OPINION> Commentary
Seeing is believing
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-18 07:59

Some may have found the rhetoric less than pleasant to the ear. At some points, bureaucratic cliches rendered the press conference's question-and-answer session rather insipid.

Still we appreciate the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's (SEAC) effort to communicate as our colleagues from abroad focus their spotlight on Chinese policies on ethnic minorities.

There are too many confusions, misunderstandings, stereotypes and biases to be corrected. There is no better way to straighten things out.

Oftentimes, the authorities feel wronged by the overseas media, and suspect a hidden agenda of denigration. Such suspicion in turn brews distrust in the skeptical foreign media, which suspect we must have something to hide.

We can see obvious prejudices in the overseas media's coverage of ethnic affairs in China. But in many cases, the distortions and misrepresentations are born of ignorance, rather than of a desire to demonize. We agree there are some who make a living out of China-bashing. About them we do not have to care.

To be fair to the Chinese government, few foreign countries have been as preoccupied with equality when it comes to ethnic affairs. Many should feel ashamed of their groundless accusations once they know what the Chinese government has done for ethnic minorities.

So the most sensible approach on the government's part, as we see it, is to ensure the media, domestic or overseas, have proper access to the information they need.

Ideological differences may result in divergent readings. But facts are facts. They are indispensable for and conducive to informed judgments.

We appreciate the statement of Wu Shimin, deputy director of the SEAC, that, instead of trying to influence the discourse over Chinese ethnic affairs, the government would help the media find out the truths.

"We hope more journalists and media come to China, and report from ethnic minority areas," he told the press on Saturday.

This is exactly what we have expected of a press conference like this. We like the confidence he displayed.

The average Chinese knows the government has done a good job in handling ethnic affairs. We have no reason to not feel bold and assured about it. It only does us good to share such knowledge with the rest of the world.

Let them see with their own eyes that we have no skeletons in the closet. Instead, we have plenty to be proud of.

(China Daily 08/18/2008 page11)