The journalists' rule of thumb in China is that you cannot report the
so-called three Ts - Tiananmen, Taiwan or Tibet. But it turns out there is also
another T that upsets Chinese censors.
Jeff Sun is the scion of one of
China's new rich and the founder of the "China Super Car Club". He
has got so many he cannot even remember them all.
With a bit of head scratching he
can list the two Lamborghinis, the two Ferraris, the Audi R8 and the Maserati.
But then there is a long pause before his face suddenly lights up.
"Ah yes," he says,
"and the Bentley".
We met Jeff while reporting on
the yawning chasms of inequality that have opened up in Chinese society.
We filmed in some of the poorest
communities I have ever visited - Chinese villages where no-one has ever owned
a car and where they still till their fields using a single donkey, shared between
dozens of farmers.
China still claims to be a
communist society and has a fearsome reputation for censorship, so why was it
happy for us to do this?
The answer says a lot about both
China's ambitions and the challenges the country faces.
A couple of years ago I made
another series, this one about China's great expansion into the world over the
last decade.
I had not expected the Beijing
government to like the films. We met some very sympathetic Chinese people but
we showed the corruption and brutality of others.
Yet, shortly after the programmes
were broadcast, I received an email from a senior official at the Chinese
embassy inviting me to tea at a London hotel. It said the Embassy had liked my
programmes.
In the genteel grandeur of the
hotel the embassy official told me why.
"We thought you were
fair," she said. "You showed the Chinese people as they are."
She took a sip of tea from the
bone china cup and told me the rest of the world seemed to think that the
Chinese did not have the same hopes, fears and ambitions as everyone else.
"They believe China is a
threat to other nations. We want people to understand they do not need to be
afraid of us," she said.
My guess is we were allowed to
explore the eye-watering inequities in Chinese society because the government
reckoned that on balance we would again, present a sympathetic picture of
Chinese people.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
China may be undergoing the most
incredible economic transformation, but the Chinese Communist Party's instincts
have not changed”
Furthermore - by showing just how
rich many had become the government knew we would project a powerful message
about China's success.
At the same time the poverty of
hundreds of millions of others, would illustrates the huge challenges the
country still faces.
Nevertheless we did not entirely
escape the censors.
The journalists' rule of thumb is
that you cannot report the so-called three Ts - Tiananmen, Taiwan or Tibet.
We inadvertently discovered a
fourth T.
In an article in the country's
English language newspaper, China Daily, I came across an editorial featuring
stinging criticism of China from the WTO. Not the World Trade Organisation,
this was the less well-known World Toilet Organisation.
This WTO had ranked China as
having the worst public toilets in all Asia. The paper explained how, in
response, Beijing had introduced rigorous new hygiene standards - now no more
than two flies are now allowed in any public toilet.
The paper was in no doubt about
the importance of the issue. "Clean public toilets are the symbol of a
civilized society," it thundered. The controversy made me chuckle and I
mentioned to our government minder that I wanted to cover this storm in a
toilet bowl.
It was Mr Chen's job to ensure we
did not break any reporting rules. He had been a cheerful, relaxed companion
throughout our three-week journey, but now his face darkened.
"I do not think that would
be a good idea," he said gravely.
I laughed, assuming he was just
being a bit conservative.
"No", he emphasised.
"I really do not think that is a good idea."
I said it would only take a
couple of minutes. Just a bit of fun.
Mr Chen vanished for a few
moments. When he returned his manner was forbidding.
"I am sorry Justin but I
have to tell you cannot report this story at all."
This was getting serious. Our
Chinese fixer was visibly anxious and quietly warned me that if this went any
further Mr Chen was likely to close down our production completely.
I was learning an important
lesson. China may be undergoing the most incredible economic transformation,
but the Chinese Communist Party's instincts have not changed.
It may let you speak to the idle
rich and the abject poor but threaten to embarrass it - even with something as
trivial as some criticism from the World Toilet Organisation - and the sinews
of power become all too apparent.
We were close to the end of our
long journey and could not afford to jeopardise our project now.
I decided I had to close the door
on the Chinese toilets.
Justin Rowlatt
Business & Investment Opportunities
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