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'Telling the truth directly'
(CDT)
Updated: 2005-12-29 08:51
At the end of the year, Netease, one of the top three portals in China, has
posted a special feature "Telling the Truth Directly" which quotes the official
line on various issues and events from 2005, followed by a sarcastic
interpretation of the comments.
Commercial portals like Netease are not permitted to do their own independent
news reporting, but this kind of commentary is their effort to create their own
media content.
The title of the feature could be interpreted as playing off the CCTV talk
show of the same name, yet here they use quotation marks around the title to
show these official statements represent the so-called "truth." Following are
translations of three examples, from Netease's list of eight:
1) "There is almost no monopoly in the industries of oil, telecommunications
and electrical power... One of the important reasons for such a great situation
is competition. You can also say in these industries, there is no one monopoly.
Actually, in the oil, telecommunications and electrical power industries, we
already have a competitive structure. Moreover, the main resources of these
industries all exist within the publicly-listed companies. More precisely, the
ownership has already been diversified and socially distributed. The state-owned
enterprises after all belong to the state and to the people. Therefore, the
profits are all for the people's interests."
-December 22, Li Rongrong, Director of the National Resources Committee at a
press conference of the State Council Information Office.
Interpretation: "There is no monopoly in the oil, telecommunications and
electrical power industries. They are all serving the people. They introduce
competition, and upgrade their technology. Those state-owned enterprises are
taking a great leap forward, unloading the baggage on others, attracting foreign
investment, increasing profits, defeating the private-owned enterprises. The
price of oil went crazy, electricity bills shot up, and the benefit of the
employees of these industries improved markedly. They are leading the way for
the Chinese people to become a well-off society. They have truly implemented the
guiding policy of 'let some people get rich first.'"
2) "One important reason for the phenomenon of collusion between police and
criminals is that the pay for police is too low."
-Fu Xiaohua, deputy director of the police station at the Chengdu train
station
[Report]: The Chengdu train station police station is a sub-unit of the
Chengdu Railway Public Security Bureau, and every day they confront large
numbers of travelers coming and going. It is a heavy task. The normal monthly
salary is about 2000 yuan. The assets of some of the members of this police
force are above one million yuan. And the main source of their income is a
monthly contribution from thieves.
Interpretation: "Do you know what kind of place a train station is? So much
traffic, all kinds of people. We police have to stay for long periods in this
place with dirty air, under the hot sun, with no oxygen. No nutritious foods can
compensate for this. We have elders and children to look after. Every so often
we need a massage and sauna. How could the monthly salary really be enough?"
3) "Migrants coming to Beijing should abide by the system and gain
permission, we cannot let 1.3 billion people flee to Beijing... The quality of
these people (migrants) is relatively low. After being out of work for long
periods, they engage in risky behavior, and bring unstable factors to the public
security situation.
Beijing's development doesn't have much use for these people. In fact, many
of the places in Beijing where the management is chaotic is caused by these
people (migrants). For example, in garbage collection areas, they beg for money
with bad intentions. Their existence damages the lives of Beijing residents."
-January 13, Beijing Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference
member Zhang Weiying as a guest on "The Window to the Capital."
Interpretation錕斤拷"Wouldn't it be cleaner to learn from Hitler and throw the low
quality people into the gas chambers? The development of Beijing does not need
those low quality people, stop all of them at the gate. We will collect trash
ourselves, we will clean the streets ourselves, we will construct new buildings
ourselves. Our city's environment will be number one in the country, and our
educational level will surpass Britain and America.
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