China's information blockade

[Goh Meng Seng]

I have experienced terrible information blockade in China.

Although the development of content provision in China's local internet websites is advancing in leaps and bounds, but the Chinese government still exercise extensive information control in through their ISP proxy servers.

Sometimes, I found it quite absurd. For example, you could not access HK's yahoo website (hk.yahoo.com) but you could access Taiwan's online news website (http://news.chinatimes.com/). This is in spite of the fact that HK is basically Chinese controlled terroritory while Taiwan is still considered as a renegade province!

You could not access HK's newspapers websites like Apple Daily and even MingPao! It has basically considered HK's press and publications as "poisons" to Chinese readers! But I mean, many Chinese have been moving in and out of HK and it seems that by reading newspapers in HK has not entice them to become illegal migrants in HK! Well, only a few "leftist" newspapers like http://www.takungpao.com/ is accessible in China.

I seriously find it unbelievable for an upcoming super power like China, it has such little self confidence to face adverse criticisms from newspapers in HK. Ironically, they find a renegade province Taiwanese electronic newspaper suitable for its readers!

I could not access Twitters, Facebooks, Youtube and even blogger/wordpress in China's internet network!

If China wants to be a International Financial Centre, it cannot continue with such information control system. It has to open up and face the world upright. It must show self confidence in its inherent strength in keeping its citizens well informed and yet loyal to the nation itself. Keeping its citizens screened out of the world's information is the worst option it has chosen.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Ramseth]

When in Singapore you oppose, when in Hong Kong you protest, when in China you complain.

 

[longbow]

Isn't HK already a world class financial center?

I do agree it will be an issue if they want to make shanghai a world financial centre. I think their fear is not the sentiments of its people. I read tons of complaints in local blogs and forums.

But their fear is from groups like Falunggong that can forment unrest due to economic imbalances.

Stability in a society depends on a strong middle class. After all why protest when your main aims are to buy that Wii for the kid or pay mortgage on house or trying to get son to university or get a car.

My opinion is that Singapore has stablilty because of its strong middle class. Although middle class has wide range and we probably fall into the lower range, most are happy. Unfortunately, the influx of FT and high networth people has priced some of out of this middle class bracket hence the increase in resentment.

The Gov can help reduce this resentment by closing the economic disparity - more grants to buy a first home (offset price increases), put a large downpayment into annuity plan, subsidized medical for the old, SAF study grants for poly of university - focus the subsidy for those that completed their NS obligations. This will help reduce resentment among those citizens that duly did their national service and those that came in via the back door.

As long as you meet you NS obligations (even if you got downgraded) you will get the package.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Dear Long Bow,

Well said.

Many people see China's demonstration of its military might in its recent National Day parade as a show of pride, power and confidence (read commentary in Zaobao). That is totally naive and shallow view.

A confident country will not have its government trying to block information from the outside world. If the social fabric is strong and the middle class is huge enough, there is no fear of instigation of social unrest. This is basically the Mao ZheDong theory of class struggle in which, he tried to make the farmer/poor class as the basic denomination of the whole nation so that there could be "classless society" with "equality". This is insane as it is against human biological/pyschological nature.

But when you have a huge middle class and a system whereby your lower middle class people could upgrade themselves to the middle class if they work hard enough, there is no fear of social instability due to widening class differences like widening income distribution inequality.

I have gone around China to observe their farm and city livelihood. There is indeed a huge disparity in terms of development and income distribution. This is the main source of potential unrest in the years to come.

But will the blockade of information flow save the situation? Apparently no. The poor farm land in China do not have computers and internet connections. Only the middle upper class in the cities could afford that. Ironically, such blockade of information may just affect the ability of the middle class to attune their world perspective and attitude to the outside world.

Beneath the glorification of the "military might" and "economic success" buries an underlying social tension. There is a famous saying in China, for every beautiful neon light lies beneath the tears and blood of some people...i.e. the exploited peasants.

Goh Meng Seng

Isn't HK already a world class financial center?

I do agree it will be an issue if they want to make shanghai a world financial centre. I think their fear is not the sentiments of its people. I read tons of complaints in local blogs and forums.

But their fear is from groups like Falunggong that can forment unrest due to economic imbalances.

Stability in a society depends on a strong middle class. After all why protest when your main aims are to buy that Wii for the kid or pay mortgage on house or trying to get son to university or get a car.

My opinion is that Singapore has stablilty because of its strong middle class. Although middle class has wide range and we probably fall into the lower range, most are happy. Unfortunately, the influx of FT and high networth people has priced some of out of this middle class bracket hence the increase in resentment.

The Gov can help reduce this resentment by closing the economic disparity - more grants to buy a first home (offset price increases), put a large downpayment into annuity plan, subsidized medical for the old, SAF study grants for poly of university - focus the subsidy for those that completed their NS obligations. This will help reduce resentment among those citizens that duly did their national service and those that came in via the back door.

As long as you meet you NS obligations (even if you got downgraded) you will get the package.

 

[TeeKee]

When in Singapore you oppose, when in Hong Kong you protest, when in China you complain.

he's highlighting the flaws of Asian values?

 

[TeeKee]

I have experienced terrible information blockade in China.

wait till you watch their cable TV...if they can receive HKTV...

all public protests against China or news about PRC's corruptions will immediately be cut off and switch to some stupid HK ads..

bunch of damned assholes like they have the right to do so...

like everything in PRC is bloody perfect, flaws doesn't exist in PRC....

bunch of jokers....who are they trying to fool? themselves?

 

[Ramseth]

he's highlighting the flaws of Asian values?

He's highlighting his own flaws in his own values.

 

[TeeKee]

He's highlighting his own flaws in his own values.

it's against human rights to suppress or withhold information from the people.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

He's highlighting his own flaws in his own values.

What flaws?

Everyone has his or her own flaws, so does every nations and societies. Everyone has his or her good points, so does every nations and societies. Just that some like to boast about how good their societies or nations are, but others like to observe the societies' problems by looking at their flaws.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[TeeKee]

What flaws?

Everyone has his or her own flaws, so does every nations and societies. Everyone has his or her good points, so does every nations and societies. Just that some like to boast about how good their societies or nations are, but others like to observe the societies' problems by looking at their flaws.

Goh Meng Seng

all truths, that will help a society grow and develop, must be spoken, not suppressed.

any attempts to work on false public appearances will be in vain...

和谐社会只能在人能得到心服口服里成功的运行.

 

[Ramseth]

What flaws?

Everyone has his or her own flaws, so does every nations and societies. Everyone has his or her good points, so does every nations and societies. Just that some like to boast about how good their societies or nations are, but others like to observe the societies' problems by looking at their flaws.

Goh Meng Seng

Belanjah me = no flaw.

 

[Tiu Kwang Yew]

Meng Seng is not wrong .

even the PAP baboons and media prostitutes are trying to glorify China.

becos USA now is democratic and japan suddenly also wakes up !

But the truth is out there---you can see in sinkapore also !

if china and its people are really very rich , why you see so many PRCs coming here to fight over cocks, fight over aluminium cans and cardboards, and also steal jobs from the locals. They are everywhere in sinkapore.

worse, we have the ping pong sluts playing ping pong for familee once every five years---what they do the rest of days ??? Fuck and sleep and eat the familee ???

China GDP will double next year, sinkapore at its minus, why the PRCs come? Funny right? The truth is out there.
PAP baboons are learning from the communists how to keep the bad news and publish the good news.

sinkapore is begging to becoming like a reluctant china province ---not shameless ? if not, not sia suay ?

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Belanjah me = no flaw.

Is this a case of soliciting bribery or blackmailing?

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Sperminator]

I have experienced terrible information blockade in China.

Although the development of content provision in China's local internet websites is advancing in leaps and bounds, but the Chinese government still exercise extensive information control in through their ISP proxy servers.

Sometimes, I found it quite absurd. For example, you could not access HK's yahoo website (hk.yahoo.com) but you could access Taiwan's online news website (http://news.chinatimes.com/). This is in spite of the fact that HK is basically Chinese controlled terroritory while Taiwan is still considered as a renegade province!

You could not access HK's newspapers websites like Apple Daily and even MingPao! It has basically considered HK's press and publications as "poisons" to Chinese readers! But I mean, many Chinese have been moving in and out of HK and it seems that by reading newspapers in HK has not entice them to become illegal migrants in HK! Well, only a few "leftist" newspapers like http://www.takungpao.com/ is accessible in China.

I seriously find it unbelievable for an upcoming super power like China, it has such little self confidence to face adverse criticisms from newspapers in HK. Ironically, they find a renegade province Taiwanese electronic newspaper suitable for its readers!

I could not access Twitters, Facebooks, Youtube and even blogger/wordpress in China's internet network!

If China wants to be a International Financial Centre, it cannot continue with such information control system. It has to open up and face the world upright. It must show self confidence in its inherent strength in keeping its citizens well informed and yet loyal to the nation itself. Keeping its citizens screened out of the world's information is the worst option it has chosen.

Goh Meng Seng

Dear Mr. Goh Meng Seng,

As my dear brother, and friend, and business mentor would say to me, when I face the information blockade in China, " W.T.C."

No, not world trade corporation... but... WELCOME TO CHINA.

That word soothes me, and forces me to look into other means of communicating with the "REST OF THE WORLD" when in China.

If I am not mistaken, there is at least 50,000 cyber police in China round the clock to figure out how to detect unblocking softwares, and eliminate it.

sincerely....