China Radio International

On Thursday, I was invited to take part in a panel discussion about moral ethics in China by China Radio International. A producer from the English language service got in touch after reading my article about Little Yueyue and China’s moral crisis　ｉｎ　Ｏｂｓｅｒｖｅｒ.

Here’s the link: http://english.cri.cn/8706/2011/11/03/2861s665669.htm

The one hour long program was live, presented by a young American Brandon with a booming voice and a soft-spoken Chinese lady. The other panelist is David Moser, an American academic and an old China hand. Since China Radio International is one of the three oldest state-owned media, along with China National Radio and China Central TV, I asked before the show if there was restriction. One of the points I was going to make was the spiritual vacuum in today’s society as the result of the collapse of Communism　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ, both presenters assured me: “No worries. Say whatever you want.” Wow!　Ｗｅｌｌ，　Ｉ ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｅｎｃｏｒｓｈｉｐ　ｆｏｒ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｌａｎｇａｇｕｅ　ｍｅｄｉａ　ｉｓ　ｍｏｒｅ ｌｅｎｉｅｎｔ．

We began by talking about the state and sources of China’s moral ethics and then discussed the different aspects of morality, following roughly along the questions we were given the day before. One of such questions was if different countries ｈａｖｅ its own moral code. The answer is most definitely yes. As I was researching this, I came across a highly interesting book entitled Did the Pedestrian Die? ｂy Fons Trompenaars. The author interviewed many people from many different countries and asked them to put themselves in the same situation: you sit in a passenger seat, driven by a good friend of yours. He drives ｔｏｏ fast, say at 35 miles per hour and knocks down a pedestrian. There is no other witness. Would you lie to the police, ｃｌａｉｍｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ your friend is driving within the ｓｐｅｅｄ　limit? Almost all Swiss people say that under no circumstance they’d lie but 35% people from Venezuela say they would and it is the similar case in China. I am just surprised that the percentage isn’t higher, because it is a classic case to show compassion and kindness to people within guangxiwan – the network of connections.

In the final part of the ｐａｎｅｌ　ｄｉｓｃｕｓｓｉｏｎ, we talked about how to address the issue of moral decline. Legal enforcement, to start with. I am strongly in favour of introducing a law which imposes the duty to rescue – the only way to make people to take action. Of course it is not enough. There should be education.

Sure, China places so much emphasis on propaganda. But ｗｈａｔ　the kids get at school have been political education instead of moral education. And the young people often find the heroes they are introduced to irrelevant, such as semi-fictionalized Lei Feng who supposedly went out every Sunday to do good things for strangers. Ｓｏｍｅ　ｃａｌｌ　Ｌｅｉ　Ｆｅｎｇ　ｒｕｄｅｌｙ　ｓｈａｂｉ，　ｓｔｕｐｉｄ　ｃ．．ｔ．

In the long-run, the state-sponsored and enforced laws may not work that well. Look at Mao era, only an authoritarian aberration. The incentive　ｔｏ　ｂｅｃｏｍｅ　ａ　Ｓａｍａｒｉｔａｎ has to come from each individual. To reach that level, China needs to vigorously develop a civil society where the government can retreat a little bit and slowly and gradually plays a smaller role. And we need to introduce the idea of
humanitarianism – to show compassion to all fellow human beings, regardless of race or class，ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ　ｏｒ　ｓｔｒａｎｇｅｒｓ. Only in doing so that we can rise above the narrow confines of our net of guangxi.

I much enjoyed the experience. I often accept such invitationｓ to take part in panel discussionｓ, or to do some presentationｓ, such as the recent one at the US Embassy or to be interviewed by some media not only because I am flattered that people want to hear what I　ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ　ｓａｙ　ｂｕｔ　ａｌｓｏ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　Ｉ　ｅｎｊｏｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｔｅｌｌｅｃｔｕａｌ　ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｓ．　　Ｉ＇ｖｅ ｌｅａｒｎｔ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｍｏｒａｌｉｔｙ　ａｎｄ　ｅｔｈｉｃｓ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｃｈｅｒｉｓｈｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｈａｎｃｅ　ｔｏ ｖｏｉｃｅ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　Ｉ　ｆｅｅｌ　ｓｏ　ｐａｓｓｉｏｎａｔｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ．