Dear reader,
I was in China over this past winter break working on an independent project and I met a really nice entrepreneur by the name of Jacky in Beijing. We exchanged e-mails and have kept in touch ever since I returned in early January. Here are some e-mail excerpts from our exchanges that I found rather interesting and would like to share. Cultural understanding is extremely important, especially these days when the international community comes increasingly closer together. The below e-mail conversations are in response to the Google fiasco in China. Every day I check the New York Times and find something new written about the situation in China and its relations with outside countries. It’s a very interesting time right now…
Enjoy! :)
~Caroline Berg
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Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:21 AM
(Jacky)
你想来北京工作？是有这样的想法吗？！中国的潜力太大了，将来是无法想象的。
我希望你能在北京做生意，因为我是广告和市场策划的高手，可以帮你。还有一个原因，就是北京还不是一个真正意义上的国际城市，很多人对美国的小老板非常好奇，能吸引媒体的镜头，这可是免费的广告宣传。呵呵～
“You wish to come to Beijing for work? You have this kind of idea?! China’s potential is enormous; there’s no telling what the future will be like. I hope you are able to come to Beijing to do business because I am an advertising and marketing master-hand, I can help you. Also a reason [I wish for you to do business in Beijing] is that Beijing has not yet become a really significant international city. Lots of [Chinese] people regard little American bosses with curiosity, which would allow [you to] attract media attention, and this can be free advertising publicity. Haha~”
-------------------Lost Response-----------------------
~I had to delete e-mails in my account because I kept receiving warnings that my mailbox was running out of space. My response to Jacky’s above e-mail must have been one of those e-mails deleted…~
Basically in my reply I said I think journalism is where my bag is, not business, and I wish to find a journalism job in Beijing. Because the Chinese Google business dispute had just cropped up in the newspapers, I couldn’t help but ask Jackie if he had heard of this situation. I told him, although I would love to do journalism in China, this Google news is bad news for my profession and my dependence on freedom of speech…
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Sunday, January 17, 2010 10:11 AM
(Jacky)
Google在中国的生意很不成功，主要原因是没有了解真正的中国，尤其是中国文化和国情。你知道baidu.com这个网站吧？做得“非常非常”成功，因为baidu.com知道中国人到底想要什么样的搜索引擎，他们知道中国人适合什么样的习惯，那么，Google.com就做的不够好，国情很重要。。。
还有中国的政策，现在的中国还是一个半开放的国家。从我身上就能看出来，我是一个很开放的人，但是相对来说，依然还是很保守。。。
“Google’s business in China is very unsuccessful; the main reason is [Google] doesn’t understand the real China, especially China’s culture and ‘national conditions.’ Do you know the website baidu.com? This website is very, very successful because baidu.com knows what Chinese people really want out of a search engine. [Baidu.com] knows what Chinese people are accustomed to. Now, Google.com just didn’t do enough good. The ‘national conditions’ is very important…
“Also there are China’s policies. Right now, China is still a partially open country (to the public and outside world). As far as I can see from my own self, I am a very open-minded person, but this is relatively speaking. I’m still very conservative…”
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Monday, January 18, 2010 9:12 AM
Jacky,
我同意Google在中国做生意是个失败，但我不同意是为了什么原因。不好意思，我要说的话可能不太礼貌，但关于新闻学与说话自由是我自己的高手... Google在中国不想继续做生意因为Google发现有一些中国人非法侵入一些Gmail电子邮筒。这些莫个中国人要拦截政治权利积极分子的电子邮件，还有二十多个公司的电子邮件。这个是失败的原因。你觉得政府要删剪网上的消息是应该保持的国情吗？
琪莲
“Jacky,
“I agree that Google failed as a business in China, but I agree for different reasons. I’m sorry and ashamed that what I want to say is probably ill mannered, but when it comes to journalism and freedom of speech, I am myself a “master-hand”… Google doesn’t wish to continue business in China because the company discovered that some China people hacked into some Gmail accounts. These unidentified Chinese hackers wanted to intercept human rights activists’ e-mails, as well as 20 plus company e-mails accounts. This is the reason for [Google’s] failure. Do you think that government censorship of information on the Internet is a “national condition” to preserve?
“Qilian (my Chinese name, ‘chee-lee-an’)”
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Monday, January 18, 2010 12:47 PM
琪莲：
你的坦率和直截了当的说话方式，这是我很喜欢的性格。至于对google.com在中国的生意，其实我并不懂，只是我个人看法而已，请原谅我莽撞的答复你！
“Qilian:
“Your candid and straightforward style of speech, this is the kind of character I like. As far as google.com doing business in China is concerned, I actually don’t really understand [the situation], this is nothing more than my own individual perspective. Please forgive me for the ‘sassy’ way I responded to you!”
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Monday, January 18, 2010 1:14 PM
琪莲：
对不起，政府要删剪网上的消息与保持国情没有关系，我对此也很气愤，不希望阻挡自 由，我也向往自由，但是没有办法，有些事情，政府不愿意让所有人都知道，因为中国正在发展，尚未到达全部公开的时候，胡锦涛主席要捍卫自己的位置和权力， 同时，也是避免不法分子打扰中国政府的正常工作，包括中国人的团结和思想，我知道，政府删剪网上的消息是错误的，没有道理，但是，对国家没有好处、对中国 人没有好处的消息应该删除，让所有的中国人保持健康的思想和积极的态度，这样对中国来说，不是好事吗？！
我热爱自己的国家，向往和平、讨厌战争.....
那么，世界真的没有战争吗？？有，以后还会有。战争比喻是法庭，主动打仗的是原告，被动打仗的是被告，那么，我认为原告是坏蛋，被告是笨蛋。
很多国家不喜欢让中国强大，阻挡中国的发展，你知道法国在奥运会期间阻止火炬传递吗？你知道美国提供台湾打仗武器吗？你知道英国领导人会晤中国西藏的达赖吗.....？？？这都是讨厌的、可恶的....
我说的所有事情都是个人看法，因为我从来不关心政府的事情，只要你和我能有好生活，我会很开心！
----Jacky
“Qilian:
“I’m sorry, that the government wants to censor Internet information and maintain the nation’s condition doesn’t connect. In relation to this, I am also indignant; I don’t wish my freedom to be obstructed, I also yearn for freedom, but this isn’t a choice. There are some things that the government is not willing to let everyone know because China is currently developing; it has not yet reached a point that’s fully open to the public and the outside world. President Hu Jintao wants to protect his position and power, and at the same time, he wants to avoid lawless members of society disrupting the government’s everyday business, including Chinese people’s unification and ideology. I know that government Internet censorship of information is wrong, that it’s illogical; but for the information that for the country there is no benefit, for Chinese people there is no benefit, this information should be censored so that every Chinese person can preserve a healthy way of thinking and positive attitudes. In terms of China, is this way not good?!
“I love my country, I yearn for peace, I hate war…
“That said, is the world really capable of not having war?? Right now there’s war, afterwards there will still be war. War is like a courtroom. Those who initiate war are the plaintiffs and those being attacked are the defendants. Now, I think the plaintiff is a bad egg, and the defendant is a fool.
“Many countries don’t want to let China strengthen and wish to hinder China’s development. Do you know of the French protests during the Olympic torch parade? Do you know about America supporting Taiwan with war weapons? Do you know of the British prime minister’s meeting with Tibet’s Dalai Lama…??? All of this is hateful, abominable…
“(Jacky writes in smaller print) All of what I’ve said is my individual viewpoint, because I never really concern myself with government business. I only want you and me to have a good life. I am capable of a happy disposition!
“----Jacky”
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 11:31 PM
Jacky,
谢谢你给我这个评论，我觉得很有意思。我也热爱中国，也向往和平，觉得战争很笨。我还有热爱我自己的国家，再说全求。但，知道每个国家像人一样，都不是完美的。
对你的评论来说，你说：“对国家没有好处、对中国人没有好处的消息应该删除，让所有的中国人保持健康的思想和积极的态度，这样对中国来说，不是好事吗？！” 我说：不是好事。对我来说，可能这样要删除消息的目的有好的意图，但其实会发展假的印象或限制人们的思想和独立... 你提到那个法国在奥运会期间阻止火炬传递的事情... 这些事没有发生因为法国不要中国发展。那些法国抗议者关于西藏，要中国赞成人权，让西藏抗议中国政府。法国是西方的国家，习惯有自由、人权，只要各个国家会有这样跟法国（跟西方国家）一样的自由。
你为什么觉得英国领导人会晤中国西藏的达赖是可恶的事吗？再说美国跟台湾有关系吗？如果西藏、台湾都要独立，这个你觉得事真的讨厌的事情吗？可能以前这两个地方属于中国，但现在呢？他们属于中国真的事满意吗？为什么中国跟这两个地方不会分开？
你说很多国家不喜欢让中国强大... 我觉得很多国家可能害怕中国会发展到什么程度。很多人相信未来的世界战争。中国很大，人最多。大部分西方人不了解 中国文化与思想，不知道中国发展之后的计划。总的来说，我觉得这样的担心会使人不想看中国成为强大的国家。为了美国提供台湾打仗武器的事，我觉得是为了台 湾自己的保护，不是为了威胁中国。
好的。这个是我个人的看法。我祝我们一起和我们一起的国家和平。我也会很开心！:)
晚安，
琪莲
“Jacky,
“Thank you for giving me these comments, I think they’re very interesting. I’m also enamored with China, and I also desire peace; I think war is very stupid. I also deeply love my own country, not to mention the entire world. However, I know every country is like people -- none are perfect.
“In response to your comments, you said:
‘for the information that for the country there is no benefit, for Chinese people there is no benefit, this information should be censored so that every Chinese person can preserve a healthy way of thinking and positive attitudes. In terms of China, is this way not good?!’
“I say that no, this is not good. The way I see it, perhaps the purpose of censoring information this way has good intentions in mind, but actually this sort of censorship is capable of developing false impressions or limiting people’s ideas and independence… You mentioned the protests in France during the Olympic torch parade… These things didn’t occur because France opposes China’s development. These French protesters were acting on the behalf of Tibet, wanting China to support human rights and allow Tibet the ability protest the Chinese government. France is a Western country, it’s accustomed to having freedom and human rights, and it only wants every country to be able to have such freedoms.
“Why do you think that the British prime minister meeting with Tibet’s Dalai Lama is such an abominable thing? Furthermore, America having relations with Taiwan? If Tibet and Taiwan want independence, do you really think these are hateful things? Before perhaps these two countries belonged to China, but what about now? Are these countries truly satisfied belonging to China? Why is China unable to separate from these two countries?
“You said many countries don’t want to see China strengthen… I think many countries are maybe afraid of the degree of which China can develop to. Many people believe there will be war in the future. China is huge, its population is the greatest. Many Westerners don’t understand Chinese culture and ideology, they don’t know what China plans to do after it is developed. Generally speaking, I think this is the kind of anxiety that may cause people to not want to watch China become a strong country. As for America giving Taiwan military arms, I think it’s for Taiwan’s own protection, and not for threatening China.
“All right. These are my thoughts. I wish us and our countries peace. I’m also capable of a happy disposition! :)
“Good night,
“Qilian”
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 2:09 AM
琪莲：
以后我们还是不要再谈论国际问题了，这离我们太遥远。我不是胡锦涛，你不是奥巴马，我们应该谈论如何发展、如何赚钱，应该谈论中国和美国的文化、经济、思想，这样对我们有好处，国际问题让外交官处理，我们轻松一些，快乐一些，这是最重要的！。。。
-----Jacky
“Qilian:
“From now on let’s not speak of international issues, these topics are too far out of our leagues. I’m not Hu Jintao, you’re not Obama, we should talk about development, making money; we should discuss China and America’s cultures, economies, ideologies; these topics will have benefit for us. These international issues let diplomats deal with. Let’s relax a bit, be a little more happy; this is most important!...”
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