China and the World
Reflective Essay #2
As it is commonly the case, I hold reservations towards the China and its government in terms of its reliability as a global citizen and accountability to its own people. This perspective on China mainly thrived on the image of the Chinese government as an authoritative regime which acts according to its self interest and self-preservation. However, as a Chinese Canadian who spent the first decade of her life in China, and having made observations on the mechanisms of the Chinese society, I understand that the issues facing governance in China is hardly as simple as the western media portrays it to be. In my perspective, the Chinese government is on one hand a corrupt and dictatorial regime which uses brutal force to attain its ends, while conversely, it is also a pitiful handful of old bureaucrats who constantly faces scrutiny from the world and suffers from the constant threat of chaos and loss of its own legitimate power. I agree with Richard Madsen’s stance that China should not simply be regarded in terms of “evil government against struggling people” as characterized by the popular media, but rather as country with multifaceted interest and actors.
Although I sometimes consider myself as having well-rounded knowledge on Chinese government and society, I admit that my opinions are often influenced by reports from the media. Reading excerpts from Madsen’s book propelled the realization that many people (including myself) place too much faith in the objectivity, validity, and truth of the information that is presented by our media. It allowed me to reflect back on the times I “absorbed” pieces of current events without questioning the motives of the authors, nor checking for the accuracy of information with other sources. It seems apparent to me now, that writings in journalism can be as subjective as writings in academic literature. While we are taught under our education system to assume that information presented in “opinion essays”
As it is commonly the case, I hold reservations towards the China and its government in terms of its reliability as a global citizen and accountability to its own people. This perspective on China mainly thrived on the image of the Chinese government as an authoritative regime which acts according to its self interest and self-preservation. However, as a Chinese Canadian who spent the first decade of her life in China, and having made observations on the mechanisms of the Chinese society, I understand that the issues facing governance in China is hardly as simple as the western media portrays it to be. In my perspective, the Chinese government is on one hand a corrupt and dictatorial regime which uses brutal force to attain its ends, while conversely, it is also a pitiful handful of old bureaucrats who constantly faces scrutiny from the world and suffers from the constant threat of chaos and loss of its own legitimate power. I agree with Richard Madsen’s stance that China should not simply be regarded in terms of “evil government against struggling people” as characterized by the popular media, but rather as country with multifaceted interest and actors.
Although I sometimes consider myself as having well-rounded knowledge on Chinese government and society, I admit that my opinions are often influenced by reports from the media. Reading excerpts from Madsen’s book propelled the realization that many people (including myself) place too much faith in the objectivity, validity, and truth of the information that is presented by our media. It allowed me to reflect back on the times I “absorbed” pieces of current events without questioning the motives of the authors, nor checking for the accuracy of information with other sources. It seems apparent to me now, that writings in journalism can be as subjective as writings in academic literature. While we are taught under our education system to assume that information presented in “opinion essays”