Hail to the Chief

Lyndsey’s Strange but True Sightings:

1. After the Olympics ended, all of Beijing’s street vendors came back. Most of these vendors sell fruit, snacks, maybe some odds and ends like socks and seat covers. Not too long ago I saw one selling goldfish and baby turtles. During a weekend trip I also saw one selling puppies.
2. I ate a chicken head.
3. Let’s talk about touchie feelie. Generally speaking, the older generations are very distant in terms of physical contact, but the younger generations are certainly not. It’s very for women to walk down the street linking arms or holding hands, and guys seem to be more open with each other as well in terms of dancing and hugging. As an American, this was very strange for me to see. After all, in the US if you saw people acting that way, you would assume they were a homosexual couple. Not so here. The concept of “personal space bubble” and displays of friendship are different here. However, this doesn’t seem to apply to relationships between different sexes. Now, I have seen some couples all…over…each other, but when I’ve talked to some younger Chinese people, they’ve told me they wouldn’t consider kissing their boyfriend until maybe three months into the relationship. Interesting…

During the spring 2008 semester, I remember sitting in a dorm room at Carnegie Mellon, friends huddled around biology text books strewn all over the floor, listening vaguely to the presidential primary debates sounding through the TV. While trying to study, it suddenly occurred to me that this would be my first year voting. However, there was one slight problem. When everyone would be casting their ballots, I would be in China, an ocean away from any voting booth. What could I do? I feel very strongly about voting and so wanted to make sure my voice was heard, especially since this was my first opportunity to raise it. Thankfully, the US lets foreigners and soldiers abroad vote through an absentee ballot system. By contacting my state representative and filling out specific forms, I was mailed a ballot, which I then returned to Indiana. Although I was relieved that my study abroad experience didn’t interfere with what I consider to be an American duty, I will admit the whole process was very strange. As the months rolled by, it really struck me how eerily quiet everything was. I heard no TV advertisements, no media hype, no red-faced reporters screaming and bickering about who was better: Obama or McCain. It was just me and my other students discussing amongst ourselves over oolong tea and dumplings and reading online coverage. However, despite the more peaceful environment, as November approached, we could all feel the anxiety and all of our focus turned towards Election Day.

November 4th was on a Wednesday, which is everyone’s favorite day here in the IES program. There’s no Chinese class on Wednesdays, so we have the whole morning free and don’t have to wake up at the normal early hour, which is usually around 6:30 or 7:00. However, this week no one slept in. Instead, we all huddled into the small IES library and, as we loaded our systems with coffee, dumplings, and what the Chinese claim to be orange juice, watched a live streaming of the election results from CNN.com. That’s right. Thousands of miles away (and technically, in the future), I watched the election the same time as all of you. I saw Indiana do the unthinkable and turn blue; I saw McCain bow out of the elections for good; I saw Obama’s speech to the people after it was declared he would be our next president. I witnessed the first African-American become a US president, a turning point in American history, and I did it all from China.

When I returned home that night, I was surprised to see my host parents watching the tail end of China’s coverage of the election. I didn’t expect them to be so involved in the results, but I soon found out otherwise. They told me that, in fact, they were very concerned with the American presidential election since the results would not only affect Chinese-American relations, but world politics as well. Upon some further inquiring, though, I think my host parents’ attitude is an exception, not the norm. Coverage of the American election has been relatively small, and the Chinese seem to know little about McCain or Obama. Considering the knowledge the average American has on foreign politics, though, I’m in no position to criticize. However, what I found to be particularly interesting was China’s depiction of the elections, particularly the election results, in the media.

Between my own observations and a discussion with one of my teachers, I realized China took a very politically oriented approach in handling the US elections. Relatively little coverage was given to the race itself prior to November 4th. The only newspaper articles my teacher ever encountered were a couple of editorials that popped up every once in a while concerning Obama. In these articles, it was said subtly, but very clearly, that should Obama win, it was by no means an indicator of American democracy at work. After all, Obama’s half white, meaning (a) Americans wouldn’t really be electing a minority and (b) in the end, he was just another product of the capitalist regime. During the actual election, coverage given to Obama was pitifully little. About 20 seconds of TV time were dedicated to the main points of his speech, but strangely enough, quite a bit of time was spent reflecting on the 2004 elections. Coincidence? I think not.

Here I should I explain a bit about Chinese media. All media is controlled by the government. Newspapers, magazines, TV shows and news channels, everything has to report to the CCP in one form or another. The only slight exception is the Internet, but that is only because it’s so difficult to handle and the government hasn’t exactly been able to properly manage it yet. There have been a lot of improvements in Chinese media and it’s not just a government mouthpiece any more. The government no longer directly funds media organizations; instead these companies have to find their own funds or use private industries to support them financially. While this is a step towards following the West’s example, the government’s role in media control is still strong, something that was evident in the US political elections coverage. But if you’re like me, you may wonder, “What’s the point? Why the slanted coverage on the US elections?” Well, think about this: when do you think China will elect its first Uyghur, Mongolian, or Tibetan president? How might these minority groups react if they were to be told that, yes, America did in fact elect a minority member as its next leader? What might that do to the CCP and its legitimacy, especially since their relationship with certain minority groups is shaky enough? And what kind of message might it send to the average Chinese, especially the up and coming youth, about the Western multi-party, democratic system? After all, if you really do regard Obama as a minority, might that indicate that, yes, the American dream really does work and truly anyone can become president? How might people react to that, especially since in China if you want to advance politically you absolutely have to be a CCP party member and adhere to party ideology? In the eyes of the CCP, a party that has sole control over China’s government, the possible “what ifs” left in the wake of America’s 2008 elections are better left unanswered. The best way to ensure this situation is, of course, to make sure the questions themselves never arise in the minds of the people. This is where the media comes in.

Now, I know as a foreigner I don’t understand everything about the media situation, but I’ve seen my fair share. When visiting an exhibit on the Sichuan earthquake, there were very few photos or facts given to document the actual destructive damage of the earthquake itself and the effect it had and continues to have on people living in effective areas. Instead, it only showed People’s Liberation Army soldiers rescuing refugees from the rubble and political officials posing with refugees. Coincidence? I think not. There is also a reason why every Chinese person you talk to says they only rely on the Internet for their news coverage. I’ve been told more than once that I shouldn’t read newspapers or watch TV news broadcasts while I’m here because I won’t be receiving accurate information. I guess the point is, when in China listen to everything with a touch of salt.