Cable Forum - View Single Post - China- Propoganda, Censorship and the "Thought Police"

Chris W · 17-08-2005, 11:15

I've just got back from a fortnight in China visiting my best mate who now lives and works in Jinan (Shandong Province). I could bore everyone with holiday stories but there is one thing that has shocked me more than everything else, and that is the lack of Freedom of Speech.

My first encounter with censorship was an attempt to access the bbc website- homepage loads up fine, but every link gives Page Cannot Be Displayed as you try to delve into the site. I thought this could just be a proxy/ temporary problem so decided to do some further digging....

Sky News, Google News (excpet Google China), CNN, Reuters, The Times, The Telegraph... all give the same results. It appears someone in China does not want people to hear the news except the way the Chinese Government want it told!

Now my next shock came when I met a student of Rick's [my best mate]. We went out for the day and during the course of the day i found out that Eve was the daughter of the Directing Editor of the local communicist propoganda newspaper- rather a powerful position in the city. I later discovered that the lady in question can have people killed and also that while we had been out she had sent someone to follow us to check that we were treating her daughter well. (nothing like a protective parent!) I dread to think what would have happened if we had done something that her mother didn't like....

The final most shocking discovery was made when i was teaching English to University students. We were discussing various issues that normally start heated threads here on CF, and i was suprised to learn that none of the students had an opinion about anything...

The Chinese High School education does not allow students to think... testing is of facts that are given to them and that is it... no discussion, analysis, evaluation, nothing. We discussed the issue of life after death as i was interested to find out if Chinese view's generally different from English views. But not one of the students had their own opinion, all i heard was "I have been taught that xxx happens when you die."
Me: "So what do you think about what happens?"
Student: "I believe what i have been told."
Me: "Do you have doubts about what you have been told?"
Student: "I should not doubt my teacher because he has more experience than me."

Shocked!

It will be interesting to see what happens when the Olympics go to Beijing in 2008, as it won't be possible for the Government to censor the world media, so people outside China may start forming different opinions about the Chinese way of life...

17-08-2005, 11:15	#1
Chris W cf.mega poster Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Reading Age: 42 Services: Virgin Media Broadband Size M Posts: 6,546	China- Propoganda, Censorship and the "Thought Police" I've just got back from a fortnight in China visiting my best mate who now lives and works in Jinan (Shandong Province). I could bore everyone with holiday stories but there is one thing that has shocked me more than everything else, and that is the lack of Freedom of Speech. My first encounter with censorship was an attempt to access the bbc website- homepage loads up fine, but every link gives Page Cannot Be Displayed as you try to delve into the site. I thought this could just be a proxy/ temporary problem so decided to do some further digging.... Sky News, Google News (excpet Google China), CNN, Reuters, The Times, The Telegraph... all give the same results. It appears someone in China does not want people to hear the news except the way the Chinese Government want it told! Now my next shock came when I met a student of Rick's [my best mate]. We went out for the day and during the course of the day i found out that Eve was the daughter of the Directing Editor of the local communicist propoganda newspaper- rather a powerful position in the city. I later discovered that the lady in question can have people killed and also that while we had been out she had sent someone to follow us to check that we were treating her daughter well. (nothing like a protective parent!) I dread to think what would have happened if we had done something that her mother didn't like.... The final most shocking discovery was made when i was teaching English to University students. We were discussing various issues that normally start heated threads here on CF, and i was suprised to learn that none of the students had an opinion about anything... The Chinese High School education does not allow students to think... testing is of facts that are given to them and that is it... no discussion, analysis, evaluation, nothing. We discussed the issue of life after death as i was interested to find out if Chinese view's generally different from English views. But not one of the students had their own opinion, all i heard was "I have been taught that xxx happens when you die." Me: "So what do you think about what happens?" Student: "I believe what i have been told." Me: "Do you have doubts about what you have been told?" Student: "I should not doubt my teacher because he has more experience than me." Shocked! It will be interesting to see what happens when the Olympics go to Beijing in 2008, as it won't be possible for the Government to censor the world media, so people outside China may start forming different opinions about the Chinese way of life...