Wednesday, April 16, 2008

More Backlash

In an editorial from China Daily today (read the comments too), the government and people are upset about an outburst from Jack Cafferty on CNN. I am not defending what he said--I honestly believe his remarks were stupid. I also have never watched him (I don't particularly like watching 24-hour news channels). But the response from China is a bit over the top.

CNN has been at the center of the "Western media bias" controversy--they are the scapegoat because they're the big, bad American news organization even though plenty of other news outlets around the world have written/said similar things. CNN is also not easily accessible in China--it is only available through satellite providers (a rarity) and in government-approved hotels via its Asia feed.

One of the points that China is upset about is that Cafferty called Chinese products "junk". I'd like to point out that many Chinese think that the products they buy in China are junk. I'd like to point out that my apartment complex is "junk," and many residents here agree. I will also say that there are some products in China that are not junk--I've bought some decent things here (my travel mug, mp3 player, and air purifier are all Chinese brands).

If China wants to improve its image, maybe it should start acting in a more diplomatic manner. Take the high road. Stop whining that everyone is against you.

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