Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech last week about China and free speech has not been warmly received by the Chinese government. According to Min Dahong, the Chairman of the Beijing Association of Online Media, Clinton’s insinuation that “China lacks freedom of information and speech is in fact disrespectful and doesn’t stand up.”
Meanwhile, China continues to block its citizens from accessing Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
China also filters Google search results and access to various other Google services, undoubtedly in the name of freedom of information and speech. Google has announced that it is considering closing down shop in China altogether due to these actions. While I’m sure there’s a shrewd business decision behind that announcement, rather than any measure of ethical or moral ideals, Google has gotten a lot of good press in the West because of it. Not so much in China, though.
Mika Salakka is a Finn living in the United States. He is a nursing assistant, a creative writer, a devoted husband, and an observer of the human condition. His interests range from music and literature to psychology, sociology, medicine, technology, and spirituality.