Facebook Prohibition in China
October 21, 2009 by Heart , Category: Facebook Issues
Facebook Prohibition in ChinaFacebook prohibition for The Sake of Chinese Economical Development. What is actually the relation between facebook and Chinese economical development? The direct connection is most likely invisible, but as a phenomenon for Chinese Government regarding to the country’s development, these two subjects can be closely related. As what common people have known or perhaps not yet realizing it, any access to facebook has been blocked by the Chinese Government since July 2009 or to be exactly, since the bloody demonstration in Urumqi, Xinjiang Province, West China. It was not the first time that the Chinese Government blocked such community sites, as previously in March 2009, Youtube had been banned as well..
After The US Citizens are forbidden from accessing Facebook at work, now Facebook also forbidden in China. Why did the Chinese Government issue this policy? Until today, there is no official release regarding to this matter. However, public believes that Youtube has been used by million of people from so many different countries to broadcast encountered information from the official mainstream information, even from the mass media.
In some cases, such as demonstration in Thailand, Philippines and Iran, the information through the use of video is increasing as well as the number of people accessing it. The similar condition also happened on the information’s dispersion in Urumqi. It is reported that the activity in this minority ethnic is using the Facebook as its communication media to spread their aspiration and to gain the public opinion.
In the meeting with the Vice Minister of Chinese information, Qian, Xiaoqian, the question of the prohibition was also appeared. Qian said that he doesn’t know for sure on such prohibition. However, he also mentioned that the government has a fully authority to forbid and portal or community sites that are considered as not in line with Chinese development. Qian explained that China is a country with the biggest Internet users in the world. It is more than 350 million of Chinese people are using internet and most of them are the youth less than 25 years old. Mostly, they use the internet to access or download songs. Accessing information is only in the second layer.
Qian also added that the government have made some best effort to provide its 1,3 bilion citizens to be able to access internet. This statement seems to show that China is an open country, including the internet access.
China Daily
Is it ended there? Unfortunately not. When there were around 20 journalists from Asian and Spanish speaking countries visiting the China Daily, the biggest English written newspaper in China and is possessed by the government, the practice of press freedom was questioned. It was triggered by the statement made by the Vice Editor of China Daily, Kang Bing, saying that as a media, their newspaper often receive complaints from many foreign representatives, such as from US, Canada, England, Korea, Japan and even from the representative of Chinese Government itself regarding the news policy. However, as a media, he said that the redaction implement a strict policy that they have a full authority to determine what are can and cannot be written, according to the journalistic principle, which is to presenting a cover both side news.
A number of foreign journalists asked many questions to Kang regarding to the pres freedom policy. The journalists found it hard to understand that as a media possessed by the Government with a communist ideology, can be freed from any Government’s intervention. Christine Hu, the Foreign Affairs Director of China Daily, said that the daily meetings conducted 3 times in a day are not being attended or supervised by the Government representation.
In a casual conversation, Christine once again emphasized that there is no Government’s representation attending any of their redaction meetings. However, what has it got to do between press freedom and facebook? This question was given to the Director of China daily, Ji Tao.
Ji said that personally, he expects that the prohibition will be soon ended as he himself is the Facebook user. He admitted that there was not any official announcement from the Government that the access these sites were prohibited. The Government was secretly executed this policy in early July, after a bloody tragedy in Urumqi. The next question was, how can a press freedom exist in China if accessing personal sites, such as Facebook and Youtibe is even prohibited?
After the meeting with the China Daily redactor, the discussion on the press freedom was continued in the journalist bus. One voice said that even though there is no representation from the Government at all, it is most likely (again, most likely) the CIO of the redaction is the member of the party. That is it….the rest is up to you to conclude.
Peace and Trade
Apart from all of these, the peaceful and advanced China is needed by most of neighboring countries and partners. It is hard to imagine if the country with over 1.3 billion people is in chaos and falling apart. The refuges will certainly bring troubles for all parties. Therefore, Chinese Government always offers cooperation. Peace and Trade are the slogans that they always bring. In any official meeting with Government officers, they always offer trade cooperation.
China has a very potential advantage with its 1.3 billion. On the other side, China is in advance in terms of Technology, construction and competitive prices of most of its products. For most of developing countries in Asia, Africa, South America and East Europe, that do not demand number 1 quality products, this offer is worth to consider. This is one of the reasons of why after 30 years of reformation and export-import, the trading index has been significantly increasing compared to year 1978 when they were still closed from the outside world.
In year 2007, the export volume reached USD 2,173 billion, while back in year 1978, the volume was only USD 20,6 Million. Their trading rating was also going up into the top 3 in the world compared to year 1978 when they were only in the 32nd position. The architect of the changing is Deng Xiaoping. He was a leader that was once overthrown by the Group Four, but he managed to lead again. Deng also requested Chinese ethnic businessmen in foreign countries to also actively contribute for the glory of China.
However, on the other side, Deng was reported to be the one who gave command to the subjugation in Tiananmen in 1989, resulting in his resignation together with other old leaders. The policy of “Door Open” implemented by Deng was started to be fruitful. It was started with the development of Shenzhen as the special economic zone in early 1980s. It was then followed with the opening of some other countries. The result is now amazing as some cities, like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing have become very modern cities.
Are all other regions sharing similar development? Of course not. Qian admitted that there is still significant discrepancy between the developed south regions compared to the west and north regions, especially in the villages. It is now becoming the greatest challenge for the Chinese Government. One of the fruits of the “Open Door” policy is closely related to the information access, including internet. In some cases, the Chinese Government prefers to shut down the access to such sites due to some considerations.
The question is How Chinese people react to the press freedom, democracy and economic growth? Kang Bing suggested these foreign journalists to give queries to any of Chinese people in the Beijing streets of how much satisfactory and pleasure have been given to them compared to previous years?
It means that, whatever needed is the welfare improvement, no matter what your ideology is.
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