A top Senate Democrat is asking 30 leading technology, Internet and communications companies to provide detailed descriptions of their operations and human rights practices in China.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois sent letters to the companies on Tuesday seeking information about their business in China and their plans for protecting human rights, free speech and privacy there.
Durbin’s letter comes nearly three weeks after Google said it would stop censoring search results in China and threatened to pull out of the country altogether after uncovering a hacking attack emanating from China and attempts to snoop on dissidents.
When I was living in Beijing, I got requests like this about once a year. Some US governmental figures would come to this capital of China, gather a roomful of representatives from US companies, and seek information from us. About half of the room would be bi-lingual (I was one) and others will be Mandarin-challenged. We would have lived in Beijing for one to 15 years. Every time, we would leave the room shaking our heads.
There would be two primary purposes for such information gathering: they had a foregone conclusion and needed data to back them up; they were seeking re-election and needed a check mark next to China on their resumes. Of course, like all good politicians, they all sounded sincere when they listened.
Are human rights, freedom of speech, and privacy bad in China? Yes, they are. Do they affect business operations there? No, they don’t. Do most Chinese care as much as the US? No, they don’t. Do we assist the China government in those practices? Well, we obey laws of both countries.
Sen. Durbin no doubt is proud of these tenets of the USA values. I have certainly enjoyed and appreciated the freedom and justice here and wouldn’t dream of raising a family anywhere else. Like myself, many people came to the US because of these values and will stay for the same.
Our politicians and media, however, treat these values religiously — whoever disagree or practice differently are evil or wrong. They must be converted! This habitual imperialism came from the absolute superiority that we once were. It is now hurting the US, particularly economically.
I do not agree with China in many ways. I do not agree with the US in probably no less. I am comfortable, in fact enjoy, being a resident of both countries. I have friends in pretty much all major religions in this world, I enjoy talking to them on various religious matters. Those who tried to convert me would quickly lose my friendship and I certainly reciprocate the respect to those who do not.