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Since the Chinese government’s recent self-appointment as the world’s guardians of journalistic integrity, symbolised by its ludicrously overstated (not to mention hypocritical) ‘western bias’ narrative, there has been a great sense of national unity among Chinese people both at home and abroad.

This was made possible by tapping into that deepest of institutionalised Chinese psychoses, the one that presents Chinese people as history’s victim, pitching them in a battle against the rest of the world. The dangers of arousing such feelings have been evident in the outpourings of nationalistic fervour that have led to anti-western campaigns against media, businesses, governments, and human rights protesters.

These are unworthy, unjustified, negative, volatile, and ultimately wasteful forms of national unity. They also have the additional disadvantage of invoking widespread antagonism and criticism from the international community.

Last Monday afternoon, at about 2:30, Mother Nature gave humanity another reminder of the fragility of life. There’s nothing good about the suffering inflicted by natural disasters on this scale, but through adversity we witness examples of selfless acts, courage, and a togetherness too often lacking in our disaster-free interludes: the worst side of Mother Earth produces the best side of human nature. Thus, the last four agonising days have witnessed a universal bonding of blood, sweat, and tears to bring relief to the victims of Monday’s earthquake.

These are the worthy, justified, positive, compassionate, and rewarding forms of national unity. They also have the additional merit of invoking unequivocal sympathy and support from the international community.

Media coverage of the quake’s aftermath hasn’t been pulling any punches, drawing global praise for its openness. Widespread admiration has also been expressed for the speed of the official response to the tragedy and the deployment of manpower to the worst affected regions. If only Burma could have (or would) respond with the same urgency and sense of moral responsibility, thousands of lives could have been saved and the suffering of countless others alleviated.    

From the towns close to the epicentre have come pictures and videos of seismic destruction and loss of life. Scenes of parents calling for children buried beneath the rubble of collapsed schools are moving beyond words, as are the all too infrequent – and diminishing – survival stories.

In the midst of this maelstrom of emotions, prime minister Wen Jiabao has been a constant source of reassurance. He was in Sichuan Province within hours of the quake, letting survivors know that help was on the way and further enhancing his reputation as a man of the people. His concern has been palpable and utterly sincere, reminding me that he was alongside Zhao Ziyang in I989 appealing to the demonstrators.  

On a side note, which is where it belongs, the torch relay has been toned down as the Olympic juggernaut has been put firmly in its place by something of incalculably greater importance.

With details of the death toll and devastation caused by Monday’s quake still emerging, I would point readers the way of Richard Spencer, who is on his way to Sichuan.

In the meantime, sympathy to the victims of this disaster and praise to the Chinese media for the speed and openness of their reporting from the affected region.

Update

This blogger was in his 26th floor Mianyang apartment when the quake struck. He’s been back up there against orders a few times to report on the situation as news filters in from neighbouring towns.

It’s tiresome to be accused of ‘China bashing’ at the slightest deviation from genuflection towards, or superlative-laden compliments about, the Motherland. Still, lest there be any doubt concerning my affection for both the country and its people, here are ten things, in no particular order, that I love about living in China: 

1. The abundance, despite over a billion mouths to feed, of an amazing array of fresh, cheap fruit and vegetables.

2. The overwhelming hospitality of students, friends, and colleagues and the undying enthusiasm with which they insist I should eat more.

3. The ubiquitous scene of cyclists giving a lift to friends sitting on the saddle rack. In this regard, given that boys are usually expected to do the pedalling, small partners and friends are a bonus.

4. The staggering variety of inexpensive food available from street vendors. It’s an experience just to watch them prepare their offerings.  

5. The sheer scale and rate of development that is happening at every turn in the cities, and the contrasting lifestyles of those living in the countryside. Of course, I don’t ‘love’ the fact that hundreds of millions are still waiting for their slice of modern, prosperous China; but the contrast that a short bike ride can present to you is fascinating. 

6. The traffic. Again, I don’t ‘love’ the shocking casualty figures on the Chinese highway, but you have to be enthralled by the culturally distinct way that Chinese motorists, bus drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians conduct themselves on (and off) the road. The novice observer would be forgiven for frequent wincing at the number of near misses, and for describing the scene using the language of chaos. Once acclimatised, however, it really is compulsive viewing.

7. The incredible number of temples, monuments, ancient sites, and stunning natural beauty that can be found in a huge country with a long, long history.

8. The faces of young children, especially outside the big city, and their innocent curiosity at discovering that foreigners really do exist. Naturally, a few run screaming in panic to their mothers, who have no doubt told their offspring not to get too close in case the laowai bites them.

9. The strong exercise ethic that is evident each morning and evening everywhere in China. Young and old alike flood to the parks, playgrounds, and subways to dance, jog, stretch, practise tai chi, or engage in any number of other traditional activities and games. Many older residents subscribe to the health benefits of walking backwards; for the young and agile, basketball never stops. 

10. The opportunity to work in an extraordinary and diverse country during a period when China is redefining its role in the world.

There are many more reasons why living and working in China continues to be a rewarding experience for me; these are just a few items off the top of my head.  

Updated (9/5/2008) to provide this CDT story of the ongoing ’ship of shame’ saga. Apparantly it’s still patrolling African waters looking for a place to offload its deadly cargo. Disgraceful.

An important recent event slipped largely under the radar in the China blogosphere as attention continued to focus on the troubled torch and Tibet tantrums. It seems that these two old pals were trying to do a deal. Here’s a snippet:

The boycott of a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe has cast new light on the connections between the African country’s president, Robert Mugabe, and a secretive Chinese arms-trading firm with a controversial track record from the Congo to Darfur.

Recent comments on this blog have, predictably, pointed the finger at western imperialism and the slave trade, emphasizing the perception in China that their country would never engage in such immoral dealings or interfere in the politics of another country. Really?

It would have been wonderful to see a condemnation and removal of the high ranking officials lining their pockets at the expense of African lives; I guess their connections to the party elite are a little too strong:

Major General He Ping, the company’s chairman, is the son-in-law of Deng Xiaoping, the former Chinese leader; its president, Wang Jun, is the son of a vice-president and a Deng ally. Its upper ranks are stuffed with military veterans and their offspring, who have greatly enriched themselves with arms sales to some of Africa’s bloodiest trouble spots.

Read the entire report here.

What sort of strategy, I wonder, lies behind the intended sale of this particular arms shipment to a man devoid of any good intentions? Maybe these two guys can tell us:

This is how insensitivity and short-sighted ignorance can make a mountain out of a molehill. In response to the torch protests in Paris and the boss of Carrefour holding a different view of the Dalai Lama than the Motherland, Chinese anger has led to the French tricolour being adorned with swastikas.

As commenters at Zhongnanhai and Peking Duck point out, it is not hard to imagine China’s response to their flag being covered with the symbol of their WW2 occupiers.

I’m neither French nor Chinese, but this action is far more worthy of an apology than the disruptions of a few protesters in Paris. I suspect France will be waiting for a long time.

Last week one of my former students from Luoyang wrote to me expressing concern for my safety. What was the nature of her concern you ask? Bird flu outbreak? Contaminated water? Rising pork prices? None of these. No, the source of her worry was that pesky bit of turf across the Taiwan Strait, and their outgoing president’s push for a referendum on whether or not the island should seek UN membership under the name Taiwan rather than its formal name of the Republic of China.

I’ll leave CNN to fill you in on the background and details, not to mention Beijing’s predictable threat to make Taiwan “pay a dear price” for any move perceived as pro-independence.

Gripping stuff, indeed. And of course the Party elite whip up the rhetoric and the feelings of the people at such times like turning on a tap. The result is to put the population on heightened alert for imminent war, with many expressing a desire for a missile launch to teach their disobedient neighbours a lesson.

My former student’s worry was that Taiwanese hooligans were about to storm the beach at Xiamen, break a few deck chairs, and demand ice cream at discounted prices. I reassured her that the Chinese government was ‘all talk’ on the possibility of invading Taiwan in the run-up to the Olympics.

If China were to scratch their military itch between now and August, the opening ceremony in Beijing will look like this: Burma, China, North Korea, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and possibly Venezuela. After the Games I suspect Beijing’s urge to flex their military muscle might prove irresistible. If it comes to that I’m sure all foreigners will be rounded up and secured in five-star accommodation. So, nothing to worry about.

“T1bet, T1bet.” There! I said it. And so, more infamously, did Bjork during the performance of her song Declare Independence at a concert in Shanghai last week. I’ve been waiting for the dust to settle before writing anything on the subject, being of the opinion that there really shouldn’t have been any dust at all. If you think your sensitivities can withstand the offence, you can listen to this grave insult here .

The rather stereotypical online outrage contrasted nicely with the silence of the Chinese media, leaving it to the western press and some of the more intelligent Sino-bloggers to discuss the issue with a modicum of objectivity and common sense. Danwei’s blog on the issue drew many interesting comments and a few stupid ones.

Needless to say the dust was created by the predictable foot-stamping and petulance from Beijing. Was there really any need for an official response to this tiny piece of artistic anarchy? Bono used to call The White House to diss the president during concerts; Bjork cries T1bet. So what? Surely there was no need for condemnation and reprisals.

Alas, the Ministry of Culture (acting under orders, no doubt) showed us the way of the tantrum by promising to tighten controls on future visitors’ artistic expression. Although China’s official media didn’t mention Bjork’s performance, this broadside appeared in the state mouthpiece China Daily. Here’s a snippet:

The Dalai Lama has never stopped plotting to separate T1bet from China since he betrayed the country, Zhang, secretary of the T1bet Autonomous Region Committee of the Communist Party of China, said on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People’s Congress, the top legislature.

“I have never heard that the Dalai Lama has refrained from wanting to split T1bet from China … We will never tolerate those who are set on such activities”

So now it seems that Bjork has been identified as an agent acting on behalf of that epitome of cosmic evil, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And Secretary Zhang appears very comfortable using the word T1bet without fear of trampling on the sensibilities of 1.3 billion people. Yes, alright, there’s the context surrounding Bjork’s utterance to consider - and she’s a foreigner - but for pity’s sake; will China’s top brass please grow up!

In the spirit of maturity, might I also suggest that Beijing seriously reconsiders using the phrase hurt the feelings of the Chinese people whenever a foreigner expresses an opinion that differs from the party line. Sure, it once provided light entertainment on quiet afternoons in the office, but this pathetic line of text has a fun curve that leveled off two decades ago. More importantly, perhaps, it’s simply not true.

Let’s take a trek into the foothills on the outskirts of Lhasa and ask those living there if their feelings have been hurt by this shameful outburst. Then let’s pop over to Urumqi and interview the locals about how terribly upset they must be with Bjork. Finally, choose any province at random, ride out into the sticks and ask the villagers and farmers how they can live with the pain and anguish caused by Icelandic insensitivity.

It’s testament to Chinese stoicism that anyone in the Middle Kingdom has been able to complete a day’s work since Bjork’s shocking verbal insult. A nation convalesces. If I had any of her albums I’d burn them in the name of solidarity. I’m beginning to get upset just thinking about it. Really, my feelings are hurt. Life will never be the same again.

As for T1betan independence, only the dreamers and those under the influence of mind altering substances can visualize that as a reality. I’m not sure whether or not His Holiness draws on a spliff in the evening, but I’m certain he’s smart enough to know that T1bet is firmly in Beijing’s grip, whether the T1betans (or anyone else) likes it or not. This is why he has himself acknowledged as much and sought dialogue with Beijing over the degree of autonomy that T1bet should enjoy as part of China.

Sadly, I can’t see a homecoming for the great man being allowed anytime soon. The fiercely jealous CCP couldn’t tolerate the outpouring of love, respect, and attention that would be waiting for His Holiness when he touched T1betan soil for the first time in half a century. For the same reason, any citizen caught displaying an image of this Noble Peace Prize winner in T1bet can be certain of suffering punitive consequences.

The solution? Adorn your monastery walls, your prayer flags, and your living room tables with images of the Dalai Lama’s singing disciple. After all, who in their right mind could possibly take offence at Bjork?

Update

Hundreds of monks have taken part in demonstrations to commemorate the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Chinese occupation. There were some clashes with police and many arrests. Read more here. Where was Bjork when they needed her?

I’ve come across the name Lei Feng before. Was it a name uttered in admiration by past students? Or is he a famous character recalled from one of many dips into the enthralling, and often calamitous, cyber-pool of modern Chinese history?  Either way, the lamented and celebrated Lei Feng has re-entered my conscious thought following today’s post by Jeremiah at the Granite Studio :

On this date in 1963, Mao Zedong launched the ”Learn from Lei Feng” campaign. The most important thing I’ve learned from Lei Feng is to look out for falling telephone poles, but maybe I’m not the target audience. Anyway, in case you missed it, Lei Feng was a young soldier in the PLA whose selfless devotion to his brother troops, to the people, and especially to Mao Zedong and his country made him a role model for young Chinese.

I thoroughly recommend the rest of this article and a visit to Jeremiah’s site, which is testament to the fact that you don’t have to be Chinese to be an authority on Chinese history. In addition, I suspect that readers will get a more balanced view of events and personalities than those presented in the Chinese classroom.

It’s a sobering thought to realise that the propaganda posters (like the one above) are as old as I am. You can see more by following the link to the original article, or by going here.

Frankly, I think I’ve stood the test of time better than the posters, although I have to accept that they’ll still be around long after I’ve shuffled off my mortal coil. Unless, that is, Hu Jintao decides to launch a “Learn from Stu” campaign. Suggested poster designs welcome.

I’m going to ask some students this afternoon for their thoughts on this important anniversary. Will they remember?