China denounces European parliament over Tibet

[Flashermac]

 

 

<< By some estimates, as many as 50 busloads of Chinese from other parts of California were brought to San Francisco. Many of them paid (by some accounts $300 each) to come out for the day in support of Beijing. They were placed in groups along the anticipated torch relay route and given Chinese and Olympic flags, as well as American flags (the latter a tactical move to show they were not anti-U.S., but rather pro-China â?? a distinction made all the more apparent by the fact that most anti-China protesters did not carry U.S. flags, and some also were critical of the U.S. government). >>

 

Learning from Thaksin?

 

 

Meanwhile, have fun in Beijing everybody:

 

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/18/917308.aspx

 

[mongon]

This is from Flasher's link:

 

Targeting the Western press

CNN has been the target of intense criticism and threats for allegedly biased coverage of the protests in Tibet, and particularly for remarks made by commentator Jack Cafferty, who referred to Chinaâ??s leaders â?? not the Chinese people â?? as a "bunch of goons and thugs."

 

On Thursday, CNNâ??s bureau chief in Beijing was summoned to Chinaâ??s Foreign Ministry, where officials demanded an apology and a retraction of Caffertyâ??s comments.

 

CNN has apologized for any offence, and Cafferty clarified on air earlier in the week that his comments were referring specifically to the government and "not to Chinese people or to Chinese-Americans."

 

 

But even before this latest incident, we had heard from CNN staff that non-essential personnel had been asked to stay away from the CNN Beijing office because threats from angry Chinese activists were growing serious.

 

A Chinese friend who once worked for CNN learned Friday that his name and personal information had been posted on one of the more virulent anti-Western media Web sites in China. He said he was shocked by the coarse language people used to accuse him of being a traitor.

 

 

The Chinese method of imposing censorship on the western media is usually more subtle. Any western news organization with an operation in Beijing (i.e. all major news organizations)has to carefully consider the ramifications of what they publish in the west, or risk having their Beijing operation encounter unexpected problems. Or worse, if they were kicked out of the country, that would be a disaster. Especially with the olympics ratings to think about.

 

I can assure you that CNN will from now on be more circumspect about their criticisms of the regime. Alot of news organizations already learned this lesson and "self" censor regarding China. And the Chinese menace to western values grows just a little more. Like a tumor.

 

 

 

 

[mongon]

Also, the regime likes to pump up the nationalist bullshit in China. They are playing with fire. A year ago Beijing was giving instructions to Beijing residents to refrain during the olympics from cutting in line and spitting in public. If the regime keeps up the absurd style of coverage of the torch and the western media, they may have a bigger problem to deal with during the olympics than western protesters.

[Bangkoktraveler]

I don't understand why so many people want to see Tibet to be 'FREE'. Before the Chinesee took over, the country had slavery. I don't think people want that to be revisited? And most people could care less about Tibet especially with its non-Christian beliefs.

[Barry]

I don't understand why so many people want to see Tibet to be 'FREE'. Before the Chinesee took over, the country had slavery. I don't think people want that to be revisited? And most people could care less about Tibet especially with its non-Christian beliefs.

 

What has Christianity got to do with it? Why would Christians matter any more than anyone else?

[Mekong]

The Chinese method of imposing censorship on the western media is usually more subtle. Any western news organization with an operation in Beijing (i.e. all major news organizations)has to carefully consider the ramifications of what they publish in the west, or risk having their Beijing operation encounter unexpected problems. Or worse, if they were kicked out of the country, that would be a disaster. Especially with the olympics ratings to think about.

 

I can assure you that CNN will from now on be more circumspect about their criticisms of the regime. Alot of news organizations already learned this lesson and "self" censor regarding China. And the Chinese menace to western values grows just a little more. Like a tumor.

 

 

I would be interested in knowing how much time you have actualy spent in China in order to form the basis of your opinions. Circa 2001 I had the (mis)fortune to leave a project in Houston TX and move onto one in Tianjin China, I found the international news reporting in China far more open than I did in the States.

 

I was 18 months in the States and 12 Months in China, and being a resident of neither country I think I can pass an independant viewpoint based on my own personal experiences, Chinese media has more freedom than the US.

 

 

[Steve]

Not sure if freedom is the right word. If they (China) report the news more objectively than in the states on average, then bravo to them, but the media in the U.S. aren't constrained by the government. I don't know enough about China to say they are, although I suspect they are, but if not, then they are not, they are no more free than the U.S., UK or any western nation. Just about anything other than outright libel is permitted here. Segments of American media may be ideologically biased but its by choice not by force. The whole spectrum of ideology is also available, far left to far right and all sides in between.

 

 

 

[mongon]

Mekong:

 

Can you elaborate on why you think the Communist Party owned media is free? Its a big subject. This is the first time I've heard someone make this argument.

 

Have a look at Reporters Without Borders, which is not a stooge of the U.S., for some raw data ( http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=116 ):

 

31 journalists are incarcerated in China, one in the U.S. (Sami Al-Haj, from Al-Jazeera)

 

 

The fact is that most journalists in China work for the party so they are not likely to get in trouble, that is why the number is only 31. Its the regular people such as bloggers and rights activists and anyone else that speaks against the party that fill up China's prisons and gulags (i.e. re-education camps). A quick search would show the number to be quite high. Yahoo China in an infamous case disclosed the contact info for a blogger who was using yahoos service and the kid got ten years for talking about the need for democracy in China. More recently, when the communists made their move in Tibet, there was an international news blackout in china while the propaganda folks went to work convincing everyone that Tibetan monks are violent separatists and the dalai lama is a criminal mastermind and the western media is telling lies. The ploy worked because the people reject all western interpretation of the tibet situation (or it seems that way in any event).

 

In answer to your questions, I haven't been to China and I don't think they would give me a visa though I haven't applied so who knows. I read Chinese media online (they put out a ton of english language stuff) and receive hardcopies of several of their english language propaganda rags (i don't pay for it). If you use Google News the communist written news stories show up often.

[Mekong]

Mongon,

 

With respect I ask the same question, how long did YOU work / live in China? You can make referance to as many reports as you wish but if you have never lived there then you are merely a victim of western propoganda.

 

 

[mongon]

Mekong:

 

I answered that question already. You can stand by your claim that China has a free press but facts are facts.