China Digital Times

China news tagged with: notable quotes (23)

• Song Shinan (宋石男 ): China is Unhappy

  

  Commenting on the recently published book Unhappy China, Sichuan-based Bulloger Song Shinan (宋石男 ) wrote:

  “中国不高兴” (Unhappy China) is only valuable for its title. All the 340,000 words in the book should be removed and replaced with only these five characters printed on the cover to sell on the market. These five characters will inevitably resonate with the absolute majority of the Chinese population. Especially those Chinese children who are trafficked for child labor in Liangshan, especially those Chinese prisoners who are killed by “hide-and-seek” games in detention facilities, especially those Chinese thought criminals who are accused of crimes because of their speech, especially those Chinese college graduates who are unemployed, especially those Chinese migrant workers who venture into the city only to return to the country, especially those Chinese peddlers who are beaten to death by “urban management” teams, especially those appellants who are mentally healthy yet are closed up in mental hospitals, especially those Chinese web users whose websites are closed down and blogs deleted, especially all those Chinese people who do not have the freedom of speech and can only sing the “Grass-Mud Horse” song, especially all those Chinese people who quietly cry at night because they have been humiliated or injured—they are unhappy. China is unhappy.

  Translated by CDT’s Lucy Lin.

  » Read more
  • April 2, 2009 10:21 PM

• Qin Gang (秦刚): What Can and Cannot be Watched Online

  

  

  The following excerpt is from remarks by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Qin Gang (秦刚) during a press conference on March 31, 2009, and is being widely commented on by Chinese netizens:

  Question: YouTube was blocked at one point last week and was available again from China, and now it seems to be blocked again. There are speculations that it links to the release of video from the “Tibetan Government in Exile”. Do you have any comment on that? Is there any particular offensive material on YouTube right now that causes it to be blocked again?

  Qin Gang: I answered this question at the last regular press conference and here I’d like to reiterate my answer briefly. The Internet in China is fully open and the Chinese Government manages the Internet according to the law. As for what you can and cannot watch, watch what you can watch, and don’t watch what you cannot watch.

  [The translation above appeared on the Foreign Ministry website. However, CDT re-translated the last sentence to be closer to the original Chinese]

  问：上周Youtube网站曾一度被屏蔽，现在又再次被封，有人猜测是这跟“西藏流亡政府”发布在Youtube上的一段视频有关。你对此有何评论?还是Youtube上又出现了一些导致它被封的视频片断?

  答：上次记者会我已经回答了这个问题，我在这里再简短重申一下。中国的互联网是充分开放的，同时中国政府也要依法管理网络。至于能看什么，不能看什么，能看的就看，不能看的就别看。

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  • April 1, 2009 11:04 PM

• Wu Bangguo (吴邦国): China ‘Will not Have Democracy’

  

  Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which is currently meeting in Beijing, said today that China will never adopt Western-style democracy. From BBC:

  “We must draw on the achievements of all cultures,” he told delegates in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

  “But we will never simply copy the system of Western countries or introduce a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation,” he added.

  “Although China’s state organs have different responsibilities, they all adhere to the line, principles and policies of the Party.”

  Correspondents say Mr Wu’s statement appeared to be a deliberate rejection of calls in China and abroad for greater liberalisation.

  See also a Xinhua report.

  While Wu’s statement is on every major Chinese news website, comments from netizens about his statement have been widely banned or selectively posted. Here is one blogger’s reaction: a simple screenshot showing that the commentary function on this news item was closed on China.com, with a caption “Shhh…. Be careful of the river crabs.”

  

  More Chinese blogger’s comments about Wu’s statement, please see here, here and here.

  

  The above screenshot is from netease.com, one of China’s top news portals. The statistics on the upper-right corner read: “495 comments, showing 9 items.” Netease then closed the comments feature under this news item. So did Sina. On Sohu, similar page reads: “14684 comments, showing 316 items.”

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  • March 9, 2009 11:39 AM

• Xinhua’s Revision Notice on Xi Jinping’s Speech

  

  From the Hong Kong-based Ming Pao, via the New Century News, translated by CDT:

  On March 1st, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who also serves as president of the Central School of the Chinese Communist Party, made a speech emphasizing that cadres must improve their own overall capacity and loyalty to the party. The report itself is not too newsworthy. But on the same night, Xinhua News Agency issued a revision of the speech to the Chinese media, and the revision is interesting.

  Here is the full text of Xinhua’s revision notice: In today’s broadcast of the report, “Xi Jinping Emphasizes Cadres Must Improve Their Own Overall Capacity and Loyalty to the Party, the end of the third paragraph read, “Six, one must improve their capability in dealing with the media, be good at using media correctly, manage media scientifically, and effectively guide public opinion.” Please change this paragraph to “Six, one must improve their capability in dealing with the media, respect the ways that news and public opinion propagates, correctly guide public opinion, be closely in touch with the media, self-consciously accept being monitored by public opinion.”

  官方新华社3月1日曾经就一则新闻，报道身兼中央党校校长的国家副主席习近平在中央党校春季开学典礼上的讲话，强调领导干部要加强党性修养提高综合素质。这篇报道本身并无太多新意，但新华社在发稿当晚发出的改稿通知，颇耐人寻味。

  新华社的改稿通知全文如下﹕今播《习近平强调，领导干部要加强党性修养提高综合素质》稿，三段末「六要提高同媒体打交道的能力，善于正确运用媒体、科学管理媒体，有效引导社会舆论。」请改为「六要提高同媒体打交道的能力，尊重新闻舆论的传播规律，正确引导社会舆论，要与媒体保持密切联繫，自觉接受舆论监督」。

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  • March 4, 2009 10:03 PM

• Wu Hao (伍皓): Conventional Strategies for Handling Online Public Opinion (Updated)

  

  Here is an interesting update to the story, Eluding the Cat: Yunnan Government Asks Netizens to Help Investigate Detainee Death. At 3 pm on February 22nd, Wu Hao (伍皓), the deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Yunnan Province went online to have an interactive chat with netizens concerned about the “Eluding the Cat” event. Here are some excerpts from Wu Hao’s responses, translated by CDT:

  Wu Hao: When we handled such public opinion events in the past, we mostly took a conventional approach. We had the following options:

  First, we could use the strategy of “delaying.” Many people feel that netizens’ voices are not clearly focused. So a delaying strategy can be adopted to deal with netizens’ opinions. When they encounter a new hot news item, their attention will quickly shift. This is one strategy.

  Second, blocking. The propaganda department still has the power to direct the media. We can order the media to not report or comment on it.

  Third, deleting. We can delete all inconvenient, or negative, online posts one by one. This is also one strategy.

  Four, waiting. In this case, this is the best strategy, since this is a legal case. We can just take our time and wait for the judicial department’s investigation to go through all the legal procedures. It will take a very long time to complete this case, and by that time the public’s right to know will still not be fulfilled.

  伍皓：以前我们面对这种公共舆论事件时，我们更多的，或者是常规的做法，主要有以下几种选择：

  第一，我们可以采取“拖”的措拖。有的人都有这样的感觉，网友的言论是东说西说，对网友的言论可以拖，碰到新的新闻点又转移了，这是一个策略。这是很多地方处理类似事件的方法。

  第二，堵。我们宣传部门还拥有一定的指挥媒体权利，我们可以让所有的媒体都收声。

  第三，删。我们把网上不利的，或者是负面的言论见一条一条删掉，这也是一种做法。

  第四，等。这个做法是更好的做法，因为这是司法案件，我们完全可以慢慢地等司法部门调查，按照法律的程序走下来。要把这个案子办完是比较漫长的一个时间，到那个时候公众的知情权无法满足。

  Mr. Wu Hao went on to claim that the Yunnan Party Propaganda Department decided to go for an open, transparent approach this time, as opposed to all the “conventional approaches” used in the past. The full text transcript is posted in many official Chinese news websites, including xinhua.net.

  Update 1: While Mr. Wu Hao, a young former Xinhua reporter who was recently appointed to the Propaganda Department, indeed took an unprecedented approach, inviting netizens to help investigate the detainee death, this move also generated a huge controversy among netizens. Mr. Wu Hao selected “netizen” Fengzhimoduan (风之末端) and Bianmin (边民) as two leaders of a “netizen representative team.” However, an online search by other netizens revealed that both of the “netizen representatives” are actually working members of the official media as well as active online commentators. After other members of the netizen representative group raised questions over the qualifications of the two lead representatives, Mr. Wu Hao even confirmed with the head of the Yunnan Internet Monitoring and Surveillance Department that both Fengzhimoduan and Bianmin had a history of receiving payment from the department for writing “commentary pieces at the time of public opinion crisis.” In other words, this “netizen investigative team” Wu Hao organized is actually led by two members of the “fifty-cents party,” as Chinese netizens put it. Records of the conversations and appointments in this case have been recorded online, reported by Guangzhou based Southern Metropolis News and widely published in the official media.

  The Shanxi-based Chinese Commercial Daily (华商报) also reported that Fengzhimoduan (风之末端) had received fees for writing articles for the Yunnan Propaganda Department in 2008.

  The whole “Netizens Investigative Team” published a report after their visit to the prison site and admitted that they did not get access to any substantial information about the case. “They [local authority] denied us in the name of law and institutional procedures,” the report said.

  Update 2: Please also read David Bandurski’s piece on the China Media Project: How Control 2.0 found its poster boy in Yunnan:

  It’s all about Wu Hao (伍皓).

  That’s right. It’s about an intelligent, 38 year-old former Xinhua News Agency reporter who is rising rapidly through the ranks of China’s propaganda apparatus. It’s about the fresh new face of Chinese propaganda controls in the information age.

  

  And “Human Flesh Search On ‘Eluding The Cat’ Investigative Team Members” from ESWN, a translation of a Southern Metropolis Daily report about the netizen representatives.

  Read also: “Eluding the Cat” - Bloggers investigate Yunnan prison death by Rebecca MacKinnon.

  » Read more
  • February 24, 2009 2:38 AM

• Xi Jinping (习近平) on Foreigners “Pointing Fingers” at China (With Video)

  

  Vice-president Xi Jinping (习近平) , China’s probable successor to President Hu Jintao, just gave a speech to overseas Chinese in Mexico on February 11, and discussed international intervention:

  “There are some foreigners who had eaten their fill and had nothing better to do, pointing their fingers at our affairs. China does not, first, export revolution; second, export poverty and hunger; or third, cause unnecessary trouble for you. What else is there to say?”

  “有些吃饱了没事干的外国人，对我们的事情指手画脚。中国一不输出革命，二不输出饥饿和贫困，三不去折腾你们，还有什么好说的.”

  The following video clip of Xi’s speech is from a news program of a Hong Kong TV station:

  Read also: China: “Stay away!” Vice president Xi warned in Mexico by Bob Chen of the Global Voices online.

  » Read more
  • February 12, 2009 9:18 PM

• How to Introduce China’s System of Political Parties to Foreigners?

  

  On November 5, The CPPCC News published an interview with Zhou Tienong, vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee and chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, translated by CDT:

  When asked how he usually introduces China’s system of political parties to foreigners, Zhou said:

  I am used to introducing China’s system of political parties from two dimensions – our basic national conditions and our efforts to develop the country. China is a developing country and in the process of development there needs to be someone to take the leading role. A political force has to live up to two requirements if it wants to take that leading role: First, it has to be stable; Second, it cannot be conservative and should be very willing to be supervised by all parties. The Chinese Communist Party is such a force. On one hand, its ruling status was formed from history. No one is trying to topple it from power. So it is stable. On the other hand, we can supervise it so that it won’t become conservative on the precondition that no one tries to topple it.

  I think supervision that does not aim to topple (the ruling party) is most effective. The participating parties’ supervision of the ruling party is for the sake of the better execution of its work. It helps consolidate the status of the ruling party, which is apparently happy to accept such supervision. On the other hand, if the supervision aims to throw (the ruling party) out of power, there will be a lack of trust. One side is forced to be vigilant about the other side’s every sentence and to study its real intentions – does it want to supplant us (as the ruling party)? In this case, the supervision will achieve little.

  So China’s system of political parties is not only favorable to the stability of political forces but also to the ruling party’s willingness to accept supervision. I told them (foreigners) that the current system of political parties had guaranteed political stability and economic prosperity for China for 30 years uninterrupted. This is a certainty. To adopt a new system of political parties will be an uncertainty. Of course there are some problems in this certainty, but it is good and acceptable in general. Since the status quo is acceptable and we feel not so bad, why should we find a new uncertain alternative to replace it? Many foreign friends agreed with my point of view.”

  
  Image: Gou Tienong meeting with foreign guest.

  民革中央主席周铁农谈
  参政党如何监督执政党
  A02版：新闻 稿件来源:报刊文摘

  《人民政协报》11月5日刊登记者对全国人大常委会副委员长、民革中央主席周铁农的专访文章。

  在回答 “平常怎样向外国人介绍中国的政党制度”时，周铁农说，我习惯于从中国的基本国情和中国的发展实践两个层面介绍中国的政党制度。中国是发展中国家，发展中需要有人来带个头。要成为带头的政治力量得符合两个标准：第一要稳定，第二要不保守，善于接受各方监督。中国共产党就是这样一支力量，一方面，中国共产党的执政地位是历史形成的，没有人要拉其下台，所以稳定；另一方面，有人在不拉其下台的前提下对其进行监督，使其不保守。

  我以为不以拉下台为目的的监督是最有效的监督。参政党对执政党的监督是为了执政党把工作做好，有利于执政党地位更稳固，执政党显然乐于接受。相反，如果以拉下台为目的，这种监督之间就缺少信任，一方不得不对另一方说的每句话都要警惕，仔细思考，其居心究竟何在，是不是为了取而代之，这样监督的效果就会大打折扣。

  所以中国的政党制度既有利于政治力量的稳定，又有利于接受监督。我告诉他们，从实践上看，现行的政党制度已经保证中国实现了连续30年保持政治稳定，经济繁荣，这是已知数；换个政党制度是未知数。当然，这个已知数里肯定有些问题，但是这个已知数总体上是好的，是可以接受的。既然已知数是可以接受的，而且感觉还不错，为什么要找未知数来代替呢？很多外宾还是认同了我的观点的。

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  • December 25, 2008 7:56 PM

• Zhou Guoping: “What a Dull Era We Are Living In!”

  

  Author and philosopher Zhou Guoping (周国平) is a researcher at the Philosophy Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is well-known in Chinese intellectual circles as the translator of Nietzsche. The following quote from his blog, has been frequently cited in many Chinese online forums. Translated by CDT’s Linjun Fan:

  “What a dull era we are living in!

  I look around and find everybody is busy, with weariness, greed and helplessness on their faces. There is no sparkle of excitement in their eyes. Seniors get together in parks and enjoy themselves in dancing, but kids are confined in classrooms all day bent over endless school work.

  I see scholars hectically attend various meetings and forums and laud each other as great masters, creating an unprecedentedly boisterous atmosphere in an era without real academic masters.

  I see publishers collaborate with mass media to produce one cluster of bestsellers after another, successfully turning reading from a personal interest into a mass revelry.

  I see real estate developers work closely with officials, resolutely sweeping away historical architecture and ancient streets, and replacing them with monotonous large squares and columns of skyscrapers.

  I see many things interesting are being destroyed, and the phenomenon of no-fun is spreading.

  I can’t help but lament that what a dull era I am living in.”

  “这是一个多么无趣的时代。

  我朝四周看，看见人人都在忙碌，脸上挂着疲惫、贪婪或无奈，眼中没有兴趣的光芒。我看见老人们一脸天真，聚集在公园里做儿童操和跳集体舞，孩子们却满脸沧桑，从早到黑被关在校内外的教室里做无穷的功课。

  我看见学者们繁忙地出席各种名目的论坛和会议，在会上互选为大师，使这个没有大师的时代有了空前热闹的学术气氛。

  我看见出版商和媒体亲密联盟，适时制造出一批又一批畅销书，成功地把阅读由个人的爱好转变为大众的狂欢。

  我看见开发商和官员紧密合作，果断地将历史悠久的古建筑和老街区夷为平地，随后建造起千篇一律的大广场和高楼群。

  我看见许多有趣的事物正在毁灭，许多无趣的现象正在蔓延。

  我不得不说，我生活在一个多么无趣的时代。”

  » Read more
  • October 3, 2008 9:51 PM

• Does “The State Council Party and State Organizations Special Food Supply Center” Really Exist?

  

  The following quotes from Wen Jiabao, together with a denial from the official media about the State Council Party and State Organizations Special Food Supply Center is spreading through the Chinese Internet.

  “A government which is the flesh and blood of the people, has no privileges except responsibility, service, dedication and cleanness.

  “一个同人民有血肉联系的政府，除了责任、服务、献身和廉洁，没有其它特权。”

  - Wen Jiabao’s speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 24, 2008.

  “The Activity Center of Elder Officials of the State Council has no such agency called ‘The State Council Party and State Organizations Special Food Supply Center,’ it has never held ‘certificate ceremonies,’ nor does it have a person named ‘Zhu Yonglan.’ Any related online information is purely rumors.”

  - A anonymous spokesperson of the The Activity Center of Elder Officials of the State Council, from the official China News Agency, September 25, 2008.

  However, netizens continue to dig out search engine cache pages from an already deleted website of the The State Council Party and State Organizations Special Food Supply Center. It has many more photos and text, including the following introduction, translated by CDT.

  » Read more
  • September 25, 2008 11:56 AM

• Wang Wei: “The Chinese Culture Always Emphasizes the Concept of Harmony”

  

  From The Ninth IOC/BOCOG press conference:

  Wang Wei:

  On the issue of demonstration, the basic situation has been already announced by the authorities. And I think you should be satisfied with that. The demonstration parks are announced. There are three places on the basis of Chinese law. The idea of demonstration is to hoping to resolve issue it is not demonstrating for the sake of demonstration. We are actually quite happy to hear that many of the 77 cases have been resolved. Now the resolution of these protests was through dialogue and communication. And this is also a part of way to do in Chinese culture. For instance, in China, if somebody wants to complain to courts or they want to launch a protest to the courts, the courts probably first engaged mediation first to see whether dialogues are a possible solution. Even for civil cases, for instance, people want to get divorce, the community tries to mediate fist.

  The Chinese cultural always emphasis the concept of harmony, so if it can be resolved through mediation and the divorce is withdrawn, then everybody is very happy about that. Other countries may not think that is very good but in China, we think it is a good thing. Of course, if you insist on divorce, you can go through the legal process to get the divorce. So I think for these people who want to demonstrate or protest, this is my personal opinion, is that they want to find a solution to their problem and once there is a solution, they will be satisfied. Of course, solution should come through legal means and not through demonstration. But now the Chinese law also accepts possible to use this method. I think that is a characteristic of Chinese law. You mentioned just now Mao Zedong led a ‘100 flowers bloom’ that is in an attempt to let everybody to express their opinion. I think everybody has the right to speak. Nobody said that you don’t have the right to speak. This is another thing. This is not the same as demonstrating. Thank you.

  Mr. Wang Wei is the Executive Vice President of Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG).

  » Read more
  • August 20, 2008 3:59 PM

• China’s Dream of Becoming a “Great Power” Again

  

  China.com.cn/BBS 中国网和平论坛 is an online forum whose editorial position has a strong nationalistic bent. The following quote is from an essay, written by Wang Li, published on China.com.cn, and reposted on the front page of Netease.com, one of China’s most popular online news portals. The title of the article is “The Olympics have arrived. How can ordinary Chinese respond to the world?”, translated by CDT:

  This ancient country, it is integrated and fragmented, it is fragile and solid. It is anxiously waiting for an opportunity to rise again.

  The Beijing Olympics is such a signal. It is China’s official, legitimate date with the world. Every Chinese wants to get back the name which once belonged to this land, the name is: “great power.” “大国”。

  Yes, it is such a great power that, “all neighbors submit to her and all foreigners come to her to offer congratulations” “四方臣服，群夷来贺”. It is such a great power that, “anyone who offends the powerful Han will be destroyed regardless of the distance.” “犯强汉者，虽远必诛” In order to rebuild such a dream of a great power, the whole country has been mobilized. Domestically, we have built up facilities, constructed roads, improved the environment; externally, we have demonstrated good will, carried out promises, consolidated foreign policies. This country has made enormous efforts and sacrifices; the people here eagerly hope to gain corresponding recognition. However, in a pluralistic world, differences between cultures, races and values make this process of China emerging into the world particularly difficult.

  » Read more
  • August 4, 2008 2:14 PM

• Beijing’s Forgotten Promises

  

  From Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s Update: BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008:

  Numerous press reports over the last two days have described limits China has placed on Internet access at Olympic press facilities. Blocking of web sites by Chinese authorities
  has affected large numbers of foreign reporters arriving in Beijing to cover the Olympic
  Summer Games, which begin next Friday, August 8….As a resource to CECC Members and others following this issue, the CECC has compiled the attached hyperlinked list of select official statements and background material related to this issue. One document that may be highly relevant, but that China has not made public, is Beijing’s Host City Contract.

  “There will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games.”
  -Beijing’s Bid Documents (2000)

  “It was confirmed to the Commission that there will be no restrictions on media reporting
  and movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games.”
  -Report of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission for the
  Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008 (2001)

  “I think we will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China.”
  -Wang Wei, Secretary General of the Beijing Olympic Games Bid Committee (2001)

  » Read more
  • July 31, 2008 6:08 PM

• Hu Jintao Answers an Eight-Year-Old Japanese Boy’s Question

  

  An interesting tid-bit from Hu Jintao’s tour of Japan, via news.sohu.com:

  Yesterday [May 9, 2008] afternoon, Hu Jintao visited Yokohama Yamate Chinese School, marking the first time any high-level Chinese leader has visited an overseas Chinese school. During his visit, Mr. Hu audited a third grade Chinese class and taught children to read the Tang Dynasty poem “Reflection in the Quiet Night.”

  During Hu’s visit, eight-year-old Songtian Haoji stood up and asked the Chinese leader: “Grandpa Hu, why did you want to be the president?”

  His question inspired laughter in the classroom.

  “I want to tell you, I myself did not want to be the president,” Mr. Hu answered. “It was the people in the whole country who voted me in, and wanted me to be the president. I should not let the people throughout the whole country down.”

  » Read more
  • May 11, 2008 8:54 PM

• A Cup of Tea

  

  

  Time magazine Beijing correspondent Austin Ramzy writes on Times-China blog:

  To follow on Simon’s post below about Zeng Jinyan, it’s worth noting what Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi had to say yesterday regarding human rights. During a joint press conference with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Yang said, “The Chinese people enjoy extensive freedom of speech,” according to the Financial Times.

  “You could ask 10 people on the street to stand in front of public security officers and freely say ‘human rights are far more important than the Olympics’ 10 times or even 100 times and I’ll see which officer arrests them,” the newspaper quoted Yang as saying. “If they get tired, the public security officer would probably offer them a cup of tea.”

  I’m guessing Yang wasn’t intentionally referring to the practice of state security agents asking activists out for “a cup of tea.”

  Photos: Hu Jia, Zengjinyan and their daughter Hu Qianci.

  » Read more
  • March 2, 2008 10:44 PM

• The Olympic Games Are Not Politics?

  

  Are the Beijing Olympics political? Overly political? Non-political? Beijing-based blogger Shizhao published the following three quotes on his Chats in Banmutang (半亩塘闲话）blog, translated by CDT:

  [From Xinhua] Mr. Jiang Xiaoyu (蒋效愚) executive vice-chairman of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee said: the Committee welcomes media from everywhere in the world to objectively, fairly and comprehensively report on the preparations for the 2008 Olympics and to point out shortcomings, but we oppose politicizing the Olympics. To do so would not be consistent with the spirit of the Olympics, nor with the principle in the Olympics charter that “Sports competition should not have any discrimination.”

  [From Chinese media QQ Sports] The head of the All China Sports Bureau said: The 2008 Olympics are a political mission; everything else has to give way unconditionally.

  [From BBC Chinese] Ms. Hua Xinmin, a Beijing city preservation activist said: One important reason that Beijing succeeded in its 2001 bid to host the Olympics is [the application] emphasized the cultural uniqueness of Beijing as an ancient capital. Now in the process of preparing for the Olympics, it is wrong to destroy this cultural landscape.” She also said: “It is ridiculous and invalid to use the Olympics as an excuse. The Olympics are the Olympics; the Games are a festival of sports competitions. They are not politics. Now some people are using politics to suppress other voices, as if opposing the Olympics equals opposing the government. In China, the Olympics have been raised to the level of politics. This is a wrong way of thinking.”

  UPDATED: From The People’s Daily on Jan. 29, 2008, translated by CDT:

  “Those who want to use the Olympics to discredit China, and those who think the Olympics will promote China to change in the way they “hope”, are doomed to be disappointed. Their efforts will be futile.”

  » Read more
  • February 1, 2008 11:18 PM

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