumed reason for this being so was also touched upon. Of course, there is something else; if you tell some of the true story, you don't need to lie. It is a bit like the United States telling the world that it has opened its markets to 97% of Bangladesh's products, including, cars, aeroplanes, electronic equipment, machines etc etc and that tarifs are levied only on textiles. You can then tell the world at large and the public at home that you are liberal and have opened your doors to almost all of the WTO's listed products. There is no need to mention the fact that Bangladesh normally doesn't have the capacity to produce any of the 97% of the products that they are allowed to export.
On arriving back at the hotel this afternoon after a nice walk on the west lake, I put the computer on and looked at the news on German television. There was a report on how China has failed to fulfill its 'Olympic' obligations vis-a-vis journalists and how reporters are finding it difficult to watch the BBC, open their blogs, interview people freely etc etc. Now, I am not in Beijing but I was watching the BBC in Chengdu a couple of days ago and today I am watching it in Hangzhou and I have been watching it without any problems in Suzhou for the last eleven months. Initially, I couldn't open my own blog unless i typed in a proxy before the url. However, after a week or so, I had unfettered access the blog. Might it be that typing in a simple proxy such as 'youhide.com' is beyond the intellectual capabilities of the particular journalist that was being interviewed? Oh, and then there was this old report that they dug up where journalists on the great wall were being challenged by local officials. The Chinese government later apologised for this particular incident and might it not just be that the incident was instigated by over zealous local officials.
Now, believe me, I am the last person to want to protect the Chinese government and there are a lot of things in this country that I don't agree with. However, German television has just shown me how we distort things at home; tell the public a bit of the truth, doctor it to appeal to those prejudices that have already been created and which serve certain ulterior motives and vested interests. The Chinese really could learn from us but then they are already, aren't they?
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