A Growing Chinese Confidence

The Chinese government has been grumpy about criticism for years. Nothing new has happened, except maybe the government is pretending it cares even less. If you want to see it give the world a middle finger, fine. But don't except us to change our views. All we hear from the Chinese government is the usual propaganda and self-congratulatory rubbish.

Our views will change when we believe the Chinese government is capable of self-reflection and can criticise itself in a meaningful way. But whilst it tries to censor the views of its own people and restrict the information they can access, it doesn't seem sincere.

Mr T said:

The Chinese government has been grumpy about criticism for years. Nothing new has happened, except maybe the government is pretending it cares even less. If you want to see it give the world a middle finger, fine. But don't except us to change our views. All we hear from the Chinese government is the usual propaganda and self-congratulatory rubbish.

Our views will change when we believe the Chinese government is capable of self-reflection and can criticise itself in a meaningful way. But whilst it tries to censor the views of its own people and restrict the information they can access, it doesn't seem sincere.

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Honestly I couldn't care less about how the rest of the world sees china now, but I'm now more interested in seeing how China will respond. If they continue in this new direction I will be pretty content.

As for censorship and such... it's not that I disagree with what you said but that subject (and human rights etc) made up a pretty small proportion of the interview so I'm not sure why you only highlight that where other things like the global economic and political relationship, chinese military development to talk about.

Anyway, here's to hoping the PRC's FM and PR departments can continue upping their game a little in the coming years so we have more to post in this thread

Mr T said:

The Chinese government has been grumpy about criticism for years. Nothing new has happened, except maybe the government is pretending it cares even less. If you want to see it give the world a middle finger, fine. But don't except us to change our views. All we hear from the Chinese government is the usual propaganda and self-congratulatory rubbish.

Our views will change when we believe the Chinese government is capable of self-reflection and can criticise itself in a meaningful way. But whilst it tries to censor the views of its own people and restrict the information they can access, it doesn't seem sincere.

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All you hear is propaganda and self-congratulatory rubbish from the West when it comes to the Chinese government; there fixed that for you.

Chinese government is quite capable of self-reflection and criticise itself in a meaningful way. If it doesn't do this, it wouldn't be able to achieve progress on all fronts today. If those sitting on high horse would get down for a moment and look around, instead of pointing fingers at China all the time to make themselves feel better, they wouldn't have lost so much rights to their "free" and "democratic" governments over the past ten years.

Grumpy like how people complained about China criticizing the US's debt crisis? Or how about China having a carrier?

Bltizo said:

Honestly I couldn't care less about how the rest of the world sees china now, but I'm now more interested in seeing how China will respond. If they continue in this new direction I will be pretty content.

As for censorship and such... it's not that I disagree with what you said but that subject (and human rights etc) made up a pretty small proportion of the interview so I'm not sure why you only highlight that where other things like the global economic and political relationship, chinese military development to talk about.

Anyway, here's to hoping the PRC's FM and PR departments can continue upping their game a little in the coming years so we have more to post in this thread

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I always felt the diplomat's words were directed at not just the media, but also at people like mr t, who simply have no capacities to think in a different angle.

airsuperiority said:

Honestly I'd think this is the right way to do it. For some reason, I can imagine if it were me, it might spark a nerve or 2, and then I might end up responding like Sha LOL. Anyways, we say the truth, so it's up to them to decide whether they should listen, lower their head, and look at the dirt on their feet, or continue their ways.
Thanks Blitz. This is a very good article for me because I'm headed for a career at Canadian Foreign Service in the future. I look forward to be assigned to China, Japan, Korea, or even HK, so I guess one of the things will be learning how to speak to the public.

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What M. Fu Ying did was fantastic.

She didn't wishy washy but, challenged the prevailing wind head on. refused to dance to the same tune as the stupid journalists elites.
deconstruction may be a better word.

sooner or later people in the western media markets would realize they have been fed the same old stuff for years.

If you're a Chinese nationalist, that's cool. If you admire China, fine. But don't think that everything the Chinese government does is great just because it's the Chinese government doing it, and don't think that everything "the West" (what does that even mean?) does is awful just because it's "the West" doing it. People who yammer on about how others have "closed minds" often have the most locked up minds of all. Sometimes people who are quick to point out other's hypocrisy will go to any lengths to justify their own. No one is right 100% of the time. That's all.

Finn McCool said:

If you're a Chinese nationalist, that's cool. If you admire China, fine. But don't think that everything the Chinese government does is great just because it's the Chinese government doing it, and don't think that everything "the West" (what does that even mean?) does is awful just because it's "the West" doing it. People who yammer on about how others have "closed minds" often have the most locked up minds of all. Sometimes people who are quick to point out other's hypocrisy will go to any lengths to justify their own. No one is right 100% of the time. That's all.

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Mr McCool

I must say your stereotypes reminds me the worst sort of closed minds that i have encountered. your utterance is lacking in substance; it does not show why any of your accusation against me would have any merit. instead I see an instinctive reflex mechanism that while can not justify the incongruant facts with your long held beliefs instead rely on emotional triggers to lash out.

here is what's wrong here:
You do not presume that people in the west (or any where) can think for themselves, based on facts, and arrive at a different conclusion that is already espoused by the main stream ideological elites.

I am fundamentally an utilitarian. I am not impressed by ideologies, I am impressed by results.

what ever failings of the evil chinese government is, they have lifted the most of humanity out of abject poverty then any western charity or freedom/human rights lovin' interventionist happy western government ever did, and propelled a country that comprised of 1/5 of humanity into almost a superpower in span of less a life time. all with out a serious world war.

Last time some one grew that fast they had 2 world wars in which millions were slaughtered.
the time before that the super power conquered and subjecated a subcontinent.

IF that's evil, then give me more of it because surely this world can use bit more of that.


respectfully, a forum member.

Since we're on the subject of confidence, I'll put this here. Looks to be a case of lack of confidence or maybe an obsession with 'face'.
US leaders seem to have a tendency to behave a bit funny after trips to China lately.
I'll be real surprised if US finances wasn't discussed with China. But does it really matter if they call it 'talking', 'discussing' or 'explaining' ?
If it were anyone else, I would just laugh but is somewhat worrying given someone with so much power as the VP to display such childishness to see the need to address this in such a forceful manner.
Of course, this brought back memory of Gates' trip to China when he hit back at China by suggesting Hu was losing control of PLA after getting upset with PLA flying J20 during his trip.



By Michael A. Memoli

August 24, 2011, 1:48 a.m.
Reporting from Yokota Air Base, Japan —
Vice President Joe Biden closed his nine-day Asia tour with a pep talk for U.S. forces stationed in Japan, touting America’s role as a “Pacific power.”

Ending a trip that began in China, the vice president stated clearly that his visit there was not one of reassurance about American finances, as had been the prevailing sentiment.

“I didn’t come to explain a damn thing,” he said.

In an interview Monday night Biden was more diplomatic when discussing his talks with Chinese leaders, saying their comments behind closed doors about U.S. finances didn’t match public criticism............................

The Chinese generally don't think in black and white so just because some maybe protective of China it doesn't automatically mean they also think China is a utopia. Chances are they think it's just better than the critic's alternative. You better believe that the majority of people who criticize China especially in an antagonistic way also hate China so how could they possibly care about the human rights of the Chinese people. Ever hear of lying and using the excuse of human rights as a cover to perpetuate their hatred of China? It happens the majority of the time.