Resentment over Tibet eases - outpouring of help shifts mood in China
Washington Post, (20080527)Abstract
BEIJING, May 26 -- An unprecedented and politically significant flood
of foreign aid has been pledged to China since the devastating Sichuan
earthquake, ranging from a $50 million Saudi Arabian check to crates
of cellphones from Nokia.
The outpouring of goodwill has been interpreted by many Chinese as
a welcome demonstration of their new status as a major power with
friends around the world. But to a large degree, it has also dissipated
a sour, nationalistic mood that had swollen up in response to foreign
criticism of a harsh Chinese security crackdown after Tibetan riots
in March.
"This is making up for a lot of the bad feelings of recent months,"
said Shi Yinhong, a foreign affairs specialist at Renmin University's
International Relations Institute.
When the earthquake struck May 12, killing more than 65,000 people
and leaving millions homeless, the Foreign Ministry rejected immediate
offers of assistance by foreign rescue teams. The reaction was in
line with China's traditionally wary attitude toward foreign involvement
in internal affairs.
But several days later, the ministry announced a reversal, and specialists
from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia and Singapore were allowed
in. Some reports said People's Liberation Army soldiers in the disaster
zone displayed hostility toward the Japanese team. But broad public
opinion seemed to welcome the group despite lingering resentment
here over Japanese atrocities in World War II. Älthough the Japanese
group did not save any lives, Chinese people praised them and no
one mentioned the unpleasant history with Japan," noted Li Datong,
a senior magazine editor who was dismissed over an essay dealing
with World War II. More significantly, perhaps, Foreign Ministry
spokesmen were appealing for help from anywhere abroad within a week
of the quake, particularly for tents to provide temporary housing
to the countless Sichuan residents who will be living in camps for
what promises to be a long rebuilding period.
The new stand was in sharp contrast to that of neighboring Burma,
an ally whose leaders were declining aid for victims of a cyclone
on May 2-3. It was also a departure for China, which typically accepts
only small amounts of aid in times of crisis. In response to its
appeals, China has received more than $158 million in cash and $35
million in goods so far from foreign governments. In addition, international
and regional organizations have pledged nearly $12 million in cash
and $700,000 in goods.
Perhaps just as significantly, the list of donor countries spans the
globe, reinforcing the idea that China has integrated into the rest
of the world and forged friendly relations with most other governments.
This had been a central theme of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.
But it was overshadowed in part by the tension over Tibet and protests
against the Olympic torch relay -- a shadow that now seems to be
receding. "I think the Chinese government feels this reaction to
the earthquake is a good development that can bring back a good Olympic
spirit," Shi said. "The Chinese government will learn something from
this experience," Li added. Äs time goes by, it is not impossible
that the Dalai Lama will appear in the Olympic ceremony."
Saudi Arabia, which donated $50 million in cash and another $10 million
in goods, has been the most forthcoming foreign government. The Bush
administration has given $2.8 million so far and announced plans
to donate more as relief plans progress. U.S. satellites have been
providing imagery of earthquake damage, the U.S. Embassy said, and
U.S. military transports flew into Sichuan with relief supplies.
In addition, the American Red Cross has promised to provide more
than $10 million to its Chinese counterpart, and U.S. companies operating
in China have pledged about $34 million.
Other foreign companies in China also have offered to help, including
Finnish firm Nokia, which has sent cellphones to the quake zone.
Carrefour, the French supermarket chain that was widely attacked
during the Tibet crisis, sent tents, food and water. In all, the
Commerce Ministry said, foreign companies in China have pledged more
than $280 million in money and goods. The number of donor governments
has reached almost 80, the Foreign Ministry said, and continues to
grow. India, for instance, has pledged $5 million and Tonga $50,000.
Norway said it would send $4.1 million in cash and goods and Nigeria
offered $2 million.
President Hu Jintao expressed public thanks for the foreign assistance.
In the same spirit, Premier Wen Jiabao went out of his way to be
photographed amid the earthquake ruins with the visiting U.N. secretary
general, Ban Ki-moon. Falling in line, the Communist Party's propaganda
apparatus signaled the official mood had changed, producing friendly
comments in an official news media that only a few weeks ago was
bristling at foreign governments and foreign journalists for the
way they viewed Tibet.
Part of the shift was also due to generally favorable coverage in
the foreign news media of the party's swift response to the disaster.
Internet commentators who had bitterly criticized CNN over its Tibet
coverage, for instance, switched gears and started praising the U.S.-based
news network for its moving earthquake coverage, Li pointed out.
"With more and more aid from the international community for disaster
relief, the Chinese people have got a chance to see how the country
has been integrated with the rest of the world," said a commentary
from the official New China News Agency. "This has also made it a
necessity for the people of this country to understand what such
integration means," it continued. "While appreciating the humanitarian
spirit displayed by foreigners who help us save lives and relieve
the damage caused by this earthquake, China and the Chinese feel
evermore the obligation they have to the making of a harmonious world."
Shift on One-Child Policy
Chinese officials said Monday that families with a child killed, severely
injured or disabled in the Sichuan earthquake would be exempted from
the country's one-child policy. Officials have not been able to estimate
how many children were among the more than 65,000 killed. In large
parts of rural China, most families are already allowed a second
child, especially if the first was a girl.
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May08