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take center
When in China, what you see
is not what
a I want to see all Chinese
people. >9
It came out that way, but we
didn’t realize it. My friend was
the only one of us who spoke
Chinese, and that with some
difficulty.
The crowd of emotionless
faces surrounding us erupted
into laughter.
The seven of us backpackers
just looked at each other, mildly
smiling, trying not to look put
off.
We simply wanted to know
where the ethnic minorities
were: the ones Chinese but not
of Han ethnicity, which makes
up more than 90 percent of the
Chinese people.
A bent-over elderly woman
grinned, showing a few bare
teeth. She muttered something
to my friend, and after a
minute’s time, he laughed.
“Um, I just told her I want
to see all Chinese people.”
Understanding the outburst, we
joined the crowd in laughter.
All Chinese people, as in
each and every one. That’d be
like coming to the U.S. and
telling someone ... no, wait,
there is no comparison.
There are about 1.3 billion
people In China. That’s nearly
20 percent of the world’s popu¬
lation.
With the Olympics starting
today, all eyes are on China.
Since the last time I was
there, in 2005, the country has
done much to beef up its image,
from what I’ve read.
Rightfully so. As a world
power with increasing influ¬
ence, China’s top officials have
worked hard to craft a version
of their country they want the
world to see.
But what you see isn’t
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are a few:
• Human rights. According
to Amnesty International, every
year China puts to death more
people than all other countries
combined.
Sure, they’re the most pop¬
ulous,” you may say. Well, no
one in the U.S. is sentenced to
death for corruption charges.
• Religious freedom.
Despite what Chinese officials
say, it doesn’t exist. Name the
religion, and you’ll likely find
some sort of suppression, from
harassment to imprisonment to
worse.
• Freedom of the press.
Laughable. It doesn’t exist, and
in fact, can’t in a communist
country.
Which, if anyone’s wonder¬
ing, China still is. About 5 per¬
cent of the population, the
Communist Party of China,
rales everyone else.
And my critical words
wouldn’t see the light of day in
a Chinese newspaper.
Entire books could be writ¬
ten about problems with the
country.
But even then, would that
correctly portray China? No.
China is undoubtedly one of
my favorite places on the plan
et.
Despite the pollution,
despite feeling crammed every-
always what
you get, espe¬
cially when it
conies to
China.
China has
been criti¬
cized by
much of the
West for a
slew of
issues. Here
where you go, despite the sup¬
pression of freedoms we take
for granted so often in America,
there is something magical
about the place.
It’s huge. From ice-capped
mountains to the world’s largest
desert, China boasts landscapes
you would have to see to
believe.
In a region where I taught
English, rivers run through
mountains that come straight
out of and back down to the
ground, like a snake moving
through water.
And the people are a sight to
see.
In China, there’s a complete
contrast to the individuality
driven society of the U.S. It’s as
if sometimes the country is just
one person, not 1.3 billion peo
pie.
Do they all think alike? No,
but they see more in working
together toward one common
goal than any group of people
I’ve met.
With our country becoming
increasingly divided between
two political parties, and seem¬
ingly only two ways of doing
things, we could relearn a thing
or two about coming together
for the common good, as the
Greatest Generation did during
World War II.
The food is out of this
world. Every city, every region
has its own specialty dishes, and
they are infinitely more com¬
plex than any Chinese buffet in
the U.S. The real stuff is the real
deal.
In two trips to China, I have
more pleasant memories than a
journal could hold. I’ve eaten
with the people, traveled with
the people, talked with the peo¬
ple, laughed with the people.
T ■v m * 9 *—
In what little I understand
about their culture, I understand
how little I really know.
So my hat’s off to journalists
; .....a ii t
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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS — Friday, August 8,2008
covering the Olympic Games. I
hope they get to experience the
real China — both the bad and
the good.
PAGE 3A
A Chinese sol¬
dier stands at
attention
Tuesday, Aug. 5,
in front of the
National
Stadium, called
the Bird's Nest,
which tonight
will host the
opening cere¬
mony of the the
XXIX Olympiad
in Beijing,
China.
Photo courtesy MCT
Joe Miller is a copy editor
at the Forsyth County News. He
can be reached at copy
desk@forsythnews.com