An Article on the Incident in Weng’an, Guizhou
How hard is it to give the masses the truth?
Xinhua News Network (Phoenix TV, Hong Kong)
http://news.ifeng.com/opinion/200807/0702_23_629094.shtml
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
Xinhua news network, Weng’an, Guizhou, June 29th: “On the afternoon of the 28th, in Guizhou province’s Weng’an county, an incident occurred in which besieged government departments were smashed and burned. Because some people were dissatisfied with the results of an investigation by the Weng’an county public security bureau into the cause of death of a female student, they gathered at the seat of the county government and public security bureau. While the relevant authorities at the county government building were in the process of receiving them, some people incited the crowd, which was unaware of the truth of the matter, to attack the public security bureau, county government building, and county committee building. Soon after, the small minority of criminal elements seized the opportunity to smash offices and set fires which burned offices and cars.”
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Latest News on Hu Jia
Hu Jia’s Application for Medical Release Denied
By Zeng Jinyan (曾金燕)
http://www.zengjinyan.org/
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
On June 5th, national guardsmen drove Hu Jia’s mother, his baby daughter Qianci, and myself to visit him in the Chaobai Prison which is located among the Qinghe farmlands in the Hangu district of Tianjin. Due to this being an ‘abnormal visit,’ the prison guards said that it was still not known when the next visit would be and that we should await notification.
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Waiting for the Rise of the Media to Change ‘the West is Strong, I am Weak’
Waiting for the Rise of the Media to Change ‘the West is Strong, I am Weak’
By Xiao Shu (笑蜀)
http://chinaelections.org/NewsInfo.asp?NewsID=130121
Originally Published in the Southern Weekly (南方周末)
Translated By Anton Lee Wishik II
As China rises, it is increasingly unsatisfied with rising merely in the economic sphere. Because of its thirst for international respect, China is paying more and more attention to international public opinion. However, while inspecting the work of the People’s Daily, President Hu Jintao referred to one reality that cannot be avoided: “Currently, with the worldwide increase in the frequency of all kinds of ideological and cultural exchange, mixture, and conflict, the pattern of ‘the West is strong, I am weak’ in international public opinion has not fundamentally changed.” This undoubtedly seriously restricts the projection of the nation’s soft power. Changing this pattern of public opinion by allowing our media to follow in the entire nation’s coordinated rise, from our point of view, is an extremely urgent task.
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Article by 长平 （Zhang Ping）
Background For This Translation
Zhang Ping, of the Southern Metropolis Weekly (南都周刊), was demoted recently for an article on Tibet he wrote for the Financial Times. On his blog, many Chinese posted comments calling him a traitor and worse. The article below was taken from his personal blog.
Fan Meizhong was a teacher in Sichuan who fled when the earthquake struck, leaving his students behind in the classroom. Later, he defended his actions on his blog, arguing that as a teacher, it was not his responsibility to save students’ lives. He has become extremely well-known and controversial in China. Recently, China’s Ministry of Education revoked his teaching license. In response, he may be planning a lawsuit.
Yu Qiuyu is well-known for pleading with the victims of the Sichuan earthquake to avoid protesting against the government in order to maintain harmony and protect China’s international image.
What is the Opposition to Liberalism?
By 长平 (Zhang Ping)
http://blog.ifeng.com/article/1533821.html
Tranlated by Anton Lee Wishik II
When Fan Meizhong (范美忠) used ‘the pursuit of liberty and fairness’ to defend abandoning his students and fleeing, there were some who immediately stood up and said, ‘Look! This is how liberals behave.’ Soon afterwards, scholars swept them away with theory: First, liberalism does not reject responsibility, but exactly the opposite, only liberals can really assume responsibility. Second, liberals do not oppose morality, but only oppose false morality.
Article From Latest 炎黄春秋
Random Thoughts on 3 Principles of Economic Development
By 杜润生（Du Runsheng）
炎黄春秋 （Yanhuang Chunqiu）
2008 Vol. 6
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
Peasants in China
A leader once said that the new China was obtained in exchange for 30 million people. Due to the success of the ‘villages surrounding cities’ strategy, the majority of the 30 million were farmers.
During the period when the nation changed course towards economic construction, peasants worked hard cultivating the land and increased grain production from 160 billion kg to 500 billion kg, thus avoiding the need to import large amounts from abroad. Peasants earnestly carried out the one-child policy, and during this period, reduced births by 400 million, thus mitigating the pressure of overpopulation. Peasants also created the system of family-contracted public land which helped all of society attain an adequate standard of living, thus pushing forward a period of comparatively good standards of living. Peasants cast away the
Drawing Conclusions Regarding China’s View of Obama
Drawing Conclusions Regarding China’s View of Obama
By Anton Lee Wishik II
When reflecting upon the series of ‘What China Thinks of Obama’ articles, it is useful to reflect on some general conclusions that can be drawn. It is useful not only for improving Western consciousness of how Barack Obama is viewed in China, but also for becoming more aware of how the Chinese media is presenting him to its policy makers and general populace.
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What China Thinks of Obama, Part III
Recently, I came across a new site called Far and Wide run by Michael Anti. I translated the following article from the site as part III of the Obama series.
‘New School’ Obama, ‘Old School’ Group of Foreign Policy Advisors
By 刁大明 （Diao Daming)
Far and Wide （纵横周刊）
(http://www.fawjournal.com/archives/2256)
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
“I absolutely will not abide that kind of inflexible thinking, but rather will return to the pragmatic tradition of American foreign policy.” On June 18th, riding the crest of his success, Barack Obama didn’t hold back in his praise while meeting with his newly formed group of foreign policy advisors. “The American tradition of defending and promoting the national interest is exactly what the people in this room have carried forward.” Today, they have been convened as the convoy and escort of the new hope of the Democratic party.
What China Thinks of Obama, Part II
Guessing Obama’s China Policy
By Liu Yawei
http://www.chinaelections.org/NewsInfo.asp?NewsID=128869
Translation By Anton Lee Wishik II
Now is the time for us to start guessing about Obama’s China policy. This presidential candidate of half-African lineage, on June 3rd, successfully wrapped up the Democratic primaries. This means he will become the first black presidential candidate in American history. Up to this point in Obama’s career, he still lacks foreign policy experience, and it is difficult to determine his probable China policy based on his work in public policy. The best available method for making an educated guess is to begin by looking at his background, worldview, relevant statements, character, understanding of the international system, and operating standards.
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What China Thinks of Obama, Part I
In honor of my plan to attend a policy discussion in Shanghai with two of Barack Obama’s foreign policy advisors, I plan to post a series of translations of essays which evaluate the possibility of an Obama administration through Chinese eyes (in the end, the aforementioned meeting was canceled at the last minute). This is the first in the series.
A First Analysis of Obama’s China Policy
By Li Zhengxin
China Times
http://www.chinatimes.cc/shendu/HXLL/2008-05-31/20080531200716.html
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
More and more signs indicate that in November’s general election, American voters may use their sacred ballots to elect the first black president in American history, young Barack Hussein Obama. Thus, should Obama enter the White House, which special features he will include in his policy towards China will increasingly be the concern of the Chinese (and even American) populace.
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Translation: Article on Security from 学习时报 (Study Times)
A Dynamic Military Defense Strategy for a New Age
By Chen Zhou
Study Times （学习时报）Volume 427
Translated by Anton Lee Wishik II
Today, the world is in the midst of a large transformation and restructuring though peace and development are still the main issues of the times. The circumstances of international security have generally been kept stable, but indeterminate causes of instability are increasing. New challenges and new threats are continuously appearing. Traditional and non-traditional security issues have become intertwined. Security threats are increasingly synthesized, diversified, and complex.
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