Saturday, April 19, 2008

Politicizing the Olympics?

All randomness and frivolity aside...

Today I found myself in the midst of a heated conversation between local students about the recent international protests against China concerning Tibet. I often read CNN and New York Times to try to keep up with foreign media news outlets. I even try to read South China Morning Post to see what's happening in China and locally in Hong Kong. Having lived in the United States, I often read about international affairs from the States' point of view; but now that I am living in Hong Kong, it's an interesting perspective to view from China's point of view.

I asked my HK friend if he thought foreign media was politicizing the Olympics and what he thought the media's effect on the Tibet and China issue was among foreigners, to which he replied:

  • "No the media did not say anything intending to politicize the games. But the effect makes foreigners to politicize it"
  • The media's effect --> "bias: they just kept reporting how angry Tibetans were. But on the opposite side of the street, there were actually a large group of Chinese supporting China and performing the Dragon Dance"
  • Chinese government has actually not been all that bad for Tibet; for example, the government helps build and rebuild its infrastructure
Perhaps it is nationalism that drives this point of view. But what I find most interesting is that most students here (at least those who are not apathetic to politics) hold moderate views, not from one extreme or the other. Here is a friend of mine, Jesse Davis, who sums it up quite nicely:


Chinese voices of moderation on Tibet

Conversation bounced around the table, a mix of Mandrin, Cantonese and English at Jashan, an Indian restaurant on Hong Kong Island in SoHo.

Over rounds of mango lassi, a yogurt drink with mango juice, the Chinese mainland students all around me were speaking excitedly in Chinese.

I watched their faces trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then one of the students turned to me and asked,

"Have you heard about the 'heart' China name changes on MSN?"


***Read more at http://reportingfromasia.blogspot.com/

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