Western Media and China offers some interesting perspectives. (link via ch-ch-ch china) Some of which are disappointingly chauvinistic.

He argues that Taiwan 'independence forces' are the problem, not mainland missiles. (The quotes are his, and a Chinese way of communicating a sneer.)

China always regards Taiwan as part of China. But unfortunately, America often gives Taiwan some wrong hints that it will support Taiwan....For the interest of its own, America doesn't want give up its "hand" on Taiwan.

Why does China insist so vociferously that Taiwan is part of China? Is it just that the leadership is still "standing up" to foreign domination? Why don't they pursue corruption and the poor treatment of people living in the countryside? As for the US, admittedly it supports Taiwan partly because it's suspicious of China's ambitions to become the East Asian leader, but this is not simply neo-imperialism. Americans don't trust China largely because it's not a democratic country. On the other hand, if the Taiwanese people decided they wanted to be united with China, the US wouldn't stop them. Why does the Communist Party not want to hear what the Taiwanese people feel? They won't even let them hold a referendum.


Then he's sensitive about criticisms of China's lack of freedom of religion. Even though I find religious beliefs to be largely foolish, it's clear this guy just doesn't get the idea of freedom of thought. For him, the suppression of religious belief is not a matter of human rights, but is "normal". And anyway, it's alright, because the Communist Party pretends that the "Chinese people have the freedom of believing in religion". As long as they do it the way the government wants.

He angrily says that WaPo's John Pomfret should "shut up" instead of regarding China as a "den of thieves". Since products such as Nike shoes are the fruit of low salaries the Americans pay workers in other countries, he claims Americans are "thieves of human labour". But if Americans paid higher prices, why bother to produce the shoes in a low-wage country? Meanwhile, apparently it's OK for Chinese manufacturers to pay low wages.

He points out the contradiction between those who urged China to join the WTO and those who are now afraid of it, apparently unaware that it's different groups that he's talking about. And he shows some contradictions of his own:

I don't know if Americans still remember that during their golden days, how much they have taken from others to make them the richest people in the world....After all those years, China finally opens its market and has started to make its people a better life. Is there a problem?

Even if one accepts his foolish assumption (that he probably learned in school), that capitalism is exploitation, apparently it's OK when the Chinese do it. Oh, wait, China is still a market economy, not capitalism. He's still swallowing the party line!