China plunges into controversy with Internet backflip

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 7/30/08 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

BEIJING (AFP) - The Beijing Olympics were plunged into another controversy on Wednesday as China announced a backflip on Internet freedoms for the thousands of foreign reporters covering the Games.

China's decision to reverse a pledge on allowing unfettered web access proved an embarrassment for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which had repeatedly said foreign press would not face any Internet curbs in Beijing.

It was also the latest in a long line of issues to have tarnished the run-up to the Olympics, which start on August 8, following controversies over pollution, human rights and terrorism threats.

Beijing Olympic organising committee spokesman Sun Weide triggered the latest public relations flare-up when he confirmed foreign reporters would not have access to some sites deemed sensitive by China's communist rulers.

"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," Sun said.

However "sufficient access" falls short of the complete Internet freedoms for foreign reporters that China had promised in the run-up to the Games.

Sun specified sites linked to the Falungong spiritual movement, which is outlawed in China, as ones that would remain censored for the foreign press at Olympic venues.

He did not identify any others but reporters trying to surf the Internet at the main press centre for the Games on Wednesday found a wide array of sites deemed sensitive by China's rulers to be out-of-bounds.

These included sites belonging to Tibet's government-in-exile and Amnesty International, as well as those that had information on the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in which the military used deadly force to crush democracy protests.

[rockinqsranch]

“Are you pondering what I’m pondering?” What if China hosted the Olympic Games and nobody came?

[am452]

Add to that the dust and sand blowing in from the Gobi desert and you have a real environmental mess. I wore a mask even back then.

A local guy described his visit to China several years back in the newspaper. He wore one of those cheap white mask. Said the front of it was black after being out all day. Wow.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Sorry yeah, you said it. I didn’t recall the handle.

I DO know and understand that 12, trust me. I’m not some stay-at-home guy who flies his Arm Chair by the seat of my pants.

I’ve been to China. I’ve been to 44... check that, 45 countries in my life and of those only four were for “vacation”.

I’ve seen the world and know and understand what America is up against.

I also have seen, first hand what Communism is about, and dealt with it personally.

What you say is true, but regardless, China is STILL a Communist country. They are, for some reason not understood by me, “trading partners” with the US and other Western countries.

They have some of the WORST cases of human rights abuses in the WORLD, followed closely by places like Cuba and some third world countries.

Now, you can say what you like.... about the government of China, but it IS a communist country. It is LISTED as a Communist country, so regardless of your personal view, the correct designation is “Communist State”. So, sorry that you want to believe something that isn’t really true, but the facts is facts.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html

Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: People’s Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhongguo
abbreviation: PRC

Government type:
Definition Field Listing

Communist state

Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Beijing

geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

[DGHoodini]

Ahhh what the hell...The bribes the Chinese gave the IOC were big enough...and that’s the only way *any* city gets chosen as a host...by giving the best bribes to the members of the IOC board. Maybe they’ll tack on some supplemental bribes to make sure that China won’t be ruled out of any future Olymics for embarrassing the IOC by going back on the promise for unfettered Internet access.

[Rick.Donaldson]

KC, I wouldn’t call them an “idiot”. He is here, posting. 12gage... but you know I call people “Dumbasses” all the time, but there’s a good reason for it (and it’s mostly in fun and I blame it on “The ‘70s Show” and “Red” - and my Dad!) - so, I don’t think calling the person an “idiot” is right.

He’s got a right to his opinion - I disagree completely with his opinion and can prove him wrong, but that’s irrelevant.

China is a COMMUNIST REGIME, and is listed as a “Communist State” - that makes them COMMUNIST regardless of their “capitalist bent” of late.

Unless and until the GOVERNMENT changes it’s way of thinking and stops banning things, and jailing people for “speaking out”, they won’t be any different to me

[FreeAtlanta]

Boycott the games

[BenLurkin]

IOC admits Internet censorship deal with China
Reuters - Wed Jul 30, 9:42 AM ET BEIJING (Reuters) - Some International Olympic Committee officials cut a deal to let China block sensitive websites despite promises of unrestricted access, a senior IOC official admitted on Wednesday.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Oh and one more thing about china from the CIA World Book... something you ALL ought to look through from time to time...

Political parties and leaders:

Definition Field Listing
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP

[PapaBear3625]

If I’m a reporter, and I’m able to access my company’s site via VPN, then I’m able to bypass any and all restrictions that China might want to impose on me.

[DGHoodini]

Musta been some exceptionally *large* bribes. >BoD

[snarks_when_bored]

As I’ve been sayin’, they really are the Mao Games...

[Fedupwithit]

"Huh, you guys are commies????..then why am I seeing rudimentary free markets??"

-Homer Simpson

[RoadTest]

What a horrible country to try to hold the Olympics in!

[untrained skeptic]

It's too late to move the games now, but the IOC should refuse to let Chinese athletes participate in these games or the next couple Olympics if they don't start following through on their promises.

If the IOC is too cowardly to prohibit the Chinese athletes from participating in the Olympics on their home turf, they should still ban them from the next two.

[nothingnew]

Anyone going to or otherwise supporting this "NWO" communist charade is a fool or worse. I'm ashamed for my country and our athletes for even being there. I place no blame on our athletes.

FMCDH(BITS)

[rbmillerjr]

I see a Chinese PR:

EPIC FAIL

Coming on.

[BenLurkin]

I wonder — the internationalist types (you know, the ones that say “go world”) probably favor Internet censorship. For the common good of course.

[traumer]

[rbmillerjr]

lol, great pic.

I’ve seen DU’rs claim, “Chinese politicians are very progressive in their policies”.

The Dems used to at least believe in human rights, but now they don’t even hide their facist roots (thank you Jonah Goldberg)...I need to read that book.

[Truthsearcher]

Communism is about an economic and political philosophy. China is communist in name only, as they no longer subscribe the that philosophy. They are a Fascist country now more than they are a Communist country. Probably more in common with Nazi Germany than they do with Soviet Russia.

Saying that China is no longer Communist isn’t trying to put them in a better light, it’s just an accurate description of their political structure.