Xi Jinping, out of Town: Huanqiu Shibao quotes “Western Media” (i. e. Deutsche Welle)

China and Russia are most important strategic partners, the BBC quotes CCP secretary general and Chinese state chairman Xi Jinping, who has started a tour of Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo today. While in Africa, Russia will remain on his agenda on foreign relations, too – Xi will attend the fifth Brics summit from March 26 to 27 in South Africa.

Fenghuang (Hong Kong) coverage of Xi’s arrival in Moscow here »

According to the Voice of Russia (VoR), one of the aims in advancing the two countries’ partnership is to boost mutual trade turnover to 100 billion dollars by 2015. Energy issues, local economic cooperation and social events, including a meeting with students of the Lomonosov State University are on the agenda, according to VoR. According to the broadcaster, China has become Russia’s largest trade partner for the second year in a row.

Xi is scheduled to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin, prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, Federation Council chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko, Duma (parliament) chairman Sergey Naryshkin “and other leaders”, as well as friends from all ways of life in Russia, writes Xinhua newsagency. He will also deliver a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and meet Russian sinologists, according to Xinhua. International affairs aren’t ranking high in the descriptive Xinhua article, but Russian president is quoted from a telephone record with Xi of March 14 as saying that Russian-Chinese relations were among the important factors of safeguarding world peace and stability, and carrying particular significance.

Huanqiu Shibao quotes a Russian deputy foreign minister as describing Xi’s visit to Russia as a “major event” in the two countries’ relationship. The deputy foreign minister added that Moscow had made careful preparations for the visit. Western media said that Xi’s choice of Russia as his first foreign destination was “no surprise” (“不意外”), writes Huanqiu. One after another, Western media believed that the intentions behind China’s arrangements made people wonder.

“Are China and Russia going to sign big energy contracts?” “Is Beijing turning back to the [old] strategic center of gravity with Moscow” to respond to the shift of America’s strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region?” The guesses and speculations by Western analysts, with seven mouths and eight tongues (七嘴八舌), look as if they were x-raying Sino-Russian relations.

俄副外长里亚布科夫21日用“两国交往中的大事件”形容这次访问，并称莫斯科已为迎接习主席做好万全准备。西方媒体大多对中国国家主席上任后首先访俄“不 意外”，同时纷纷认为北京的安排用意极深，耐人琢磨。“中俄要签能源大单？”“北京要用‘战略重心重返莫斯科’回应‘战略重心重返亚太’的美国？”西方分 析家七嘴八舌的猜测就像在给中俄关系做X光检测。

As for Xi Jinping’s visit to Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo, after his stay in Russia, and the “Sino-African approaches” (“中非走近”), following the “Sino-Russian embrace”, have gone hot in Western public opinion. “Westerners are tossing lots of question marks, but essentially, their curiosity is only about one thing. That is how big a country China will be in the next ten years”, says Chinese scholar Jin Canrong.

由于习主席访俄后将访问坦桑尼亚、南非和刚果(布) ，“中非走近”已尾随着“中俄拥抱”在西方舆论中迅速变热。“西方人抛出的问号很多，但实质上他们的好奇只有一个。那就是未来十年，中国会做一个怎样的大国。”中国学者金灿荣说。

In fact, Germany’s former foreign broadcaster and current media platform Deutsche Welle (DW) describes Xi’s visit to Russia as his unsurprising international debut. Deutsche Welle also quotes Gu Xuewu of the University of Bonn with pretty much the remarks about deepening military cooperation in the face of the US “pivot to Asia” that had been noted by Huanqiu Shibao’s “Western media” review.

However, much of what the DW article says is simply not quoteable for Huanqiu Shibao: fair weather friends, unsentimental partnership of convenience, or a trip to Moscow that was was symbolic in nature. Not to mention the demographic development in the Far East, viewed by the Russian side with unease.

And obviously, Huanqiu provides no link to the DW article – nor do they mention the old enemy broadcaster as their online source.

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Related

» VoR Chinese frequencies, swldxbulgaria, March 14, 2013
» CRI Russian frequencies, swldxbulgaria, March 14, 2013
» No Bullying, July 19, 2012
» Now Africa’s largest trading partner, BBC, May 22, 2012
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Xi Jinping’s Speech on Sunday: China Towering, but Development remains Overriding Ideology

Both an important speech (重要讲话) itself and the Chinese press coverage are part of the same decoration team, aiming at not only creating a verbal message, but an atmosphere, too. Newly elected state chairman Xi Jinping‘s speech on Sunday was no exception.

Today, our People’s Republic stands towering in the East of the world.

今天，我们的人民共和国正以昂扬的姿态屹立在世界东方。

Comrade Hu Jintao held the post of state chairman for ten years, and with a wealth of political wisdom, excellent leadership qualities, assiduous work spirit, did outstanding deeds to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, won the love and support from all the nationalities of China and the international community’s universal praise. We express our sincere gratitude and greatest respect to Comrade Hu Jintao!

胡锦涛同志担任国家主席10年间，以丰富的政治智慧、高超的领导才能、勤勉的工作精神，为坚持和发展中国特色社会主义建立了卓越的功勋，赢得了全国各族人民衷心爱戴和国际社会普遍赞誉。我们向胡锦涛同志，表示衷心的感谢和崇高的敬意！

Approving the predecessors: vote on last year’s government work report et al.
Click photo for CCTV coverage.

No need to repeat oneself. In Xinhua newsagency’s coverage, it is Xi Jinping himself who stands towering:

Wearing a dark-blue suit and a red tie, the membership hanging on his chest, Xi Jinping, tall of stature, stood smiling, calmly and self-confident. His voice clear, bright and vigorous, looking frank and honest, resolute and steadfast, he revealed the power of stirring people to action.

身着深色西装，佩带红色领带，胸挂出席证，身材高大的习近平微笑站立，从容自信。清朗而浑厚的声音，坦诚而刚毅的目光，透出激奋人心的力量。

“To achieve the construction of a moderately prosperous society, and the goal of a strong and prosperous, democratic and civilized, harmonious socialist modern motherland, to achieve the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, this means achieving modern national prosperity and strength, vigorous national revitalization, and the happiness of the people …”

“实现全面建成小康社会、建成富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家的奋斗目标，实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，就是要实现国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福……”

Witnessed by the Great Hall of the People, under the stars of its dome, under surges of applause, Xi Jinping firmly said:

人民大会堂见证，在繁星点点的穹顶下，在如潮涌动的掌声中，习近平坚定表示：

To bring about the Chinese dream, we must take the Chinese road.
To bring about the Chinese dream, we must advance the Chinese spirit.
To bring about the Chinese dream we must cohere Chinese power.

——实现中国梦必须走中国道路。

——实现中国梦必须弘扬中国精神。

——实现中国梦必须凝聚中国力量。

This is the duty the leaders of the People’s Republic of China take for the motherland, the people: we must never be complacent, we must never be sluggish, we must make persistent efforts, advance boldly, continue to push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continue to struggle for the achievement of the Chinese dream of China’s great rejuvenation.

这是共和国领导者对祖国、对人民的情怀和担当：我们不能有丝毫自满，不能有丝毫懈怠，必须再接再厉、一往无前，继续把中国特色社会主义事业推向前进，继续为实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而努力奋斗。

This is our promise to the people: The Chinese dream is, after all, the dream of the Chinese people, it must firmly rely on the people to achieve it, it must continuously bring benefit for the people.

这是对民族的承诺：“中国梦归根到底是人民的梦，必须紧紧依靠人民来实现，必须不断为人民造福。”

That much from the Xinhua report, and back to the actual speech:

development remains the overriding (or absolute) strategic ideology (我们要坚持发展是硬道理的战略思想), said Xi, thus quoting “Deng Xiaoping theory”, but added that the fruits from development should benefit the entire people in a fairer way – and that China was still in “the first stage of socialism”.¹⁾

Taiwan didn’t escape a mention either²⁾:

Numerous Taiwanese compatriots and mainland compatriots join hands and support, maintain and promote cross-strait relations and peaceful development, enhance the happiness and benefit of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, jointly set up the new and further prospects of the Chinese nation. Numerous overseas Chinese want to make contributions to carry forward the Chinese nation’s the fine, diligent and kind Chinese tradition, and work diligently to advance the motherlands development, to promote the Chinese people’s and local people’s friendship.

广大台湾同胞和大陆同胞要携起手来，支持、维护、推动两岸关系和平发展，增进两岸同胞福祉，共同开创中华民族新的前程。广大海外侨胞，要弘扬中华民族勤劳善良的优良传统，努力为促进祖国发展、促进中国人民同当地人民的友谊作出贡献。

The Chinese people love peace. We will hold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win high, we won’t change our road of peaceful development, we won’t change the strategy of mutual benefit and opening up, we will make efforts to cooperate friendly with all the countries of the world, fulfill our international responsibilities and duties, continue to work with all people in all countries to advance the lofty cause of humankind’s peace and development.

中国人民爱好和平。我们将高举和平、发展、合作、共赢的旗帜，始终不渝走和平发展道路，始终不渝奉行互利共赢的开放战略，致力于同世界各国发展友好合作，履行应尽的国际责任和义务，继续同各国人民一道推进人类和平与发展的崇高事业。

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Notes

¹⁾ 31 members of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) are farmers-turned migrant workers, China Radio International (CRI) reported on Sunday. That number was a tenfold increase from the 11th NPC. But they are hardly a match to the 90 NPC members who appear to be worth at least 1.8 billion Yuan (The Economist, March 16, 2013, page 53).
²⁾ Stability in Hong Kong and Macau was an issue addressed by Xi, too. One day later, on March 18, Xi reminded visiting Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying that implementation was the key to the chief executive’s vision of “seeking change while maintaining stability” in Hong Kong.
“I’m not an idiot either”, replied Leung. (No, Leung said no such thing. This is just a malicious rumor, courtesy of JR.)

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Related

» Nods to Public Concerns, NY Times, March 14, 2013
» Delegates make Difference, March 6, 2009

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Former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing: Stop Showing Off and Get your Act together

Translated off the reel. If the following blockquote contains errors, please let me know – JR.

Li Zhaoxing (李肇星), former Chinese foreign minister, in an interview with Guangzhou Daily (广州日报), republished by Huanqiu Shibao:

Q: Scholars have recently said that China went through a period of “taking beatings” and of  “famine”, but has now entered a period of “getting scolded”. It is also said that in the wake of China’s rise, “shouting” at China from abroad seems to have increased. How do you see this?

最近有学者提出，中国曾经历过“挨打”时期、“挨饿”时期，如今却进入“挨骂”时期。有人说随着中国崛起，国外对中国的“骂声”似乎在增加，您怎么看这种现象？

A: The old saying about “rise” may be one cause for attracting the shouting! Who says that China is rising? What’s the rise? Historically, rise mainly refers to Spain’s, Britain’s, Portugal’s and other historic European colonial powers. As far as that’s concerned, personally, I agree with the Central Committee’s way of putting it: peaceful development. “Rise” implies suddenness, and damaging the interests of others, in a selfish way. China’s development benefits us and others. It may also be a translation issue: the English word “rise” can be translated as 上升, 兴起, etc.. 崛起 isn’t the only possible translation.

老说什么“崛起”，可能就是招来骂声的一个原因！谁说中国崛起了？什么是崛起？在历史上，崛起主要是指西班牙、英国、葡萄牙等历史上的西欧殖民主义 国家。对此，我个人认同中央的提法——和平发展。“崛起”似乎暗含带有突然性，而且还会损害别人利益、损人利己。而中国的发展是利己又利人的。这里也可能 有一个翻译问题：英文的“rise”有“上升”、“兴起”等意思，不一定非译成“崛起”不可。

I believe that some of the international voices that shout at China are incited by others, some are feigned American praise for China, and some people here take that for gospel truth. As a result, this attracts shouting – isn’t this self-inflicted? Sure: bad people curse, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The really bad thing is when good people curse you.

我认为，国际上骂中国的声音，有的是别人挑拨，有的是美国假装表扬中国，而我们有些人却信以为真，结果招来骂声，这不是自找的吗？当然，被坏人骂，不见得是坏事，最怕的是被好人骂。

One can’t say that “China is rising”, that it is no longer a developing country. Let me give you three sets of numbers as examples.

不能说“中国崛起”了，中国不再是发展中国家了。我列举三组最基本的数字：

Firstly, within the global GDP of nearly 200 countries, mainland China’s comes second, globally, and last year’s average per-income GDP was 5400 US dollars. That’s position 94, globally. How can you call that a “rise”? (Li Zhaoxing mentions here that he doesn’t like mixing Chinese and English language, and referring to guonei shengchan zongzhi as “GDP.) Two years, mainland Chinese GDP ranked 110th, globally, and America began to hype “China’s rise”. Don’t believe a few Americans.

第一，全球近200个国家中，中国大陆国内生产总值（记者注：说到此事，李肇星提及说他不喜欢中文夹杂英语，不喜欢把国内生产总值说成 “GDP”）位居世界第二，去年人均国内生产总值为5400美元，位列全球第94位，怎么能说崛起？前年，中国大陆人均国内生产总值位居全球110名时， 美国就开始炒作“中国崛起”，千万不能相信美国个别人的话。

Secondly, average Chinese life expectancy is 74.83 years, according to latest statistics. Japan’s is 82 years. In the countries with the highest life expectancy, it’s 88.5 years. China ranks 83rd, globally. How can you call that a rise?

第二，中国人均预期寿命最新公布的数据是74.83岁，而日本为82岁，世界人均预期寿命最高的国家为88.5岁，中国该项排名为世界第83位，怎么能说崛起？

Thirdly, China’s gross university enrollment rate is, what? According to my enquiry to a friend at the ministry of education, the most recent number is 26.2 percent. That’s not even position 40, globally. How can you call that a rise?

第三，中国现在的大学毛入学率是多少？经我向教育部的朋友请教，最新数据是26.2%。世界排名第40多位，怎么能说崛起？

Q: More than ten years ago, you were China’s ambassador in America. Back then, America was tough on China. Has the American attitude towards China changed now? Many American media say that America’s strength is declining or fading. How do you view the changes in American strength during the past ten years?

您10多年前曾在美国任驻美大使，那时美国对中国很强硬。现在美国对华态度是否发生了变化？很多美媒都称，美国的实力在下降或衰落。您怎么看10多年来美国实力的变化？

A: I can’t see that. It’s an American characteristic to “pretend to be poor”, it has a particular sense of getting prepared for unforeseen developments. If we have a characteristic it is that we can’t “pretend to be poor”. Some people actually want to “display wealth”. On certain activities, for example, there’s an excessive fondness of having fireworks and setting off firecrackers.

[...]

Q: Do you believe that Obama, in his second term, will continue to create trouble for China?

那您认为奥巴马第二任期内是否还会继续给中国制造麻烦？

A: No matter if it is Obama, or someone else, each of them is the American president. Don’t care too much about who is elected president. Neither of them represents  China. It’s only us who make China’s benefit the objective of our struggle.

不管奥巴马还是谁上台，都是美国总统。不要太在乎美国选谁不选谁，谁都不代表中国，只有我们才把中国人民的利益作为我们的奋斗目标。

Generally speaking, “Made in China” is globally welcome. And of course, we will make even more efforts to promote “Made in China”.

在世界上，“中国制造”总体上受欢迎。当然，今后我们会更加努力推进“中国制造”。

Guangzhou Daily’s interview with Li Zhaoxing was apparently prompted by Li’s appointment as the first president of a newly-established organization, the China Public Diplomacy Association (中国公共外交协会).

Open Channels: Offers from North and South Korea

While South Korea is generally switching to digital television, the South Korean government has reportedly agreed to maintain a system for the broadcasting of analogue TV signals, to enable people in North Korea to watch analogue South Korean television. North Koreans along the west coast of Hwanghae Province and the east coast of Gangwon Province are apparently the most likely (secret) audience of these television programs. The programs are also said to be within reach of an unspecified number of tv watchers in  China’s northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning.

North Korea apparently never jammed these television broadcasts, as they just happened to spread across the border like radio waves do between every country. On the other hand, North Korea aggressively jams the South Korean government’s radio stations specifically targeted at the North, North Korea Tech wrote on Sunday. The South keeping up analog signals for a North Korean television audience while using digital signals for the audience at home might therefore be judged in Pyongyang as propaganda of the same category as the stations it already jams.

An analog experience: Walking between Hoi-dong village and Ah-do island as the sea takes an annual leave – click picture above for Wikipedia entry.
Radio Korea QSL, 1980s (now KBS World).

In another development, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a televised speech on Tuesday, called for an end to the “confrontation” with South Korea. According to Voice of Russia, Kim Jong-un suggested the end to confrontation in a new year address, the first time in the past 19 years that a North Korean leader has offered New-Year wishes to the compatriots.

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Thanks to JK for his info re continuation of analog tv broadcasts.

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Related

» Information Warfare, October 20, 2012
» The Firedrake, March 17, 2012

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“Internet Disaster Areas”: Help is on the Way

Two reports published this month came to the same conclusion, reports Enorth (Tianjin): microblogs have become the internet’s disaster areas when it comes to rumors.

Main Link: Enorth, December 30, 2012. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

A survey by Legal Daily online shows that 51.7 percent of rumors emerged online in 2012 came from microblogs, or were mainly spread on microblogs. Forums have been sources and disseminators of substantial numbers of rumors, too. 27.6 percent of online rumors originated from forums or were mainly disseminated on forums.

法制网的调查显示，在2012年出现的网络谣言中，有51.7%是源自微博，或者主要在微博上传播。论坛在网络谣言的发源和传播中也占据着不可忽视的地位，27.6%的网络谣言源自论坛或者主要在论坛中传播。

According to a sample-based statistic on 200 online rumor cases in 2012, conducted by Shanghai Jiaotong University’s New Media and Social Research Center, microblogs accounted for 28 percent of all rumors in the spotlight. Forums accounted for 20 percent, and internet news for 13 percent.

而据上海交通大学新媒体与社会研究中心对2012年200起网络谣言案例的抽样统计，微博为首曝媒体的谣言比例占到样本总体的28%，其次为论坛社区(20%)、网络新闻(13%)。

Only in March 2012, “the authorities in charge” had to “clean” [or "put in order"] more than 210,000 messages or news, according to Enorth.

China University of Political Science and Law professor Ruan Qilin says that because of existing investigation and verification problems, looking into online rumors is difficult to a certain degree, and how to effectively administer and control online rumors has currently become an urgent question.

中国政法大学教授阮齐林说，因为存在查证困难的问题，目前追究网络谣言有一定难度，如何有效监管及遏制网络谣言成了当前亟待解决的问题。

“One important reason for online rumors spreading so easily is that netizens have no more convincing sources”, says Renmin University News faculty assistant professor Weng Changshou. “Officialdom must build public credibility – they must become the first the netizens think of and rely on as information sources whenever they are facing hearsay. Therefore, to deal with the internet age in terms of concepts, style and mechanisms, the asymmetry between official information and netizens’ information, and the antagonism between them, needs to be reduced.”

“网络谣言能够传播，有一个重要原因是缺乏令网民信服的信息来源。”中国人民大学新闻学院副教授翁昌寿说，“官方必须建立公信力，成为网民在听到传言时首先想到和依靠的消息来源，因此需要在观念、作风、机制上适应网络时代的信息传播环境，减少官方信息与网民信息的不对称性和对抗性。”

Officialdom building credibility would be a fairly long-term goal, of course. But Weng’s suggestion to reduce the “asymmetry” between official and online information seems to point into the right direction, from the legislators’ perspective:

As far as concrete measures are concerned, a number of experts believe that sound legislation, strengthened internet management and raising netizens’ ability to judge and recognize online rumors are important. This time, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee will pass a decision concerning strengthened internet information protection, which is seen as a major official step to curb internet rumors.

在具体措施上，多名受访专家均认为，健全法律、加强网络管理和网友提高对网络谣言的识别能力几方面都很重要。此次，全国人大常委会通过的关于加强网络信息保护的决定，就被视为在遏制网络谣言上，官方迈出的重要步伐。

For good measure, possibly to demonstrate how strongly Chinese “civil society” is involved in “fighting rumors”, Enorth also quotes an NPC delegate from Anhui Province, He Bangxi, who “had, in recent years, begun to call for awareness concerning online rumors”.

It’s not a completely new effort. Only a year ago, administrative tries were made to require real-name registration on what looked like a small scale, but would have affected most microblogs, if it had been seen through according to plans back then. And in summer 2009, Chinese news websites were reportedly required to implement real-name registration.

The 2009 initiative came from the State Council. This seems to be the first time that NPC legislation seems to be planned.

Obviously, there are “human-flesh searches” and similar online activities which threaten individual rights – or even lives.

But then, as netizens noted days before Enorth informed its readers, it’s currently not difficult for officials to track down real identities anyway.

Or, at least, to bust some “illegal internet cafes” which didn’t have subversive visitors register properly with them.

Got a Problem? Have it Banned!

There were 52,447 deliberate and 23,237 accidental non-fatal gunshot injuries in the United States during 2000, notes Wikipedia. The majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides, it says.

In 2008, 12,000 Americans were killed with guns, according to Business Insider, and according to a Violence Policy Center which was apparently published in 2011, more than 30,000 Americans die in gun suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings.

In 2010, 3,648 human lives were lost in Germany – then the lowest number to date in a year (at least since 1953, the yearof the first statistic). No, people here weren’t shot by guns. They were road-traffic casualties. There are efforts to bring these numbers down further. But as long as these efforts don’t succeed, one has to conclude that more than 3,000 deaths in traffic accidents are apparently deemed an acceptable number.

Stop laughing. Driving a tractor is serious business.

One of my classmates died in a car-related accident. One childhood friend died in a car crash years after leaving school.

I’m not suggesting that America shouldn’t have tighter gun control. I have no clear-cut opinion about gun control in America – it’s not my business. But I can relate to both sides of the argument – to those who want tighter legislation (especially if they lost loved ones), and to those who oppose such changes.

What I dislike is the finger-pointing here in Germany: look at those ludicrous Americans! A right to bear arms! They are completely nuts!

It may depend on what matters to you. Most Germans find a life without a car inconceivable, and especially when they live outside the public-transport networks, they have a number of practical reasons for that. But even within Bremen, most people I know own or co-own a car.

Frequently, I have reason to fear cars – I’m going by bicycle, whenever I can. But don’t want to see cars banned, or car-related taxes be increased. Rather, I’d sometimes wish that car drivers were more considerate. Obviously, that’s mostly a matter of attitude, not of legislation.

I dislike bans and restrictions. We have too many of them already, and they always seem to come with “convincing” reasons. When people place more hope on politics for achieving restrictions, than for achieving a freer society, something seems to be wrong with our concept of politics.

Huanqiu on HK Survey: It’s not as Bad as you Think

The following is a translation of a Huanqiu Shibao article. It is therefore a mainland Chinese reflection of a Hong Kong survey. I haven’t read the survey itself, or coverage on the survey from elsewhere.

The Huanqiu article has been republished by many Chinese websites, including Sina‘s edition for Taiwan, Enorth (Tianjin), and many other regional or local websites in China.

Main Link: Only 2.4 percent of Hong Kong’s post-1980s…

In cases where the Cantonese pronounciation of Hong Kongers’ names within the Huanqiu article weren’t easily available online, I used putonghua pronounciation in this translation.

Be more Andy Lau: 让世界知道我们都是中国人 (click picture for video)

Links within blockquote added during translation.

Exchanges between Hong Kong and the hinterland become more and more frequent, but a recent survey finds that Hong Kongers see their “Hong Kong identity” with growing clarity. Among them, young respondents born after 1980 feel most strongly about their “Hong Kong identity”. Some Hong Kong media explain that the findings reflect “resistance against Chinese identity” among part of Hong Kongers, and a “low national identity”. However, Anthony Y. H. Fung [Feng Yingqian], head of the Chinese University’s School of Journalism and Communication, and in charge of the survey, told a “Huanqiu Shibao” reporter on Monday that there was no contradiction between “Hong Kong identity” and “national identity”, that while the survey showed a Hong Kong “awareness of their native land”, it also showed that pride in the national flag, the national anthem or the People’s Liberation Army and other national symbols had also risen.

香港与内地的交流越来越频繁，但一项最新调查发现，香港人的“港人身份认同”越来越明显，其中“80后”的年轻受访者“港人身份认同感”最为强烈。有香港媒体在报道中解读称，调查结果反映部分港人“抗拒中国人的身份”、“国民身份认同感低”。不过，负责调查的香港中文大学新闻与传播学院院长冯应谦12日向《环球时报》记者澄清说，香港人对“港人身份认同”与“国民身份认同”并不存在矛盾，调查显示港人“本土意识”增加的同时，也显示过去十多年来香港人对于国旗、国歌或解放军等国家象征自豪感相对有上升。

According to a Hong Kong’s “Oriental Daily” report on Monday, the Chinese University’s SChool of Communication and a polling agency carried out a telephone survey last month, with 819 Hong Kongers as respondents. One question asked the respondents to tell to which category of people they belonged, with “Chinese people”, “Hong Kong people”, “Hong Kong people, but also Chinese people” and “Chinese people, but also Hong Kong people” to choose from. The survey found that 42 percent of the respondents chose that they were “Hong Kong people, but also Chinese people”, a small drop from two years ago, when the number was 44 percent. 23 percent chose the purely “Hong Kong people” identity. 22 percent said they were “Chinese, but also Hong Kong people”, and 12 percent felt that they were purely “Chinese people”, a new low after Hong Kong’s 1997 return. The survey divided respondents into those who were thirty years old or younger, the “post-1980s”, and those older than that. The results tell that the “post-1980s” don’t greatly identify with the “Chinese people identity”, with only 2.4 percent choosing “Chinese people”, while the share of older respondents identified with the “Chinese people” option by 15.9 percent.

据香港《东方日报》12日报道，香港中文大学传播与民意调查中心于上月中进行民意调查，以电话访问了819名港人，其中一个问题要求受访者回答自己属于哪一类人，四项选择为“中国人”、“香港人”、“香港人，但也是中国人”以及“中国人，但也是香港人”。调查发现，有42%的受访者选择自己是“香港人，但也是中国人”，较两年前进行同样调查时的44%的数据稍降。其次有23%的受访者选择纯粹“香港人”身份，是自2008年以来的新高。另外22%的受访者称自己是“中国人，但也是香港人”；觉得自己纯粹是“中国人”的受访者只有12%，是97回归以来的新低点。此次调查又特别将受访者分成两批，一批为30岁或以下的“80后”，另一批则是“非80后”，结果发现“80后”对“中国人身份”不太认同，选择是“中国人”的只有2.4%，但非“80后”的比例却有15.9%。

[...]

The findings triggered controversy in Hong Kong’s public opinion. Hong Kong SAR’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Lew Mon-hung [Liu Mengxiong] said this was related to the SAR government only caring about peoples-livelihood issues and not doing everything to refute “Hong Kong independence” talk. He believes that recently, many determined people repeatedly waved “Union-Jack” flags and seized the opportunity of hyping “Hong Kong independence” thoughts, and the SAR government hadn’t refuted them. This could only lead to further political difficulties. Xu Huajie, Hong Kong United Youth Association advisor and China Im- and Export Chamber of Commerce deputy director, said that if Hong Kong’s young people resisted the hinterland for political reasons, they would lose many opportunities to develop in their working lives. But Basic Law Committee member Liu Naiqiang describes public opinion “as a cloud”, and believfes that it is difficult to rely only on the polls to assess trends in public opinion. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology economic faculty director Francis Lui [雷鼎鸣] says that this survey by the Chinese University “has problems”, because they offered no “Hong Konger, but no Chinese” choice. This would have been necessary to really measure Hong Kongers’ “national identy” identification.

调查结果引发香港舆论的争议。香港特区全国政协委员刘梦熊表示，港人有如此意识，相信与特区政府只顾民生政策，没有全力驳斥“港独”言论有关。他认为，近期不少有心人士多次高举代表港英时期的“米字旗”，乘机炒作“港独”思潮，但特区政府未予以驳斥，这只会令施政进一步困难。兼任香港青联顾问的中华进出口商会副主席许华杰说，若香港青年因政治理由而抗拒内地，将失去很多工作发展机会。但《基本法》委员会委员刘乃强形容“民意如浮云”，他认为很难单靠民调去评估民意趋势。香港科技大学经济学系主任雷鼎鸣表示，此次中大的调查“有问题”，因为他们没有设一个“是香港人，但不是中国人”的选项供受访者选择，只有新增这个选项才能直接测试到港人对“国民身份”认同感的最终态度是什么。

Anthony Y. H. Fung, in charge of the survey, told “Huanqiu Shibao” that there was no contradiction between “Hong Kong identity” and “Chinese identity”. Although the survey had shown the “Hong Kong identity” ever more clearly, it also showed that during the past ten years, Hong Kongers’ feelings of pride for national symbols like the national flag, the national anthem, or the PLA had also risen. From only 30.6 percent of Hong Kongers feeling proud of the national flag in 1996, their share was now 37.6 percent, and while only ten percent felt good about the PLA in 1996, their share was now 21.5 percent.

负责此次调查的香港中文大学新闻与传播学院院长冯应谦12日接受《环球时报》记者采访时澄清说，香港人对“港人身份认同”与“国民身份认同”并不存在矛盾，虽然调查显示香港人的“港人身份认同”越来越明显，但调查同时也显示，过去十多年来香港人对国旗、国歌或解放军等国家象征自豪感上升，比如，在1996年，只有30.6%的受访者对国旗有自豪感，今年的调查则有37.6%；另外，在1996年，只有10%的受访者对解放军有好感，但今年已增至21.5%。

Fung believes that the stronger “Hong Kong identitification” had grown because of discussions in recent years, having everyone considering their identity issues. As for the “post-1980s” leaning towards “Hong Kong identity”, this was because of the Hong Kong government’s promotion of [unsafe translation: lessons in line with hinterland lessons, encouraging independent thinking, and the young generation wanting to participate in public matters and deliberations about identity issues]. He said: “if the survey was carried out during the Olympics or during National Day, I believe Hong Kongers’ identification with the nation would be stronger”.

冯应谦认为，香港人对“港人身份认同”增强，只因近年相关讨论多了，让大家思考自己的身份问题。至于“80后”较倾向认同“香港人的身份”，是因为近年香港教育推行通识课(相当于内地的社会课)，鼓励独立思考，令年轻一代较愿意参与社会事务及思考身份的问题。他说，“如果调查是在奥运或者国庆期间进行，我相信港人的国民身份认同比例会大大增加。”

As for the talk about “Hong Kong independence”, Fung said that the share of respondents who said they were “Hong Kongers, but also Chinese” showed that support for “Hong Kong independence” was very small. In fact, almost sixty percent of respondents had said that they travelled to mainland China every two months or even more frequently, which reflected that Hong Kongers believed that contact with the hinterland had become an unstoppable trend.

对于近日香港出现“港独”争论，冯应谦表示，调查结果显示，受访港人大多数选择“香港人、但也是中国人”一项，可见支持“港独”只是很少数。事实上，近六成受访者表示“两个月一次或更多地”往返大陆，这反映大部分香港人都认为，与内地接触已是不可阻挡的潮流。

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Related

» Patriotic Classes only Optional, BBC, Sep 8, 2012
» A Sense of Affection, July 30, 2012
» If you can’t govern a village, Dec 16, 2011

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One (Belated) Question, Mr President: just what would You do with another Four Years?

Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is said to be a technocrat – he has never been into “inspiring” speeches. But even if he had been: with popularity (or support) rates at less than ten percent (according to the BBC’s Mandarin website), all he can do is to focus on what pains the public most: the economy, and sagging earned incomes.

We are (going to be) the champions.

Ma’s Double-Ten speech wants to suggest that he knows what needs to be done:

Taiwan should become a supplier of key components and precision equipment, as well as a developer of innovative services. In addition to fostering new growth-driver industries, we must also support the efforts of our businesses to develop critical technologies, produce key components, and carry out research and development efforts aimed at creating precision equipment with intelligent functions and unique competitive advantages. This multi-track approach will ensure that our industrial firms will not be easily replaced by, nor be dependent upon, those of other nations. Aside from manufacturing, we must also keep track of market trends and develop innovative business models, so that the service sector will enjoy a greater share in our industry’s output value and exports. In this way, we can transform our service industry into another engine that can drive economic growth and help to raise pay levels. These efforts to adjust our industrial structure that I have just now discussed are underway already.

“Already” could be used to make fun of a president who, after all, took office almost four years and a half ago. However, “already” should probably be blamed on poor translation into English – in Chinese, “already” or 已經 stands for some kind of present perfect, rather than for a triumphantly “early” accomplishment, or – at least – insight.

Ma’s second term hasn’t seen a honeymoon. The public appeared to be nervous even before May this year, with support and satisfaction rates at between 15 and 22 percent respectively. Ma addressed some of the criticism of this year in today’s speech, such as the issue of communication.

But above all, Nanfang Shuo, a political commentator, suggested earlier this year, much of the public’s unease stemmed from an awareness that Ma was now free from pressure as he faced no further elections. Reforms and decisions could therefore be taken arbitrarily.

Apparently, those fears haven’t gone away.

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Related

» One Question, Mr President, Economist, Sep 1, 2012

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