Posts by Charles Mabbett
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I found this harrowing amateur video footage which was taken just seconds after the big quake hit in Sichuan.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/may/20/amvidquake
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And ... nothing.
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Gosh, more China content on Public Address ...
On the topic, China's leaders have already set a precedent in disaster-related public relations.
The winter storms in January had Wen Jiaobao flying around and speaking to crowds with a megaphone, most memorably at the main railway station in Guangzhou where half a million or more people had been stranded trying to get home for the New Year holiday.
It's simply commonsense. World leader 101 , if you like. To deflect public anger or pre-empt an uncaring look (don't you think George Bush would do things differently if he knew then what he knows now when the levees broke in New Orleans?) and to look good at home and abroad, leaders do need to put themselves in front of cameras and microphones and speak directly to Mr and Mrs Li. Otherwise as our anonymous blogger points out, you end up looking like the jet set junta in Burma. And that means looking stupid and cruel. Where's the gain in that?
As for foreign rescue teams and reporters getting in there, including TV3's Mike McRoberts, well, that's a real sign that the Chinese leadership are fast learners. We're talking about foreign media, being given relatively free access to the story when they maybe could have done the same thing in Lhasa to show the damage caused to Han businesses and homes by angry Tibetan mobs.
That's a remarkable turnaround but admittedly there's a lot less risk in this case.
The Japanese rescue mission has been critical of the delay in getting Chinese government permission. Here's a country with stacks of quake experience and they were the first foreign team let in but not until three days after the quake. Realistically, their job is not saving lives but recovering bodies.
But from a diplomatic point of view, that's a little bit of progress right there. This is the same Japan which had aggravated relations between Tokyo and Beijing because the previous PM played to a domestic constituency by paying annual tribute to Japanese war criminals.
These are interesting times. And the Beijing Olympics are yet to come. Who knows how that will turn out?
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Nice one, Emma, entertaining and informative writing. We need more blogging out of China. I think there's been a vacuum of useful information about China in the NZ news media in the recent past but hopefully that's starting to change.
How about this Sichuan earthquake? Felt in Bangkok, Vietnam and Beijing. BBC World are broadcasting a video taken inside Chengdu airport as it happened. Very dramatic.
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Russell, I can send this link out to Chinese language media. Do you want me to do that?
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This is so cool! Chinese hanzi on Public Address.
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My briliant Korea!
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What about An Excellent Korea Move?
And don't forget Seouled Out!
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Not exactly, Ethan. Peter Brown came later - after the Chinese.
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Terrific post, Stephen! Beautiful potted history lesson!
Seamus, Tim Kong already posted a link to your post about the demos on Public Address. It is in the thread in the Hard News post about the Homegrown music festival. It's really interesting!