Monday, June 22, 2015

Chinese Side of Story, Told in Silences

It seems that the Chinese people live in a bubble that is completely different from American people's bubble.  Here are my thoughts about 2 recent events:

1.   World's animal lovers are understandably outraged by the Yulin Dog Meat Event.  Note however, this "tradition" was a recent addition and its introduction coincided with Mongolian invasion/occupation, when the Chinese culture was nearly massacred and starved into stone age.   Yulin itself is a minority self-government area, for it to represent Chinese people's tradition is like saying:  America starts and ends with Baltimore riots.  Chinese animal lovers increasingly are standing behind their pets and wild animals.  Witness the recent burning of illegal Ivory stash by the Chinese government.  The Chinese people once decide against something clearly cruel , tend to go all way against it.  I talk with my Chinese friends, and the overwhelming majority support a vigorous ban on such cruel "traditions", much like the notorious dolphin hunts by Japanese ships.

Yet, mainstream media never mentions all this background.

2.  A couple weeks ago, US government computer hacking by China dominated the headline with sinister names of "Deep Panda" (by security company, say A).  The latest news is security company B, says: no no, This is not done by Deep Panda.  It's actually done by another player.

Truth is: nobody knows.    Whoever tells you: "we know it's China hacking", he's lying.  The security experts could pretend, but not know for sure.

A couple of days ago, a critical vulnerability "Xara" rocked the Apple world.  Guess who found it?  Someone at Peking University, China working in a team with Americans.   Yet China is left out of all the headlines but buried in text(if mentioned at all).

Why?   Chinese culture tends to be self-deprecating and humble and quiet, encouraging "pregnant pauses" and listening to "silences".   Pregnant pauses are well and good, but the long silences are interpreted universally as "admission of guilt".   Chinese culture of insensitivity and long silences gives its enemies (who wish it to Jericho, if I'm allowed to mix this metaphor) the excuse to demonize China and all things Chinese.   Chinese Americans need to go out and tell their side of the story.



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