EDITORIAL: THE GLOBAL TIMES, CHINA

 

Change is more than a few clicks away

For a long time, the Chinese people have been regarded as generally distancing themselves from public issues. But microblogs have seemingly changed this. Having only started last year, microblogs are now where the most heated expressions can be found.

Statistics support this change in attitude. A recent survey conducted by the Global Poll Center found that 71 percent of respondents thought microblogs had enhanced their attention to politics, and 59.3 percent thought their comments about political issues had increased because of them.
Technology certainly facilitates the involvement of the masses in public affairs, but public participation has apparently been simplified into a few clicks, posting a few comments, than expecting a policy to advance as one wishes.

Citizen participation in political affairs has been expanding in China, from holding open hearings before raising the prices of public services to rating mayors in order to improve governance, but never before has public opinion wielded such influential power as through microblogs.

The evolution of microblogs has raised some alarm over the direction of this platform. Instead of rational debate to seek consensus, different opinions can hardly coexist here. Diversified viewpoints are not presented, and issues of public concern almost inevitably lead to polarized verbal spats. Apocryphal information abounds, blurring the boundary between truth and rumor.

Even more worrying is the hasty approval of certain public policies under the seemingly overwhelming weight of online opinion. It is also suspected that opinion on microblogs is easily subject to manipulation.

This is far from the ideal forum of public debate that people had imagined. Zhang Yiwu, a renowned commentator, complained that the chaotic situation of microblogs today has made people really doubt that it is heading toward becoming the promised platform it could be.

Participation in political issues involves both individual rights and responsibilities, which need to be weighed in real life. Change will not happen through just a few clicks. Objectively, there needs to be an institutional build-up to help the public become better involved in everyday politics.

Shenzhen - a forbidding city not a good host

The 26th Universiade Games will be held in Shenzhen soon. Currently, about 80,000 people deemed to be a "high risk" have left Shenzhen. We understand that Shenzhen is facing high security pressure, but we differ on their interpretation of it.

According to the Shenzhen police, "high-risk groups" mainly refers to those non-residents who are not holding a proper job and who may have tendency to commit a crime. But which city has no such people? The Universiade Games need a safe environment, but is it necessary to be so radical?

For a long time, we have been used to "cleaning up" cities before large-scale activities. Many street vendors are banned and certain non-residents are "removed." Unsightly sites are even covered up. However, our efforts are often accused of being in "violation of human rights" by Western media. Why cannot we be more natural when we welcome foreign guests?

As one of China's most beautiful cities, Shenzhen is a microcosm of China's economic rise. Although it still has problems, it is the real Shenzhen, in which Shenzhen people live every day. Thus, it should be positive to present the original Shenzhen to the world.

Why does Shenzhen wish to clean itself up so much? Foreigners will not care while those who are affected will complain stridently. The key point is that it would not be the real Shenzhen and a sports event does not warrant such a "tidy" city. 

We do not need to be so careful: although no trouble is sought, it is usually of little impact. A bomb went off during the Atlanta Olympic Games and an American tourist was stabbed to death during the Beijing Olympics. These tragedies were lamentable but ultimately did not impact the overall atmosphere of the two Olympiads.

As a complex country, it is more in line with China's national interests to show the world its complexity than its achievements. Over the years, at different stages and for different demands, we have intentionally introduced the achievements of reform and opening-up as well as the practical difficulties in China, trying to persuade others that China is a developing country. This is a tiring job since neither of these encapsulates the full complexity of the reality of China.

If Shenzhen forgoes this "cleaning up," it can welcome visitors easily while letting the world see the real China.

Shenzhen is tidier than most Chinese cities. Shenzhen without modification is already not the "real China." After it has been "cleaned up," it will move ever farther away from the image we want the world to remember.

Shenzhen is at the frontier of China's reform and opening-up. It is hoped that Shenzhen can hold the Universiade Games with a broader mindset and host a successful sports event while breaking with China's previous traditions for welcoming its guests.