Nc onised to esent t e best ictu e
To prevent things going wrong, much in China is organised and scripted.
n te outside, in a esents itse f as confident, ambitious and asse ti e and it a see it to ba,ud info mi ts im essie dee om en ts but sometimes, it can a ea dominatin and oe be a in
I REMEMBER watching in awe as the Chinese hostesses, each holding a thermos, filled up teacups onstage before the opening ceremony of the plenary session of China’s consultative body at the Great Hall of the People.
It was March 2014, and my first time covering lianghui, the annual political meetings in China.
The hostesses had been trained to move in unison, their every step and every hand movement neatly synchronised.
Each in charge of a long table, they raised a tea cup, poured water from the flask, and then paused for a moment before stepping forward to reach the next cup in line.
From the media sitting area at the upper deck, the hostesses looked strangely like windup toys to me.
It was hard to fathom the need for them behaving like robotic clones, and over time, I often found myself conjuring up this scene from my memory whenever I encountered yet another of China’s rigid and uptight moments.
Two years on, I still do not think I have come to fully understand the Communist-ruled state, but there are certain observations that I have made as a journalist.
China is extremely conscious of how others perceive it, so it cannot afford to have things going wrong.
Orchestrated press functions are preferred, to present the best possible side of China, which feel unnecessary and stifling at times.
Transcripts of the Foreign Ministry’s daily press conferences, which are posted on its website, are known to be polished to leave out undesirable questions.
On the outside, China presents itself as confident, ambitious and assertive – and it has every right to brag, judging from its impressive developments – but sometimes, it can appear dominating and overbearing.
Just look at how Queen Elizabeth II was caught on camera saying that the Chinese officials were “very rude” (when making arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Britain), and how Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi berated a Canadian journalist at Ottawa for asking a question on China’s human rights.
On the international arena, China has said that it is rising in peace as it amasses impressive political, economic and military strength.
But its activities in the South China Sea are alarming and suggesting otherwise, although it has vehemently condemned talks of it rocking the stability of the waters.
China often laments that it has been misunderstood. Perhaps it should polish its PR skills to convince the rest of the world of its sincerity.
Generally, the Chinese people that I crossed paths with are fiercely patriotic and proud of the country’s achievements, after a century of humiliation and the era of Cultural Revolution.
A common view is that China’s tight control on the media and Internet, its tight security, and its strict rules against dissidents are necessary to maintain peace and stability in the vast land of 1.3 billion.
Given its sheer size, both in terms of population and land area, China is a land of superlatives, racing to claim the biggest this and the tallest that.
To name a few, the Beijing Daxing International Airport will boast the world’s largest airport terminal when completed in 2018.
Chengdu, in Sichuan province, is home to the world’s largest building by floor area. The mammoth New Century Global Centre is reportedly 20 times the size of Sydney Opera House.
As the world’s second largest economy and the largest trading partner of many countries in the world, China will of course continue to be the centre of the world’s attention in years to come.
Its sea territorial disputes with several Asean countries (including Malaysia) on the South China Sea, Belt and Road initiative, reunification issue with Taiwan, interactions with neighbour and wartime foe Japan, and chemistry with its nemesis United States will continue to be watched closely by the world.
I am sure things will be very interesting, as they always have been, but now the time has come for me to bid adieu to this single-party state and head home.
So long, China! e it econ cu de se tee ea os ti nine ta se ii nbue au an di miss te ci se induc, te cut teed u tonne ibouoodsinei in and te ubiui to us so aneei na a cos sin a