Communist China and the western media have been heading for a collision ever since the IOC’s daily press briefings began six days ago and unpleasant questions began to be asked about human rights, press freedoms, empty seats, armored personnel carriers parked outside the Main Press Centre, and assorted trickery and deception during the opening ceremonies.
On Thursday, they collided. East vs. West. Bang.
It began under the persistent questioning of Giselle Davies, director of communications of the IOC, who was repeatedly asked whether the IOC was embarrassed to be in Beijing considering the number of promises concerning press freedoms and human rights the organizers have broken since being awarded the Games seven years ago.
It ended with Wang Wei, chief spokesman for the Beijing Games and secretary general of Beijing 2008 bid committee, making an impassioned defence of the reforms China has made and will make because the Games are being staged here. The collision was inevitable. The world’s media has been itching for a fight every day during the briefings. The two sides are deeply suspicious and mistrustful of each other.
You have to wonder if China fully realized what it was getting into when it agreed to let 20,000 journalists in to cover the Games, considering what only a handful can do to the life of a NHL general manager in Canada.
For example, questioners in recent days have asked why no protests have yet been allowed so far in the three parks set aside for protests; why was a British journalist detained during an incident in downtown Beijing even though he was accredited; why hasn’t a Radio Free Asis correspondent of Tibetan descent been given accreditation for the Games; why was an armoured personnel carrier parked outside the Main Press Centre; why wasn’t the public told that certain elements of the opening ceremonies were faked; why hasn’t any information been provided about the dancer who was seriously injured during a rehearsal for the opening ceremonies; why are the stands empty when all the tickets were supposed to be sold.
It hasn’t made life easy for Wang and the Beijing organizers.
The Chinese have gone to enormous expense and trouble to stage a Summer Games that is unlikely to be equaled, in terms of venues and organization.
Yet, all they’re getting is criticism, which they had to be aware they would get in spades.
It will only get worse on Friday, because the Chinese can’t help shooting themselves in the feet.
Usually, the full transcript of the daily briefing is available on the publicly accessible Beijing Olympics site within hours.
On Thursday, six hours after the briefing ended, only half of the transcript – the one without the rancorous exchange over China’s broken promises – was available.
Highlights of it were available on the Games’ Info 2008 site, but that site is only available to journalists within the press centre and venues.
The Chinese version was also different from the English one and some of the questions were missing.
The trouble on Thursday started when Davies was asked whether the IOC was embarrassed because China hasn’t lived up to its pledges of media freedom and transparency during the Olympics.
Specific complaints in recent days have been over complete Internet access and the inability or unwillingness of officials to reveal how many requests have been made to stage protests and how many have been rejected.
Davies initially offered a roundabout response.
“There was certainly some hope and aspirations made in 2001 to have the Games have a positive impact on the wider social framework and I think we have to note that there have been enormous steps forward in numbers of areas,” she said.
“You’re here to report on the Games. The world is watching, and there will be commentaries made appraising how the Games have had an impact to bring sports, athletes and the world’s attention.
“We are very proud of the fact that these Games are progressing with spectacular sports, spectacular sports venues, operationally running smoothly, and that’s what we’re here for.”
Her questioner, a TV reporter from Great Britain, wasn’t buying the answer and wouldn’t let go, but that’s all he was going to get from her.
“We’re very pleased with how the organizers are putting on a good sports event,” she said.
“That’s what this is. This is an event first and foremost for the athlete and the athletes are giving extremely positive feedback about how they see these Games being held.”
Davies continued to be harangued by her questioner, but Sun Weide, chair of the briefing, seized control of the floor and tried to move on to the next questioner.
Before that could happen, though, the Rutgers-educated Wang, who began his professional career as an English teacher, signaled he wanted to speak.
His message was that for the last 30 years China has been making reforms step-by-step, but it was naive to think that one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with a history of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia, could or would make all the remaining changes in the three-week period of the Olympics.
“I was secretary general of the bidding committee,” said Wang.
“I was confronted with many questions about the opening up and the reform of China, and I did say that the Olympic Games coming to China would help China open up and reform better. And the effects show.
“After 30 years of reform, China is developing quickly. People enjoy more freedom and they have a lot to say and the welfare of people has improved a lot.
“Everybody can see that. The Olympic Games are a great platform. Everybody I see who comes to China for the first time will say to me, ‘China is so different,’ from what they read, what they saw in films, and in newspapers. “People are so friendly. People are living a good life. Everybody is happy. People are optimistic about their future.”
He noted that there are of course exceptions. Not everyone is doing better and some people have been disenfranchised. But it’s important to handle those grievances through the legal process because the country can’t be allowed to fall into “chaos.”
China welcomes the world, he said, and China also welcomes suggestions and constructive criticism.
It’s irritating, he suggested, that some journalists have come only to “peek and be critical, to dig into details and find fault with that.”
But finding flaws, he said, doesn’t mean that China is not trying to fulfill its promises.
“I did not say that China would promise to do whatever with the Games in China,” he said.
“I did not say that.
“But I said that the Games will open up the horizon about China.
“People will see better for themselves what China is like.
“You cannot underestimate the wisdom of the Chinese people.
“If you want to come over here and you want to be critical, it’s alright.
“But you have to believe the majority of the people, otherwise I think you are quite misled.”
from: canada.com
August 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
“But you have to believe the majority of the people, otherwise I think you are quite misled.”