Beijing Different Perspectives Newsletter May 21, 2008

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Dear Patrons

Welcome to our news letter. The Staff at Different Perspectives aim to bring a clearer picture of current events effecting China and Asia.

Although we believe the international media driven primarily by western worlds interests, is bringing the public events as they happen, we at Different Perspectives are independent and non biased without an agenda for prestige or monetary profit.

We simply feel the western world may be somewhat isolated from news that is local to our office here in Beijing, China.

Thank you
Different Perspectives Staff
Edward
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China: More than 35,000 Red Cross volunteers supporting earthquake disaster response
19 May 2008 16:49:00 GMT
Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland

More than 35,000 Chinese Red Cross staff and volunteers and 87 rescue and medical teams have been distributing tents, food, water, clothes and medicine around the clock to survivors in the earthquake-affected areas. They have also been heavily involved in the rescue and treatment of the injured and those pulled out alive.

The most earthquake-affected province is Sichuan, however the earthquake also affected seven other provinces and municipalities - Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and Hubei provinces. Relief items are being transported to affected areas, but the road conditions in many places are still difficult to navigate due to frequent aftershocks.
Actually the reason these area's are difficult to access is it very mountainous, and many mountain roads
have had landslides. Most of the earthquake hit area is mountainous, similar to any mountain in the US; The White Mountains or the Rockies. Remember this area is less than 1000 miles from the Himalayan Mountain Range. So picture the damage if a place like Franconia Notch or Vail/Aspen had a 8.0 earthquake.
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Vilification turns to sympathy for China after quake

14 May 2008 09:32:49 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Benjamin Kang Lim

BEIJING, May 14 (Reuters) - After weeks of being vilified for a crackdown on rioting in Tibet, China is suddenly at the receiving end of international sympathy and goodwill as it grapples with the aftermath of Monday's deadly earthquake. "China is the victim. It'll be politically incorrect ?to criticise China (now)," said Lin Chong-Pin, a veteran China watcher and president of the Foundation on International and Cross-Strait Studies, Taiwan think-tank.

For China, 2008 was supposed to mark its emergence as a world power, with the Beijing-hosted Olympic Games in August being the jewel in the nation's development crown. But a crackdown on Tibetan protests, natural disasters and scandals over shoddily made exports (If you recall Mattel's CEO took full responsibility for the poor quality control on Mattel products made in China, as they should have)over the last year have instead highlighted the problems that the Communist Party faces governing a vast country of over 1.3 billion people.

The suppression of protests by Tibetans in March was seen as a major public relations disaster for the government. The global relay of the torch that will light the Olympic flame in August was supposed to make China proud, but instead the parade was dogged in city after city by protests over its Tibet policy.

As a resident of Beijing it is my observation that the Chinese Government and the people of China are as proud now about how there Government is run and how they live as they ever were, regardless of the western media's suggestion that they need to "save face" in the wake of the controversy with the Chinese province of Tibet and the terrible earthquake tragedy. The western media's relentless criticism of China is apparently doing little to bother anyone here. The Government or the Chinese people. (Italics text from Different Perspectives).

Western governments in particular were vocal in their criticism of Beijing, prompting outrage among ordinary Chinese and even boycotts or protests at businesses with foreign interests across the country.

"We don't understand, We just want to be left alone", said my mandarin teacher xiang yi feng.

But since Monday's quake, condolences and offers of aid have poured in from the United States, Japan and Europe, changing sentiment on both sides. "It's an opportunity to ease Chinese aversion for Western countries," said Niu Jun, a professor of international relations at Peking University ( which islocated in Beijing, China).

The government has also been quick to seize opportunity from crisis. Similar to the 911 tragedy when when the US had 24 hour coverage on most TV channels ....remember that? with state television showing thousands of rescue workers, soldiers and countless citizens pulling survivors from collapsed buildings and bringing aid to the injured and bereaved.

Unlike in previous disasters, China appears to have come clean on the scale of the Sichuan earthquake, admitting that the final death toll is likely to be in the tens of thousands. China's earthquakes casualty statisticshave been public information from shortly after the incidents for many years now.

Add to that the ubiquitous image of Premier Wen Jiabao comforting victims and spurring on rescuers, and the Chinese government can probably be confident of winning hearts and minds even though millions are right now feeling the pinch of inflation near a 12-year high. (Premier Wen has visited the disaster area at least 2 times in the last week, can this type of western reporting be any more cruel? Inflation and economic hardships strike all counties at one time or another as the west well knows.

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