Comments on: Snapshots of a China in flux http://blogs.reuters.com/china/2009/02/12/snapshots-of-a-china-in-flux/ Giant on the move Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:43:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: john http://blogs.reuters.com/china/2009/02/12/snapshots-of-a-china-in-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-4282 john Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:53:21 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/china/?p=1050#comment-4282 The process of a foreigner describing a big country like China (or India or Russia) is like the legendary blind men describing the elephant. China is a country with 56 different minorities - each with different culture, history, language and point of view. The people in the North, South, East & Western part of China are very different from one another in terms of the culture, language and standard of living. China has only been a modern nation since the time of Deng Xiao Ping in the 1970s when he expounded the tenets of modernisation for China and opened up the country to the West. Even for foreigners who lived for a while in China and speak Mandarin - they too are confounded by Chinese history, culture and diversity - just like the legendary Blind Men. If you ask any foreigner to describe China - each will have a different story or perspective depending on who, where, what, when and how. It will be good to get different perspective from readers who has lived and worked in China and is fluent with Mandarin and Returning Chinese from overseas - who is fluent in English and can provide a different perspective to Westerner about their homeland. The process of a foreigner describing a big country like China (or India or Russia) is like the legendary blind men describing the elephant. China is a country with 56 different minorities – each with different culture, history, language and point of view. The people in the North, South, East & Western part of China are very different from one another in terms of the culture, language and standard of living. China has only been a modern nation since the time of Deng Xiao Ping in the 1970s when he expounded the tenets of modernisation for China and opened up the country to the West.

Even for foreigners who lived for a while in China and speak Mandarin – they too are confounded by Chinese history, culture and diversity – just like the legendary Blind Men. If you ask any foreigner to describe China – each will have a different story or perspective depending on who, where, what, when and how.

It will be good to get different perspective from readers who has lived and worked in China and is fluent with Mandarin and Returning Chinese from overseas – who is fluent in English and can provide a different perspective to Westerner about their homeland.

]]> By: Zhaoeu http://blogs.reuters.com/china/2009/02/12/snapshots-of-a-china-in-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-4280 Zhaoeu Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:38:43 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/china/?p=1050#comment-4280 When it comes to reporting on China by main stream western media, "balance, fairness and objectivity" is definitely hard to come by, especially on the issues like Tibet and human rights. Western media, even with their expats living in China, some for years and years, seem to be severely handicapped in their understanding of the issues. However, the comments sections for the blog, assuming you really allow different points of view, can provide some needed balance. When it comes to reporting on China by main stream western media, “balance, fairness and objectivity” is definitely hard to come by, especially on the issues like Tibet and human rights. Western media, even with their expats living in China, some for years and years, seem to be severely handicapped in their understanding of the issues. However, the comments sections for the blog, assuming you really allow different points of view, can provide some needed balance.

]]>