From Chinese Press

Courage of conviction

(China daily)
Updated: 2011-05-05 10:59

When Tang Jun, known as the "emperor employee", was about to deliver a speech at Nanjing Forestry University (NFU) recently, a female university student questioned his credibility to use a university's platform to address an audience, says an article on rednet.cn. Excerpts:

Tang Jun, former chief of Microsoft China, is famous for the high salary he draws, which is an indicator of his capability. Yet a really successful man needs more than corporate success; he needs virtue.

He claimed to have earned his research diploma from California Institute of Technology. But it was found that he actually had a diploma from Pacific Western University in San Diego, California, which was renamed California Miramar University in 2007.

In Tang's refusal to apologize for his false claim, we see a man who appears in the public as an achiever by hiding his "lowliness" in lofty pride. The university student's questioning has again exposed his defects.

The student deserves praise for her courage to challenge a guest invited by the university, which had made elaborate arrangements to prevent untoward incidents during Tang's speech. Though she knew the consequences of questioning Tang, she stuck to her decision and demonstrated enough courage and spirit to seek the truth.

Even after being jeered by others that she wanted to become famous by questioning Tang, she did not regret her decision. In contrast, NFU that invited Tang and criticized the student seems to lack the spirit of independent thinking and the virtue of forgiveness.