Nimen hao,...that is Hello to all from the new year in Beijing.
It is snowing outside our building, and I became keen to share it all with you. More on that later, as the infra-red not working to synch the photos yet,...maybe it is too cold!
The Tsunami and East-West relations and understanding for future peace.
I have recieved some updates from friends in Asia regarding the Tsunami. This morning a Pojamas from Vietnam from our Japan Airlines Scholarship programme in 1997 emailed our JAL group to say she is safe and well. She had just left Phuket before the Tsunami hit. Another Aiesec friend Saki was in Phuket.
http://saki.nomadlife.org Scroll down to read her account.
Here in Beijing we seem so removed from flooded villages. Apart from headlines on every newspaper, and an email yesterday from our company's corporate headquarters about matching employee contributions to smaller NGO's, everybody is just getting on with work and not talking about the disaster. Comments from the China press have been interesting though. There was an article in the China Daily , "Tsunami: Who really cares?"
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/30/content_404679.htm
implying that the west does not really care about its asian neighbours, even in these times of crisis. Although written before the US increased its aid, it is still interesting. I think it is important for our mutual future peace and sustainble development together that we understand that these attitudes exist. The China Daily is the official mouthpiece of the Chinese government, and its articles are representative of at least some of a population of 1.4 billion, i.e., probably more people than most large European countries.
Another article though, interestingly discussed China's actual participation (possibly dated now?), as viewed from the US perspective: China fails the tsunami test. Big power ambitions, bit player when the chips are down
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6785287/
But the PR in China on China's contribution continues,....these pictures of Chinese doctors providing aid
http://english.people.com.cn//200501/05/eng20050105_169688.html are quite representative of what is on the news in China right now, and national pride is stimulated through articles such as these: "China's additional 500 million yuan humanitarian aid to tsunami victims shows image of a big country"
http://english.people.com.cn//200501/05/eng20050105_169687.html
My point is, that regardless of the reality, and how you choose to view the contributions of what is still in many quarters classed as a 'developing country', or at a minimum, is a country recognized as having more than 400million peasants, I believe it is very important to us in the West to understand the attitude of Chinese people to these large international events. I believe this understanding of each others points of view (and many of them read our media), may be crucial to our future peace and sustainable development together.
On a lighter note, Chinese New Year is not until February 8th, but to celebrate the Western New Year and Year of the Rooster we all recieved a flourescent green Rooster in our office which makes an incredibly realistic rooster wake up call! (Will try to put up a pic later). Just trying to make sure all the workers are awake after too many year end festivities?.... ;-)
Signing off from Beijing for now.
Kate Larsen
