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10:01 |
GlobalPost |
Greetings all |
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10:02 |
GlobalPost |
Welcome to GlobalPost's Membership Chat with the one and only Kathleen McLaughlin |
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10:02 |
GlobalPost |
Katheen, our senior correspondent in Beijing, has been living in China for a decade |
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10:02 |
GlobalPost |
Today, we have asked her to join us |
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10:02 |
GlobalPost |
to discuss the news of the day in China |
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10:03 |
GlobalPost |
I thought we'd start with Liu Xiaobo |
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10:03 |
GlobalPost |
and all the controversy surrounding his Nobel |
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10:04 |
GlobalPost |
Kathleen, how has China reacted to the announcement? |
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10:04 |
GP-ChatHost |
Just a note to the audience, if you have a question that you would like to ask Kathleen, simply enter: "/MSG GP-ChatHost.. |
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10:04 |
GP-ChatHost |
Followed by your message |
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10:04 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Officially, China has reacted angrily -- calling in an interference in their internal affairs and saying the Nobel committee gave the award to a convict. |
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10:05 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Unofficially, it's tough to tell because the news and any citizen reaction has been heavily censored. |
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10:05 |
GlobalPost |
has the reaction of the citizenry been different? |
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10:06 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Well, it's difficult to know for sure because online mentions are censored pretty quickly. But one of the interesting things to follow was an open letter this week from several former Party officials calling for freedom of the press. |
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10:07 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
And on platforms like Twitter, there's certainly been ongoing discussion of an support for Liu. |
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10:07 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Still, that's a pretty limited section of the population. |
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10:08 |
GlobalPost |
is it a matter of not a lot of people knowing about it? |
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10:08 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Definitely. The news has been completely censored in China, so those who know about it tend to be intellectuals or younger people who know how to jump the Great Firewall. |
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10:09 |
GlobalPost |
have there been any unexpected reactions? |
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10:10 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
I'd say China's official reaction was fairly predictable, but the fact that they have placed Liu's wife under house arrest, along with several other writers and dissidents, was jarring. |
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10:11 |
GlobalPost |
will china let liu or his wife travel to Norway to accept the prize? i'm thinking not. |
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10:11 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Also, this open letter from the Party officials was completely unexpected, but it's not clear how much of that is related directly to Liu and how much is internal politics. |
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10:12 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
China hasn't said if he or his wife will be able to go to Norway -- given that today they said the award interfered in their judicial affairs, I can't imagine they'll let him go anywhere. |
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10:12 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
She's another matter. |
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10:12 |
GlobalPost |
we have a question from our readers/viewers/audience/friends |
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10:12 |
GP-ChatHost |
milesahead: How much sway do former Party officials have in China? I'm wondering how significant this open letter was this week, and what it might say about the debates about openness that must be happening at the highest levels. |
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10:13 |
GP-ChatHost |
Again, if you would like to ask Kathleen a question, simply enter: "/MSG GP-ChatHost FOLLOWED BY YOUR MESSAGE" without the quotes |
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10:14 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
It's really hard to say, I think given the total lack of transparency about what's happening in the government right now. There's widespread speculation of an internal struggle between reformers and hardliners ahead of 2012. The letter's real impact could be if Chinese media decided to take it as a cue and push the limits of censorship. |
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10:14 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
They've tested the waters before but are under fairly strong pressure now. |
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10:15 |
GlobalPost |
does china see the peace prize as backlash against its economic and political rise? |
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10:15 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Definitely. There have been some commentaries in state-run media saying it bolstered the idea that the West fears China's rise. |
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10:16 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
It's a pretty standard thing for them to say, but doesn't indicate their diplomatic skills are improving with their growing clout. |
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10:17 |
GlobalPost |
just a note to say that this chat is now open to all |
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10:17 |
GlobalPost |
i thought some of the others logged in might have questions about liu |
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10:17 |
GlobalPost |
feel free to ask them if you do! |
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10:17 |
GlobalPost |
otherwise, maybe we can move on to another hot news item |
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10:18 |
GlobalPost |
Kathleen, you've done some great reporting concerning Foxconn, iPad manufacturer based in Taiwan |
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10:19 |
GlobalPost |
a new report out this week that we got an early peak at challenged them over labor rights issues |
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10:19 |
GlobalPost |
how has China reacted to news of that report? |
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10:19 |
Gligorea |
Is that he can not get to award mean he can not accept? will be taken back? forgive english |
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10:20 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Hi Gligorea -- nobody really knows at this point. I think the hope is that his wife can go and accept the award, but she remains under house arrest and he is still in prison. We're all waiting to hear what will happen next. |
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10:21 |
GlobalPost |
keep us posted on that front kathleen |
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10:21 |
NYCreader |
have it be taken back before? |
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10:21 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
@NYCreader I don't think so -- haven't heard of that before. |
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10:22 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
The Foxconn issue is also now connected with censorship and freedom of expression in China, interestingly enough. |
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10:23 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Initially, Chinese media wrote extensively about the report and new charges. Now we're hearing that local media in Guangdong province has been ordered not to write about it. |
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10:23 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Guangdong is home to the country's most aggressive newspapers, so we'll see what they do. |
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10:24 |
GlobalPost |
i suppose that means there is no evidence of a push toward labor reform? |
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10:24 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
It's a little more complicated. They've allowed extensive reporting on Foxconn this year, plus a lot of other labor violations and strikes. Perhaps now they think it's reached a boiling point and they don't want to stir the pot further. |
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10:25 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
The government is interested in increasing pay scales and the caliber of manufacturing it has, but it was a pretty crazy summer with strikes and the like. |
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10:26 |
GlobalPost |
the government is earnestly interested in that? |
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10:27 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
They're definitely interested in raising the quality of manufacturing, wages, etc., and want China to be an innovator. Of course it's a process, though. A lot of people were surprised at the open reporting this summer on the strikes and unrest. |
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10:27 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
The censorship now is only in Guangdong province -- where Foxconn's biggest factory is located. |
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10:28 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Media in Beijing, etc., is writing about the report. But the government may have been employing of their "release valves" this summer when they let the strikes and anger well up publicly. |
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10:28 |
GlobalPost |
interesting |
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10:28 |
GlobalPost |
what are foxconn's customers saying? |
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10:28 |
GlobalPost |
Apple, Dell, HP |
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10:28 |
GlobalPost |
and other tech giants? |
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10:28 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Not a thing. |
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10:29 |
GlobalPost |
really? |
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10:29 |
GlobalPost |
what do you make of that? |
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10:29 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Yes. But Foxconn put out a huge statement denying the report's allegations, which they haven't done before (statements) |
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10:29 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
That might indicate they're getting more pressure from customers. |
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10:30 |
GlobalPost |
what do you think the fallout from the report will be? |
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10:31 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
It depends on how seriously Foxconn's customers and the government take the allegations. The report is calling on Foxconn's customers to ease up on the bottom line -- since of course that's where all the pressure on workers comes from. |
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10:31 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
They're also asking the government to allow real collective bargaining and enforce labor laws. |
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10:31 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
I guess it's important that these issues haven't gone away, so it'll be tougher to ignore the report. |
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10:32 |
GlobalPost |
since we're actually nearing the end of our chat |
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10:32 |
GlobalPost |
i wanted to just ask, lastly, whether you had anything you wanted to say about Chinese currency hitting a new high? |
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10:33 |
Rumsfeld |
Its about time |
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10:33 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Just quickly -- I don't think it's anything big, yet. China won't make a big move on currency until its good and ready and only they know when that will be. |
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10:33 |
GlobalPost |
so, no movement in the near future you don't think? |
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10:34 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
It may continue to rise gradually, but they've been pretty clear they're sticking to their own timetable -- and only they know what that is. |
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10:34 |
GlobalPost |
indeed |
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10:34 |
GlobalPost |
that seems to be theme throughout the chat |
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10:35 |
GlobalPost |
the Chinese government keeping the information to itself |
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10:35 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
That's how they operate -- most of the time. Makes for interesting reporting, but lots of guessing and lots of wrong guesses. |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
well, we thank you for keeping us all up to speed, kathleen |
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10:36 |
Kathleen-McLaughlin |
Thanks very much! |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
it's always great to hear what's going on from the field |
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10:36 |
NYCreader |
Thanks |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
thank you for joining us today |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
and thank you to everyone who joined us |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
stay tuned for the next chat |
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10:36 |
Rumsfeld |
Indeed |
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10:36 |
GlobalPost |
information on GP Membership site |
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10:37 |
GlobalPost |
until next time |
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10:37 |
GlobalPost |
we |
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10:37 |
GlobalPost |
are |
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10:37 |
GlobalPost |
GlobalPost |
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