21.2.06 What not to wear
The Muslim cartoon affair boils down to some very simple things. Most readers of this blog know I have little time for dictatorships and the human rights’ record of Red China (whose flag is not shown at left). I had another meeting with the Chinese government rep yesterday (see earlier blog entry), and wore a suit to which I customarily affix a Kuomintang lapel pin—featuring the standard from the Republic of China’s flag.
The decision to publish or not to publish is the same as the decision to wear or not to wear. The thought process should have been akin to this: (a) this gentleman might get offended; (b) I don’t know his political views, but it’s best to play it safe so we can have a dialogue; (c) not all Chinese agree with what the Politburo does; (d) I might as well take it off, because I stand to gain more when we are chatting on friendly terms. This man is not my enemy. He is a potential friend. He approached me for a business deal. Our personal politics do not come in to it. I’d rather effect change through personal cooperation. Nothing would be gained by angering him—it would only piss me off, too. As it so happened, we had a very good and open chat about business. I voiced my concerns about press freedoms in Red China. However, I will publish what I see fit. I felt I got that across. I believe he doesn’t feel a fashion magazine like Lucire can get too political. Even the Chinese living within the confines of the Bamboo Curtain are eager to see investigative journalism that is critical, or, rather, honest. Marxism, after all, is not a Chinese word. If anything, I’m in allegiance with the will of the people of China. Just not the government. After we parted, I put my lapel pin back on. I’m back, writing away and taking advantage of living in a free society. Posted by Jack Yan, 03:23 Comments:
It is heartening to have found your site. I am one with you in espousing spirituality in business. I also believe in dialogue and how a lot of unnecessary conflict can be avoided through it. May these principles find more adherents around the net and around the world.
# posted by Boyette San Diego: 2/21/2006 08:41:00 AM
Thank you, Boyette, for contacting me through my blog. I know the right causes can continue to grow, because they speak to all humanity.
I'm really enjoy reading your posts about your Chinese business interactions. I'm very interested in Chinese culture, philosophy and marketplace. Your first-hand experiences are informative.
# posted by Jeff Risley: 2/21/2006 01:39:00 PM
Thank you so much, Jeff. I’ll keep you updated on how this deal goes. The gentleman leaves on Thursday so there may be a gap in contact. It’s still tricky—I think he can be trusted, but it’s his bosses I worry about. What wasn’t mentioned was that despite the fact we speak the same language, we need an interpreter: Cantonese and Mandarin have virtually no similarity.
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