Berkley Center

The Chinese one-party system of government is heavily debated and criticized in the West. As Westerners we are skeptical of how the limits the Chinese government puts on the population’s freedom affects people and their happiness. My ability to communicate with Chinese people sheds light on how governmental decisions actually affect the people it administers.

Freedom of Speech

The issue of freedom of speech and expression in China is a common hot topic issue in the United States. And the Chinese know it. I, along with a few other American students, had the opportunity to engage in a debate with a few Chinese students studying international politics. The topic of discussion was, “Is China a threat to the United States or the United States a threat to China?” At one point a tangent took us to the topic of freedom of speech.

As an American student I was genuinely interested in what they thought of the limitations put on what information they can access, and where they are permitted to express their opinions. The Chinese students shared with us that the fact that they could access Mitt Romney’s website, but could not access Barack Obama’s website, was not a problem because there were ways to get around it. We attempted to respectfully challenge them by helping them understand that from our viewpoint the government limiting what they can and cannot read at some point controls what they believe. Their response was that the limitations are just the government protecting them.

In their attempt to help us understand the importance of limitations, they told us that Internet restrictions are similar to the limits people in America have on TV. Willow said, “The Chinese people’s Internet restrictions are like the limitations Mitt Romney or any other presidential candidate has on television; he can’t get on TV and say that he supports slavery.” They were in shock when we told them that Mitt Romney or any other presidential candidate could get on TV and say they support slavery. We explained that the candidates probably wouldn’t get elected, but that people in the United States have that freedom of speech.

It was eye opening to hear their beliefs, and initially tempting to challenge them. By the end of the debate I found myself both respecting the students' belief that the government protects them, and feeling compelled to challenge personal opinions I have about the intentions of governmental decisions in the United States.

The Environment

Currently for a project, I am conducting a few interviews with Chinese people about their views on the environmental situation in China, and their role in being a change agent. I am truly fascinated by the information I am gathering. The first interview I gave was to a sophomore student at East China Normal University. Chen Shi, like many others, feels Chinese people are becoming increasingly aware of the water and air pollution problems. She talked about different environmental awareness articles and public service announcements she has seen in the media over the past couple of years, as well as a couple of examples where she feels the government has made active efforts to clean lakes or parks.

We discussed some of the wasteful habits Chinese people have grown accustomed to. For example, small plastic bags are used to package almost all food. When people are finished eating they just drop their bags on the ground. The solution to the garbage on the streets is the cleaning crew that comes along each night to gather the waste. Because low-income citizens can collect plastic bottles in exchange for money, there is little incentive for people to use recycling receptacles. When I asked Chen Shi about the recycling system, she said that the government had never educated the population on how to use them. Chen Shi’s conclusion was that it was the government’s lack of education that led to the Chinese population’s environmentally unfriendly habits.

Freedom of speech and environmental education are two of many arenas the Chinese government controls. They highlight two extremes: the government’s over involvement and the government’s lack of participation. Willow and the other international political students felt the government was protecting them by providing limits on the Internet. Contrarily, Chen Shi felt the government had failed the people by neglecting to teach them how to take care of the earth. The Chinese people put a lot of trust into the government. They expect the government to influence their daily life, and are at times disappointed when the government has no presence. In a country like China where the government has a hands-on role, hearing how the government influences people’s lives can really help one understand the local culture.