Lost in Translation

This morning China's premier, Wen Jiabao, granted a rare audience to five news publications. The Times was one of those fortunate enough to be chosen for the small group interview before he sets off on a European tour that will take him to Finland, Britain and Germany.

The interview lasted an hour. It was only 13 hours and 43 minutes after it was all over that the government issued its official transcript in Chinese and in English.

Why the delay before I could issue the article? Every word the premier uttered had been recorded on a phalanx of tape recorders lined up by the journalists with military precision on the table beside his armchair.

Well, the final official transcript did show the odd change. Had the premier misspoken? It seems unlikely. Had he not realised the potential international impact of some of his remarks? He is an experienced statesman who speaks fluently and eloquentlywithout the aid of a single note and does not resort to an 'um' or an 'er' -- let alone pause for thought. Hardly the type of leader to misspeak in an off-the-cuff aside.

Are there perhaps cautious mandarins busy behind the walls of the Zhongnanhai government compound whose task it is to tinker with the premier's words just in case he didn't really mean what he said? The saga certainly prompts one to ponder. How deep into the system does censorship stretch? I confess I didn't notice anything particularly sensitive, let alone controversial, in the before version or the approved version. But the final text is at last available.

Almost more intriguing was the rare opportunity to step within the high walls of the compound. Even inside a visitor manages only the merest glimpse of the centre of power in China.

It may be easier to see from the air, as the excellent Danwei blog recently revealed. And to see inside, a fascinating series of photographs has appeared on this Chinese site. Take a look -- it's a rare opportunity.

Comments

[chris]

Awesome, the picture on tom.com has to be the only road in Beijing that is traffic free.

Odd secretive lot really, as long as I live in China I shall never understand why the government has to be quite so paranoid. still, could be worse, they could have Blair!!!

[Raj]

Chris, at least Blair wouldn't have people dragged off into dank cells because they criticised him - China could actually move forward politically with someone like Blair. In fact it could probably move forward with almost ANY prominent British politician....

[zuzu]

Raj, I wonder how much you understand about China's conditions. Maybe you are being too much of an idealist. The Chinese government is facing many paradoxes, e.g: how can you supply such a huge population across such a wide geographical span with sufficient water and electricity without having to build dams that could potentially harm the environment? None of the British prominent politicians (as you have mentioned above) were faced with this kind of difficulties. I do not think it is even fair to try to compare the Chinese leaders with those of any other country in the world. I personally believe the Chinese government is doing a fairly good job. Democracy is a good thing, but it is not for China, at least NOT FOR NOW. Democracy is not plausible in China at this stage. Maybe we should learn to appreciate the compromises a government sometimes has to make in order to better the majority of its citizens.

[Tim Bascombe]

I am impressed with the Premier’s grip of the “big picture” for his nation. Even if you do not believe in the Chinese leadership’s motives or practices, sometimes a good plan can still work out in the long term.

[Nono]

Hei, zuzu
Maybe YOU too, are being too much of an idealist.
OR maybe you are just afraid of changing and Democracy.
BTW, there is no COMPROMISES at all, the truth is unlimited PRIVILEGE for the minority.
Fighting for freedom, is what Chinese People should learn.

[Jing Evans]

hi, nono, I absolutely agree with ZUZU whom you previously debated with. As I understand he or she is the person who knows China better than you do. Democracy is the thing you pursue for the majority rather than the minority. At such a stage, China still trying its best to make the majority better off. At least we can see the current state leaders are managing to do so.
Better go to China to have a look and then comment or give constructive suggestions.