Jan 01 2008
VOA
Met a Voice of America’s Chinese reporter who has family in Virginia but stations in China. “Do you get harassed by the authority there?” He said not really, but told me this story: during the food scandal press conference, with ministers and high officials on display blaming the American propaganda against China, he asked an obvious question: what have you been doing to assure public safety, and take responsibility? The officials looked dumbfounded. The loud and passionated rhetorical stopped; and they conferred with one another by whispering. Then the speaker returned to the mike and asked him which media outlet he works for, then went on to give a long passionated oration that had absolute nothing to do with the question.