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U.S. first lady promotes freedom of speech in China

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This will be edited out, anyway. Nice try, though, Michelle.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

"China blocks many foreign news sites and social media services such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Its army of censors routinely filters out information deemed offensive by the government."

The Chinese government is the most offensive group here, they oughta block themselves.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

She should continue her FREEDOM of SPEECH tour on over to CUBA and VENEZUELA too!!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The Pot and The Kettle.

Mr. Galt, the U.S. has many problems, but repression of free speech is not one of them.

I have to wonder if the Chinese government knew she was going to say anything about this. If they had, how could they stop her, other than cancelling her speech? Her words certainly won't get beyond the people who were actually there, but still...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

John GaltMar. 22, 2014 - 11:12PM JST

The Pot and The Kettle.

I suggest you read a transcript of former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao with CNN.. Basically what he was saying is that the PRC shares the same value on Freedom of Speech. Well, surprisingly right after this interview, China blocked a google access. There is no Freedom of Speech in China. If you want to know what's really going on, then you need to go around it though HongKong.

So you tell me it is still "The Pot and The Kettle", dear.

My High Five to Michelle Obama. . It is well spoken and delivered.

Zakaria:

When I go to China and I'm in a hotel and I type in the words Tiananmen Square in my computer, I get a firewall, what some people call the Great Firewall of China. Can you be an advanced society if you don't have freedom of information to find out information on the Internet?

Wen Jiabao:

China now has over 200 million Internet users, and the freedom of Internet in China is recognized by many, even from the west. Nonetheless, to uphold state security, China, like many countries in the world, has also imposed some proper restrictions. That is for the safety, that is for the overall safety of the country and for the freedom of the majority of the people.

I can also tell you on the Internet in China, you can have access to a lot of postings that are quite critical about the government.

It is exactly through reading these critical opinions on the Internet that we try to locate problems and further improve our work.

I don't think a system or a government should fear critical opinions or views. Only by heeding those critical views would it be possible for us to further improve our work and make further progress.

I frequently browse the Internet to learn about a situation.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

John GaltMar. 23, 2014 - 09:10AM JST

Toe the line or get harangued by party loyalists(plenty here on JT) for voicing dissent. Just different techniques of stifling free speech

Nothing to do with political party. Here are true issues of China. People of China still do not have an access to; YOUTUBE, Facebook, Twitter.

Please show me your logic of party loyalists to no access to these sites, will you?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

She said the free flow of information is crucial “because that’s how we discover truth, that’s how we learn what’s really happening in our communities, our country and our world.” She said it makes countries stronger “when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard.” “And that’s how we decide which values and ideas we think are best — by questioning and debating them vigorously, by listening to all sides of every argument and by judging for ourselves,” Obama said in her speech.

Nice speech to give in a country where "truth" is decided by the ruling party, voices, opinions, questions and debates of individuals and groups are ignored at best and persecuted at worst, and what values and ideas are best are decided by the government in which the Chinese citizen has no voice or vote. Good effort Michelle but no doubt your words will be censored out by the Chinese dictatorship.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I watched her speech on ABC News, She was talking to students and I wondered how she communicated. And moderator said these students Bei Jing I think understand whatever spoke in English. A Japanese man (his name was on screen that is why I knew he is a Japanese --- Chinese and Japanese, kind of hard to distinguish by looking) explained in English. So, she did not need an interpreter, She just spoke about freedom of speech and her husband etc. Students were listening. No sign of government officials shut her mouth or students' ears. Also I noticed she is handy with microphone. In my area, when newly elected US lawmakers and or some people have to go to talk on microphone, they have to be coached how to speak with microphone, She had no problem just talked to Chinese Univ Students, Beside that, someone designed her clothes elegantly.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Pot and The Kettle. Just different shades. Toe the line or get harangued by party loyalists(plenty here on JT) for voicing dissent. Just different techniques of stifling free speech.

US doesn't stifle free speech - spy on it, yes, but not stifle it. What free speech sites haven't you been able to access in the U.S.? The NSA would know about it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Pot and The Kettle.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

She could have been more effective promoting cultural exchange, children taking action to create a clean environment, alternative energy, children taking responsibility for the future by recycling, growing city gardens, solar energy ... education, health, caring for the land and not just being greedy little monkeys.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The Pot and The Kettle. Just different shades. Toe the line or get harangued by party loyalists(plenty here on JT) for voicing dissent. Just different techniques of stifling free speech.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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