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There is life apart from Luton!

Once upon a time I used to get around rather a lot! Now I catch the bus up and down the road into the centre of Luton!  I see as much of the world and the diversity of the people God made for it there as I ever did in my travels!  I love the work I have found myself doing these past three years, and especially since early 2009. This town has won my heart!

However I have to confess that there is another place in my life.  For many years now I have had a deep sense of call to the great nation of China. For some years I was working there regularly, in particular taking groups for cultural exchange. I have visited many places around the nation, have many friends there, and love it.  Maybe more on all that another time - maybe!  In 2008 my wife and I enjoyed the Olympic summer in China  based in Nanjing - and while we went with no real intention to attend the games, or even to get to Beijing, we did in fact get to one of the top nights of Athletics in the Birds Nest!

The focus of my work here in Luton and there in China is the same - peacemaking and reconciliation. Working in China I am deeply aware of the lasting legacy of the history of the relationship of Britain, and the west, with China.  As British people we did some pretty awful stuff. Its true of other nations as well.  I am also very aware of the impact of China's own internal history, during the Empire, under the nationalist government of Chiang Kai Shek, and through the Civil War and the terrible years of Mao's Cultural Revolution, and even more recently.  As a Christian I am also deeply aware of the issues surrounding the church in China, and the deep challenges in relationship between the Registered Church (often called the Three Self patriotic Movement) and the unregistered church.  We have spent many hours talking over these things, and on several occasions I have been able to take groups to visit and become aquainted themselves with all that has taken place. And in recent years I have been building relationship with a Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Nanjing University.

As I have found myself getting more and more involved in Luton, I have often wondered where China fits. For various family and personal reasons it was not the time to take forward any plans there, but there has always been a sense of "What now?!"  So now I am going back for 10 days to see one or two people in particular, renew several friendships, talk to a few people and to see what if there is anything more for me there just now.I don't expect we will be leavign Luton -m at least not any time soon!  But it will be interesting to see what can or might be.

I'll be posting some  pieces on here on China these next days. Or to be true, probably cross posting with my dedicated - but rather neglected - China site www.ChinaEncounters.co.uk  . There maybe some stuff on regaular fare as well - Muslim Christian relations, Luton, etc.  as that is never very far from my mind.   

"a simple gesture of respect" : Humility in International Relations.

I made a few comments yesterday about President Obama's bow to Saudi King Abdullah when they met at the G20 last week.

A simple bow by the most powerful man in the world

The story has grown over these past 24 hours.

Time correspondent Scott MacLeod wrote in his Middle East Blog post yesterday: Why Obama's Saudi Bow was Not a Kow-Tow:

.... it's common sense to accord the Kingdom's elderly monarch a simple gesture of respect. For Obama, who unapologetically seeks to build bridges between Islam and the West, perhaps it's second nature, too.

I think that just about sums up what it amounted to - a simple gesture of respect.

Yet that is not how it seems to conservatives in the US:

On Fox News:  Obama's Apparent Bow to Saudi King Outrages Conservatives   speaks of the bitter taste left in many conservatives. At writing there were 263 comments, most very angry.

24thState.com, the writing of a self-described average man from Missouri, is horrified:  Obama Bows To The King Of Saudi Arabia.  He writes:

Notice he does a full bow, with his right leg going back to support his weight as his knee bends.  Bending your knee is a supremely different bow then bending from the waist.  It's a practiced bow you give to a man you consider your superior.  It's not a sign of respect. It's a sign of subservience.

and that is not OK.

On WorldNet Daily we read: Obama Bows to Saudi King. They quote Jamie Glazov, the author of a book "United in Hate," which claims to "analyze the Left's contemporary romance with militant Islam". He said: "Obama's act actually was to be expected:"

 Leftists have prostrated themselves before despots throughout history – during the whole Cold War and now vis-à-vis jihadists in the terror war. 'United in Hate' crystallizes with precision how and why this dark process occurs."  He cited the Obamas' less formal interaction with the queen earlier.

"Obviously, the queen does not wield totalitarian power and does not mete out sadistic punishment – with which a believer yearns to identify. The Saudi king, meanwhile, is a tyrannical entity to which Obama can subjugate his individuality – and through which he can vicariously experience a feeling of power and purpose.

With respect, what garbage. As is most of the comment which to be honest still sees Obama as a closet Muslim. 

And the Weekly Standard focuses on the NYT which ignored the bow:  The NYTimes Bows Before Obama, seeing conspiracy as ever.

I am reminded of a key moment in the history of China when in 1793 British Ambassador George Macartney refused to Kowtow to the Emperor of China. The Macartney Embassy was in Beijing to persuade the Chinese to ease restrictions on trade between Great Britain and China, one result of which would be to allow Britain to sell opium to China.  It was correct form for anyone coming before the emperor to kowtow  ( 叩头: Kòu tóu ), "an act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground."  Macartney refused to so honour the emperor and the embassy failed. The issue then as now was that it seemed to them that for Macartney, to kowtow would be to acknowledge that his boss, George III, was subject to the Chinese Emperor.

Previous official visitors from Europe had kowtowed, and a few did in later years, but the last decade of the eighteenth century saw Europe and especially Britain on the rise to world domination, and very conscious of their own status in a way that had not previously been the case.  Yet in my analysis that simple refusal  is the hinge point in the relationship between China and the West. The failure to honour, or perhaps it should be said, the dishonouring of the emperor, set in process a decline in relationships between Britain and China that still has to be properly reversed.

Dishonour is a powerful thing. I once asked a Chinese person what reconciliation would look like in China. In other words what would give it meaning. His answer: honour. In my experience that has proved true. To honour is to reverse the trend of dishonour that China has felt from the west.  And I do not believe it is only true of China. Its hard to know what was going through President Obama's mind, maybe it was just an intuitive gesture from a man who is attuned to different cultural values, but my response is "watch this space". It opened the door to his words about US relations with the Islamic world being heard later in the week.      

The bow, the kowtow, indeed any other stylysed form of greeting; its all the same. All are expressions of greetings protocol that are typical of formal traditional cultures where. To go through the ritual is to go through a gate, to enter a circle of acceptance, to gain freedom to speak, to negotiate, etc. We do  not understand that sort of culture. In the west formal protocol of greeting is all but gone, and no more so than in America. A shake of the hand, Hi!, a few words are all that is done - to seniors or younger, men or women, whatever their status. That is the protocol that so many bloggers seem to be defending in this story.

The message seems to be that participating in a greeting that involves humbling oneself is OK if you belong in that culture. Though to be honest even that is a grudging acceptance, with a very strong undertone of "our way is better and more civilised". Read  Barack takes a bow, the Washington Times piece which has caused so much of the stir.    

But it is definitely not the way Americans and so much of the West want to do diplomacy. I want to suggest that if there is any true greatness in our nations and their cultures, it will be reflected by a willingness to let go of that self-conscious hanging on to our reputation however many people we offend along the way. To be humble is not self deprecation; it is to admit who you are, and recognise the other person for who they are and even more, who God made them to be. That is what I see so often in Barack Obama. That is true greatness. And with that spirit it is possible to do a 90degree bow or a full flat kowtow  and really mean it, even as a Christian President in front of a Muslim king or a Chinese Emperor. In the world of diplomacy today such a gesture is about honour, not obeisance or fealty.

I applaud Barack Obama's "simple gesture of respect."   And I look forward to the result.

China's official denomination leaders reach out to 'house churches'

This is wonderful news - its already been happenng informally in many place, but now that it is announced as policy is better.

China's official denomination leaders reach out to 'house churches'.

Its a real mark of the degree of change that is going on and has been going on in China.

A Nobel Prize for a dissident

Hu Jia is in prison in China, a rights activist. He is being spoklen of as a possible winner of the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced on October 10th. Would it serve his purpose and the purpose of freedom to honour him in this way, or is there a way that allows more constructive dialogue with China?

Link: BBC NEWS | The Reporters | James Reynolds' China.

Winning Hong Kong hearts

In an article a cuple of days ago in the Asia Times Online the trend among young Hong Kong Chinese (emphasise ethicity) to call themselves Chinese Hong Kong Citizens (emphasise nationality) or even Chinese nationals has grown this year.   

The latest survey shows that a majority of Hong Kong residents of Chinese origin now are happy to identify themselves as "Chinese nationals" or "Chinese Hong Kong citizens", as a result of rising nationalism boosted by the Beijing Summer Olympic Games and the relief effort following the Sichuan earthquake which killed tens of thousands

The actual figures cited in the poll are:

38.6% of the respondents identified themselves as Chinese citizens, against a mere 18.6% in 1997.

The percentage of respondents who now identify themselves as Chinese citizens or Chinese Hong Kong citizens in the latest poll is 58%.

I am not suprised. My frequent contact with students (late teems and young twenties) these past years has identified them as lacking the deep-rooted fear of their parents or even those  or even the thirty somethings. The first had their teenage years in the ten years leading up and were impacted by the insecurity of that period; the latter still had to learn trust.  As the article notes: "It has been said that while Beijing had taken back the land, it had yet to win back the hearts of Hong Kong's people."

Well there is nothing like a party or a disaster to win hearts and both have seemingly done their job widening the net.

The article goes on to express concern voiced in a recent Hong Kong Journalists Association report at the implications for free speech of risin nationalism. I recognise it is a potential. But I am not convinced it helps to seek to scare HK citizens way from embrace of China?    Lets rather engage more positively with China and indeed those who are newly discovering their identity as citizens of this great nation.

Global Attitudes Survey

The Pew Global Attitudes Project has some fascinating research on how people regard the US, China, Asian powers generally, India, Russia, Iran, the Economy and the Environment. There is an overview of it here.

Its hard to single out any focus; they are all hugely important for world peace. I will join with Shanghaiist whsoe headline reads: PEW Global Attitudes Project: Approval down, respect up for China. Particularly striking is the response to the question: Is holding the Olympics in China a good decision or a bad decision? In Britain 38% thought it  bad idea, but at least 50% approved the decision. However in the US 43% thought it a bad idea and less, 41%, a good idea. 55% of French opposed the decision, with only 45% agreeing.

The Chinese have some work to do during these games. But I am not sure they are going to suceed with so many commited to making sure they don't. 

China's most famous foreigner

For all his celebrity in China, Dashan is a man who breaks stereotypes, and thus makes for peace.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China's most famous foreigner.

There are now many foreigners in China who speak excellent Chinese, but somehow Dashan is the only one who has nationwide recognition. In order to achieve that, Mark Rowswell appears to have emphasised Dashan's blandness, his acceptability to ordinary Chinese people. "Some foreigners say I'm too soft, that there's no edge to Dashan," he said, citing his refusal to get drawn into political issues. But he added: "The whole Western perception of China is so heavily politicised that it's important for some of us to say politics isn't everything." Such diplomatic language is the reason why Dashan will probably remain popular in China for some time to come.

Maybe we should heed Dashan's words for this season.

The Ping Heard Round the World

As we approach another "Ping Pong moment" in the history of Chinese international relations, it is fascinating to read the TIME account of the original moment in 1971 when Table Tennis opened the doors to a previously closed China. 

Ping Pong Diplomacy Rematch is a TIME China blog post that makes some comment and links to the original TIME article.

The Ping Heard Round the World -- TIME

Can you be cynical in the face of such words?

There has been a lot of comment on how China has reacted differently after the earthquake. Its true, and I dare to hope for it to be long term. Read these words by "Grandpa Wen" as he calls himself, or Wen Jianbao in ordinaryspeak. And look at his photo.

Premier Wen's dialogue touches quake-affected people - People's Daily Online.

I dare to believe that even if it was not genuine at the start, it is now.  People can change. And proximity to those in great need can be an instrument for change.

Tiananmen Revisited

This last Wednesday I was asked if there was anything significant about the day, June 4th. It took me a few hours to remember. For the first ten years after 1989 it was at the forefront of my mind every year; more recently its lost its prominence. Of course this year with all things China in the press, on television, etc it was a bit more high profile.

As I have reflected on my lack of remembering overb these past days, at first I felt bad, but then with reflection I thought 'no, maybe thats good.' I cannot live in the past. Moreover I cannot continue to judge China by the past. Of course there needs to be remembering, a revisiting, but for an increasing number that event is no longer the defining moment of their lives, at least in an obvious way.

As I finally got to read a few of the articles that were raking through the event, it turns out I was not the only one thinking it would be good to move on - and that is not including the Chinese government. It turns out that was the theme of amny writers as they remnisced, or sought to understand how others were feeling.

That was the theme of 6:4, a short piece on the Time Magazine China blog. Simon Elegant was briefly reviewing a piece in the Times by Ma Jian -- On the 19th anniversary of Tiannamen, Ma Jian speaks out against the silence of Chinese writers. Ma Jian, living in exile from China in London, has recently released  Beijing Coma which is set against the background of the events in Beiing of May and June 1989. Elegant strongly criticises Chinese writers for not speaking out and choosing to be establishment.

... Obviously for Ma, who lives in exile, this was the central experience of his life and remains a critical turning point in China's history. But to other Chinese, including many of the younger writers he lambastes ("They purport to be apolitical, but their refusal to question the fundamental structures of society is itself a political act.") there's no doubt that the Tiananmen protests do seem an awfully long time ago, practically ancient history. ...

Maybe thats the reason why its not in my mind now. Its not in the conversation repertoire of the average Chinese student now, and there is a reluctance to talk about it. Is that fear, or lack of knowledge, or the inevitable consequence of the 'me generation' or the little emperors as they are so often known? (Though Elegant notes tha a lot of the prediction as to the selfishness of that generation has been demolished by their huge response to the earthquake appeals.)  Or is it also the fact that China does want to move on?

Meanwhile in Hong Kong Austin Ramzy finds broadly the same approach in his Time China blog post - Tiananmen and the Earthquake Effect.

... [people] aren't basing their opinions solely on what happened 19 years ago. When people generally think better of the Communist Party, as during the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and just after the government has done a good job of disaster recovery after a deadly earthquake, then they don't think so negatively about a horrible incident nearly 20 years ago. ...

Shanghaiist, from China writes 19 years ago today, reviewing what different publications and bloggers have to say about the anniversary and events from the perspective of 19 years on. There are some graphic and disturbing accounts among them, and its very easy to end up very angry, but remember, things have moved on. And while the past cannot just be left behind - it has a worrying ability to catch up with us - there are ways and seasons for dealing with it.   

Wang Jianshou on his blog wrote: I hope we can start to talk about history.  He hopes for the opoortunity to discuss this event as well as others: "... I do hope that one day, China really opens up and allow people to discuss about what happened in the past. With enough wisdom, we can face it and find a better way to solve problems."  His analysis is that both sides need to take responsibility for what happened: "... at the beginning, everything went one well, but at the later stage, one side is a crazy government and the other side is a group of crazy students, both of which didn't give any room to another alternative."  His blog is one of the most read from China and you can read a whole spectrum o comments at the bottom of his post.

I await June 4th 2009 to see whether I, the blogosphere and the media remember what is special about the date.