Hullabaloo within the Media of China and Tibet :: Government China Tibet Essays

Hullabaloo within the Media of China and Tibet Since the 19th century, relations between the Chinese government and the people of Tibet have continually been on the decline. While there are many issues which lie at the heart of this conflict, recent events have drawn more focus to the economic relationship between the two. In February 2001, China passed legislation giving the needed approval to begin construction on the controversial Qinghai-Tibet railway. Stretching from mainland China to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous region, completion of 'the world's tallest railway' would join together two regions previously only connected by air and treacherous roads (WTNN par1-2, 7). This development, while fully supported by the Chinese government, is receiving heavy scrutiny from the people and the government of Tibet. This controversy does not revolve around the railway itself, but rather the effect it will have. In the wake of this debate, the challenge lies with the media to present a clear, unbiased report of the argume nts, without taking up sides. Examination of the Chinese nationalist press and the news reports from the Tibetan nationalist groups, as well as a glance at third party news sources, proves there is little media coverage which does not carry with it some undertones of a political or social nature. These underlying connotations, uniquely created to reach each target audience, function to affect the message received by the average reader. An analysis of the target audience of each media source reveals not only the type of undertone presented, but also its predicted effectiveness. In China, there is one national English language newspaper: China Daily. Because it is written in English, and as a result of its online availability, one can reasonably assume the target audience for this newspaper is most notably people residing outside of mainland China. On March 9, 2001, China Daily published an article providing quotes and excerpts from speeches made by deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) during their annual session. Among the speakers on the topic of new railway development was Lobsang Gyaincain, an NPC deputy and the mayor of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. In his address, he highlights the benefits of building the Qinghai-Tibet railway, citing its ability to "enhance exchanges between ethnic groups, reinforce economic development in Western China, and modernize the concepts and styles of Tibet while not posing a threat on people's religious beliefs" (China Daily 4,6).