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Category: Beth Loyd | Main

The Downfall of China's Richest Man

January 09, 2009 9:43 AM

BY BETH LOYD, ABC NEWS Beijing

“To Get Rich Is Glorious” –Deng Xiaoping

Huang Guangyu, 39, has been named one of the “most memorable faces in 2008” by the state-run China Daily newspaper, but not because he is considered the wealthiest man in China with an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion. Once called Asia’s Sam Walton, the shrewd businessman and founder of China’s largest appliance retailer is in police custody in Beijing. He is accused of manipulating share trading in two listed companies -- Sanlian Commercial Co. and Beijing Centergate Technologies -- among several other financial crimes.

The self-made billionaire and mastermind behind Gome, which boasts 1,300 outlets across China, may not go down alone. Huang Guangyu was detained on Nov. 24 and shortly thereafter his brother, Huang Junqin, founder and CEO of the real estate giant Beijing Towercrest, was also taken away by police and accused of “economic crimes.”

Now, Huang Guangyu’s 37-year-old wife, Du Juan, is reportedly under house arrest and under investigation. She’s served as Gome’s executive director since 2002 and played an important role in setting up a joint fund with Bear Stearns in March of 2007, according to Shanghai Daily. After Huang’s arrest in November, his wife’s whereabouts were “subject to wide speculation” and she was rumored to have fled China. Various reports have said that she was returned to Beijing from an unidentified location outside the city before Christmas and that the police will prevent her from leaving China.

Gome has been suspended from trading since Huang Guangyu was detained in late November. Recently, the Hong Kong-listed company fired Huang Guangyu from his executive duties and his wife resigned her post as well. State media have reported that Huang Guangyu is assisting police in their investigation.

Huang Guangyu’s life is a rags-to-riches story. He was born into poverty in the south and started his empire peddling electrical products in Beijing. He flourished by satisfying a nation of consumers hankering for a convenient and modern lifestyle. Du Juan met him when she was a clerk at the Bank of China and he was a client. They married in 1996. The Shanghai Daily reports that the couple has three children. In a country with a one-child policy, such extravagances are reserved only for the elite and wealthy.

According to official reports, authorities accuse Huang Guangyu of price share manipulation, money laundering, illicit asset transfers, tax evasion and bribing officials to gain approval for Gome’s 2006 share listing on the Hang Seng, Hong Kong’s stock exchange. Several senior Commerce Ministry officials have been implicated for alleged graft.

Information about Huang Guangyu’s private business dealings is scarce. China’s financial disclosure laws lag. And much of his wealth is reportedly spread about in several private companies. Some have speculated that the problems began when Huang Guangyu, faced with competition in the appliance business, began to branch out into real estate and financial dealings.

Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings says that the matter is “personal” and that the company is not involved with the suspected illegal activity. It has replaced its former bosses with new ones and is trying to regroup and move on.

Cases of illegal activity and corruption are common in China both among business leaders and government officials. “Guanxi” means “relationships” in Chinese. But in the business world here, guanxi is much more complex. It is the single most important principle and the key to success. What it often boils down to is networks of business people and officials exchanging favors. It can be harmless and legal, but often, just like in any other country in the world, humans can get greedy and carried away. Some experts say that corruption is the greatest threat to the Communist Party. Perhaps as a warning to others, Huang Guangyu’s case has been widely reported in state-run media.

Many of the most prosperous men and women in China try to avoid being honored on the “Wealthiest People” lists because it attracts attention to them and their business dealings. The China Daily, in its article naming Huang Guangyu one of the “most memorable faces in 2008,” summed it up best: “A police investigation of the mainland’s richest man, Huang Guangyu, made Chinese rethink trying to become a much-admired business tycoon.”

With China’s epic rise as an economic powerhouse and the scandals that have befallen it because of lack of structure and oversight, from poisonous toys to tainted baby formula, perhaps his situation is a metaphor for the country that made him so rich. As the China Daily put it, “His case revealed loopholes China ignored while concentrating on its economic growth.”

Deng Xiaoping, China’s former leader and champion of the economic period of “reform and opening up,” once said: “To get rich is glorious.” Turns out, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Crackdown in Tibet Continues

December 29, 2008 9:42 AM

By BETH LOYD by ABC News Beijing

Some 59 people have recently been detained in Tibet and accused of “spreading rumors” and selling “reactionary music,” according to a report in the China Tibet News, a state-run publication. March 10, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama to India and one year of deadly protests in Tibet, protests that triggered a massive crackdown by the Chinese government in which, according to exile groups, 140 people were killed and 1,000 were detained. China fears that this year will bring more protests.

The report in the China Tibet News said that police officers have found 48 cases of “rumor spreading” since the March protests ("rumor spreading" is code for anti-government or pro-Dalai Lama expression ). Xin Yuanming, the deputy chief of the Lhasa public security bureau said authorities had cracked down on the downloading and selling of music it called “reactionary.”

Xin said that these “illegal activities” were instigated by the Dalai Lama and that the “rumors” were aimed at inciting ethnic tension in Tibet. The Dalai Lama maintains that he does not support violence or the overthrowing of Chinese rule. He said he supports greater autonomy for the region.

The report contained no further information about the charges or possible sentences that would be handed down if the accused are found guilty. Critics charge that China is using these trumped-up charges to detain people they believe could be involved in further protests.

Last month, state-run media reported that 55 people were sentenced in connection with the riots in March but did not give any further information about the allegations or sentences.

The Chinese government said that Tibet has been a part of its territory for more than seven centuries and has called the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, “evil.” Frequent anti-Dalai Lama editorials cover the pages of Chinese newspapers. The most recent commentary posted in the English language state-run China Daily is titled “Dalai Lama’s Nexus With Extremists.” It calls him a “separatist” and links him to Nazism and the Aum Doomsday cult.

Beijing gets very upset when world leaders meet with the Dalai Lama. In November, they canceled a Sino-European Union summit after French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the spiritual leader.

Representatives of the Dalai Lama have met with Chinese officials several times in Beijing, but nothing has ever come of their talks. The Dalai Lama recently expressed his frustration at the lack of progress and suggested that it’s time for him to retire from leading the movement. Many members of the next generation within the Tibetan Youth Congress don’t support the Dalai Lama’s “middle way” approach. They support a stronger, more offensive stance.

When March 10 rolls around, all eyes will once again be on Tibet.

Video Implicates Chinese Communist Official

November 05, 2008 11:30 AM

By Beth Loyd, ABC News Beijing

Chinese authorities say that a Communist Party official was caught on tape harassing a girl.

The video, taken by a restaurant’s in-house security camera, shows a young girl and a pudgy older man walking away. Less than a minute later, the girl runs back across the restaurant. Then her family comes back with her and her father confronts the perpetrator. A heated argument ensues.

The video has been posted all over the internet in China and bloggers are alive with the story. State-run media has also got a hold of it and is running with it. It has been posted on the most popular site in China, sina.com. The communist official implicated has been fired.

Not only did the video surface, but so did an audio recording, which was reportedly taped right after the incident last week in a local police station.

Lin Jianxing, the Communist Party secretary of the Shenzhen, China marine affairs bureau reportedly asked the 11-year-old girl to show him where to find the restroom. He then allegedly grabbed her by the neck and tried to force her into a stall, an allegation which authorities say the man later admitted to.

The girl then ran to tell her father, who stopped and confronted Lin. Authorities say Lin then threatened the girl’s father by announcing his high position in the local communist party. Later, at the police station, Lin allegedly tried to bribe his way out of it.

We translated the audio tape, which is posted online:

Lin: I admit I did it.

Lin: I did it. Please forgive me. I will buy that video. How about 15,000.yuan ($2000)

Girl’s father: It was shot by my neighbor. Nothing I can do.

Lin: I can apologize.

Lin: I take the responsibility.

Girl’s father: How can taking responsibility be enough? You scared her. You grabbed her neck.

Lin: I already said I am wrong. How much do you want me to pay for it? You just tell me.

Girl’s father: I need to know the truth and details of it. I want to solve it in the police station.

Lin: I have many friends. From Shandong to Hainan, then to Shenzhen. Do you know how I was promoted?

Lin’s female companion: Shut up, shut up! Don’t believe it. He was drunk.

Girl’s father: She is my only daughter.

Lin: I will treat her as my own daughter. I am not a bad man. I am an old man. I am almost 60. I will retire soon.

Lin has been forced into early retirement. The Communist Party Committee of the Ministry of Transport said Lin’s “wild words and behavior have had an extremely negative impact on society,” according to state-run media. The police have launched a full investigation into the incident and have asked for any witnesses from the restaurant to come forward.

According to state media, the girl was so shaken up, she could not go to school the next day. It is unclear what — if any — charges will be filed against the official, as there were no other witnesses. Chinese courts and justice are different. Sexual abuse and harassment are rarely persecuted. And when a party official IS involved, the government usually sees a sacking as punishment enough. It will be interesting to see if the blogosphere agrees.

Chinese Students Vote Obama in Mock Election

October 20, 2008 2:17 PM

BY BETH LOYD, ABC News Beijing

The importance and the drama of the 2008 U.S. presidential election have captivated the world, and certainly the patriotic American expatriates living overseas. We can’t seem to get enough, literally and figuratively. In many areas of China where foreigners live and work, we have satellite dishes that give us access to CNN International and BBC World. And of course, there is the beloved Internet where we can read about the race until our hearts are content and watch YouTube for Sarah Palin sketches on “SNL.” And while those living in America may be suffering from election fatigue and the campaign trail journalists may need some serious sleep, we overseas American journalists wish we could be closer to the action. The election is the topic of conversation at every lunch, every cocktail party, every day.

The debates aired at 9 a.m. here in China and friends gathered for debate-watching breakfast parties. There is no doubt that on election night when the returns start coming in, the embassy-organized event will be packed and sports bars in Beijing will be crawling with Americans glued to multiple televisions as if it were Super Bowl Sunday.

To assist in quenching the political thirst of its citizens living in Red China, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the American Chamber of Commerce hosted a mock debate between Democrats and Republicans abroad. However, the majority of the crowd was mainland Chinese university students.

On the right and supporting John McCain was Alan Siegrist, a Hong Kong-based CFO. On the left and supporting Barack Obama was Andrew Green, a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong. The moderator was journalism professor and former CNN reporter Mark Leff.

While the event was no match for the real thing, and certainly not as riveting as the vice presidential debate, it was fascinating to see the Chinese students’ interest in it. The audience wrote down questions before the debate began and the moderator took his cues from those, so this debate was appropriately more China-centric and focused on economic issues.

When the question arose of the U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan, both debaters agreed that they would continue to support the mutual defense of Taiwan but that it is a fine balancing act. Siegrist pointed out that Taiwan has a democratic form of government like the United States and because of that, the United States maintains the Taiwan relations act. After the debate was over, a female Chinese student posed the question again, calling the sale of arms to Taiwan “a corrupt action.” Green tried to explain it this way. “Sometimes we agree or disagree on substance, but this is a long-term process,” and understanding one another’s position is important.

Both party representatives borrowed their candidates’ language from the campaign trail. Siegrist refrained from going negative, other than to say that Obama’s policies have been inconsistent. There was no mention of Bill Ayers or Jeremiah Wright. When it came to the question about Colin Powell’s endorsement of Obama, Siegrist reminded the audience that Joe Lieberman, a former Democratic vice presidential candidate, has been supporting McCain for more than a year. He said, “I think Lieberman is a better judge of character.”

Green sought to keep the debate focused on economic issues and Obama’s tax cuts, job creation and health-care plans. Both sides played the blame game. Green blamed the Bush administration’s policies during the last eight years and the greed of Wall Street. Siegrist put the blame on the President Carter-era CRA, which he said was expanded by President Clinton and led to the current economic crisis. Siegrist also called Green out for slamming Wall Street while Obama outraised John McCain, 3-1, on Wall Street donors. Siegrist also argued that Obama’s plan was flawed because raising taxes on wealthy companies would prevent job creation.

When it came to China and free trade, both party representatives sought to express friendship, though Siegrist more enthusiastically. He argued that McCain has been a fervent supporter of free trade. He said McCain knows Asia in part because he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He also said that the Republican Party wants China to be wealthy. Siegrist said that Obama has accused China of undervaluing its currency and of holding foreign currency reserves and then supporting repressive regimes, while McCain supports good relations in Asia. Green argued that Obama will have a consistent and steady policy on China and supports free trade, often comparing his vision to that of former President Clinton.

One question focused on whether or not either candidate would support reinstating the U.N. funding for family planning, which was revoked during the Bush administration because of China’s one-child policy. Both representatives admitted to being ill-prepared to express their candidates’ view on this specific issue. But Green said that Obama would likely return to supporting the U.N. fund, as under President Clinton, “without regard to the far right.” Siegrist explained to the audience that the Republican Party does not like the one-child policy because it forces some families to resort to abortion, and the party is against abortion. But he pointed out “if we can’t settle the issue in our own country, we can’t expect to do it in another.”

Green often charmed the crowd with his grasp of Mandarin; his concluding statement was a Chinese saying that means, “We can drown in the ocean but if we turn around, there is the land.” Siegrist argued that the audience should support McCain because he would be a better president and his trade policies are more pro-China.

At the end of the mock debate, the embassy staffers handed out slips of paper, so the audience could vote on who they thought won. This was probably the first time many of these Chinese students voted on anything. It was 58 percent for the Democrats and 42 percent for the Republicans. There were 70 or so audience members, about a dozen of which were American citizens. While both party representatives point out that the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day, it is interesting that despite McCain’s more fervent support for trade with China, most of the Chinese people both in the audience overwhelmingly say they think and hope Obama will win.

What's Cooking Between Pakistan & China?

October 16, 2008 8:58 AM

By BETH LOYD, ABC News Beijing

Pakistan’s Asif Ali Zardari is wrapping up his first state visit to China since becoming president.

He met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the two signed a dozen deals ranging from trade, agriculture, mining, environmental protection and satellite technology after a two-hour summit at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. No specifics of the deals have been released yet, but without a doubt, Pakistan has succeeded in getting more much-needed financial assistance from its strong and friendly ally.

Pakistan is well beyond financial crisis mode and desperately needs a fast infusion of investment and some breathing room, or it could face economic collapse and civil unrest. China has provided that relief.

One issue that remains unresolved is a nuclear power deal between the two countries. The United States signed one such controversial civilian nuclear deal last week with India, Pakistan’s historical rival and China’s economic rival in Asia. But experts say a nuclear deal between China and Pakistan is not imminent, as the political situation in Pakistan is unstable and the Chinese are wary.

But the economic ties between the two nuclear countries are growing stronger. Bilateral trade topped $7 billion last year with a goal of reaching $15 billion by 2011.

It is an incredibly important relationship, particularly for struggling Pakistan. The two nations have been friends for 57 years. So, it only makes sense that a desperate Pakistan, hemorrhaging foreign currency reserves, would come to China, which holds the world’s largest reserves, for help. Zardari told a meeting of 200 Chinese corporate executives that they would get “special preferential treatment” and urged them to invest in Pakistan and take advantage of its geostrategic location.

Zardari said at a joint news conference with Hu, “The only way I could do justice to the memory of my late wife and my late father-in-law was to make sure that my first state visit as president was to China. … I am hoping to assist to take the China-Pakistan relationship further along. It is a duty, which history has bestowed upon me.”

The historical relationship between China and Pakistan goes further back than the Bhutto family and expands beyond economic issues. Before China had a seat on the U.N. Security Council, Pakistan always voted in China’s favor and always rejected any support of Taiwan.

And Pakistan played an instrumental role in facilitating the normalization of relations between the United States and China. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger secretly flew to Beijing from Pakistan in 1971, making the way for President Nixon’s visit later that year. This came as the Nixon administration became more and more wary of India’s relationship with the Soviet Union.

As for what Pakistan gets out of the relationship, it’s clear that financial assistance is paramount, particularly as the rivalry with India persists and India grows in economic strength. China has historically not been fickle about Pakistan’s politics and China hardly ever gets involved in the internal affairs of its partnering countries, much to the dismay of the international community in cases such as Sudan. China has been friendly with all of Pakistan’s leaders since the 1950s and does not criticize Pakistan for its relationship with the United States.

Military might is also a consideration. China has the largest army in the world and Pakistan would need China on its side if conflict broke out with India. But there is also a general admiration of China, according to ABC News’ Asia correspondent Stephanie Sy. While Sy was reporting from Pakistan recently, many Pakistanis thought she was Chinese and were keen to share their effusive praise of China with her. They consider their neighbor a role model for its rapid rise from a Third World country to an emerging economic superpower. At the Pakistani embassy in Beijing, Chinese people can get easy visas to Pakistan and they are free of charge.

But what does China get out of this relationship? China needs allies in that region as it seeks to maintain and further its economic strength in Asia and across the globe. India’s growth and increasing exports are a threat. And India is also home to the Dalai Lama, who has no fans among the Communist leadership of China.

In December, the United States is sending a mission of businessmen to India to explore business opportunities after the landmark pact to open up sales of civilian nuclear technology to the country, lifting a three-decade ban. Bilateral trade between the United States and India was nearly $42 billion in 2007, up 55 percent from 2005.

So, as issues evolve and dynamics change in the region and across the world, there exists between China and Pakistan a mutually beneficial strategic relationship that has been proved historically sound and which both are committed to maintaining for many years to come.

Avril Lavigne’s Concert Crackdown

October 07, 2008 7:49 AM

By Beth Loyd, ABC News Beijing

On Monday night, Avril Lavigne, the Canadian pop-rock singer who is beloved by teenage girls worldwide (and certain ABC News staffers) ended her “Best Damn Tour 2008” in Beijing. It was her first time here. It is relatively rare for such a star to perform in Beijing. Chinese organizers always lay down a set of rules that it is often difficult for rock stars to abide by. Artists don’t particularly like to be told what they can say, what they can wear and certainly not what they can sing. Without a doubt Avril was given unwavering guidelines, especially after Bjork’s performance in Shanghai earlier this year when she screamed “Tibet, Tibet!” from the stage. But Avril, even with her self-created bad-ass, rebellious image, was here anyway. With China’s 1.3 billion potential fans, it’s not hard to imagine why some artists overlook the censorship.

Avril’s concert was held at the Beijing Olympic basketball stadium and the seats were filled. The tickets cost from $30 to $150, not an easy price tag for Chinese teenagers, many of whom were experiencing their first Western concert. As Avril took the stage and began her first set, hundreds of incredibly excited and harmless teenagers left the nosebleeds, climbed to the floor and gathered at the foot of the stage to sing and dance along. It is a common sight at concerts anywhere else in the world, but not in China, where people are expected to stay in their seats and not break any rules, no matter how silly. At that moment, there was more energy in that stadium than I had ever seen at any event Beijing, including at the Olympics.

Keep in mind, these were not rowdy teenagers. They were not drunk. They were not doing drugs or fighting. They were not screaming “Free Tibet” or organizing a democratic movement. They were simply showing their passion for the performance. For a Westerner living here who never sees such unadulterated displays of excitement, watching these young Chinese expressing themselves this way was breathtaking. But it didn’t last long. As the kids continued to make their way toward the stage, the security guards started yanking them away.

And then the concert stopped. A member of Avril’s entourage came onto the stage and whispered to her. She quit singing and left the stage. Then the lights came on and one of the Chinese organizers took the microphone and told the audience to get back to its seats or the concert would be canceled. The crowd booed. The man explained that it was dangerous for fans to be out of their seats and that they shouldn’t break the rules. The teenagers obligingly left the floor and went back to their seats. The energy died. Some band members had looks of awkward shock and dismay on their faces.

Why would the organizers stop such harmless behavior and drain the fun out of the concert? Perhaps they didn’t want anyone to get trampled. Perhaps the perpetrators were blocking the view of Communist Party officials’ families who were seated. Perhaps the organizers just wanted to remind the young people who is in charge. Perhaps they were afraid that if they allowed it to go on, these young people might think that rules are indeed, meant to be broken. Whatever the case, organizers had to strike a delicate balance between allowing modern Western singers to perform here and maintaining Beijing’s definition of “order.” It must be said that crowds in China can get unruly, much like crowds anywhere. One concert-goer said that security should have never let the teenagers get to the floor in the first place. But the way it was set up, with just a few rows of chairs on the floor of the arena, while the nosebleeds were packed, it was awfully tempting for some to take advantage of all the excess space between fans and Avril.

Finally, the more subdued show started up again and Avril stuck to the script. She didn’t mention the concert’s interruption, most likely because she did not want to make things more uncomfortable. Despite the drowned energy, she plugged along with her playlist, with intermittent screams of “I love Beijing.” There was a young girl of about 10 years of age sitting in the front row about 20 feet from the stage. A couple of times, she could not contain herself, and she ran to edge of the stage. She was immediately grabbed by security, which had been beefed up, and taken back to her seat by her arm.

The concert ended and the young folks gathered their concert T-shirts and glow sticks to leave. While it was sad to watch the organizers put a damper on the excitement and disappointing that Avril -- given her public persona -- did not mention it, it was still refreshing to see this younger generation of Chinese have such passion about something. Just 10 years ago, Chinese officials did not allow Western bands to play here in the first place. So, perhaps this is progress: rock concerts with Chinese characteristics, of course.

Read more blogs from Beth Loyd

October 7, 2008 in Beth Loyd | Permalink | User Comments (24) | TrackBack (0)

China's 2008 Olympic Gymnasts Get an All Clear

October 01, 2008 12:11 PM

By BETH LOYD, ABC News Producer, Beijing

The Chinese Gymnastics Federation and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee are breathing a guarded sigh of relief. The darlings of the 2008 Beijing Olympics -- its women’s gymnastics team -- have been cleared of charges that some of them were too young to compete in the Beijing Games. This ensures that the gold medals they won on their home turf will not be taken away, which would have forever scarred the legacy of the competitors and China’s Olympics.

“We are absolutely satisfied that the age of the Chinese team that competed in Beijing was correct,” Andre Gueisbuhler, the secretary general of the FIG, told ABC News.

But questions over two of China’s 2000 Sydney gymnasts remain. The International Gymnastics Federation said that they “do not consider the explanations and evidence provided to date in regards to these athletes as satisfactory.”

The two athletes being scrutinized are Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun. China won the team bronze in Sydney and Yang Yun won the individual bronze on the uneven bars. The FIG says that Dong Fangxiao applied for her credential for the Beijing Olympics with documents suggesting she was 14 years old in 2000, and therefore too young to compete, according to the AP. And Yang Yun was taped and broadcast across China in June 2007 saying she was 14 during the Sydney Olympics.

Yang Yun told The Associated Press last week that she simply misspoke during the interview, but the FIG is not convinced.

(NOTE: Yang Yun is engaged to the star of the 2008 Chinese male gymnastics team Yang Wei -- but they were not allowed to apply for their marriage certificate until after Yang Wei finished his 2008 competitions. There are strict rules for Chinese Olympic athletes, including that they can’t marry while they are still in competition for medals.)

The Chinese government, for the four 2008 athletes who have been cleared, provided passports, ID cards and family registers showing they are 16 years old or would turn 16 this year. This was enough for the FIG and the International Olympic Committee, despite many online records and state-media reports that showed several of the gymnasts were too young. Chinese gymnastics officials and state media say these records were typos.

It is unclear which particular documents are under question in the case of the two 2000 gymnasts.

Critics say, in a country like China, where documents can be forged and transparency is not necessarily its forte, it can be almost impossible to tell the real from the fake.

Li Jie, a Chinese freelance journalist in Beijing, said this raises a red flag. “This case shows the Chinese government has a crisis of confidence. We should learn from it. The Chinese government should make information more public and transparent,” she told ABC News.

ABC News sports analyst Christine Brennan said that the FIG’s decision was "expected, but unfortunate. Reporters and others found quite a bit of evidence that the Chinese were cheating by using under-age gymnasts. I'm not sure how the IOC and FIG didn't find the same evidence, although their excuse might be that some of it seemed to be disappearing before their eyes from the internet. That sounds like something right out of a spy flick and should have raised extra suspicions.”

She added, "Even with this decision, the age controversy will forever taint China's gymnastics performance at the 2008 Olympics, and it should."

But the Chinese are standing their ground. The gymnastics federation here and the fans en masse agree, and not surprisingly so, that their athletes are old enough.

It was more than 10 years ago when the IOC raised its participation age for gymnasts to 16. But many think age shouldn’t matter.

Sun Jianxia, a student at Beijing University, told ABC News, “I think athletes’ age is not the most important thing. We should focus more on their scores and their achievements. These gymnasts already did a great job at their age. We should not put more pressure on them.”

But rules are rules. These, in particular, were put into place so as not to put young children under the duress of the strict training regimens that these athletes must endure. And all countries are supposed to follow the rules. Experts say that younger gymnasts are more agile, more flexible and less fearless, which can give them an advantage.

If it turns out that the 2000 Sydney Olympic athletes were indeed underage and provided fake documents to the FIG and the IOC, then what next? The FIG says it will take some time for them to complete their investigation.

If they conclude that the gymnasts were underage, they would most likely be stripped of their medals, if IOC precedent is taken into account. And the larger question of document forging will be raised once again. But in the meantime, the Chinese will no doubt rejoice in the fact that their 2008 Olympic women’s gymnastics team emerged both victorious and unscathed.

October 1, 2008 in Beth Loyd | Permalink | User Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)

The Dangers Of Helping Foreign Journalists In China

August 20, 2008 9:19 AM

By Beth Loyd, ABC News, China

She wasn’t at home when the police came to her house. But her husband and young son were there. The police didn’t say why they had come but their visit was certainly meant as a warning to her.

While foreign visitors are in Beijing for the Olympics marveling at this city’s sparkling venues and skyline, and millions of viewers worldwide are transfixed to their TV sets watching the best athletes in the world compete, there is a dark side to this place that only its own citizens experience.

The woman I speak about has been our ABC News driver for more than a year. When we cover stories we tell her where to go and don’t always tell her what we are going to cover. Not because it’s a secret. She doesn’t ask.

During the Olympics, we went to cover a protest staged by Students for a Free Tibet. The protestors gathered at a park honoring ethnic minorities, nearby the National Stadium. As soon as the banners were unfurled, security guards and police pounced. They quickly removed the banner, and the protesters were deported the same day. These police officers, some in plainclothes, took photos and video of the journalists there to cover the protest. One British journalist was roughed up a bit and briefly detained because he was mistaken for a protester. The police also wrote down license plate numbers.

A day later, the police tracked the license plate to the car company that employs our driver. And the company gave the police her name. The company, we are told, has a policy against their drivers taking foreign journalists to cover any politically sensitive activities. The drivers are told they are to refuse to go there or must try to convince the journalists not to go.

Our driver called us and told us that the police had come to her house and that she was very scared. She said police were always around her apartment building and the neighbors were talking about the police visiting her home. She was afraid of being jailed or of losing her job and not being able to provide for her family. Not because she broke the law, but because she was doing her job.

It’s truly sad that Chinese citizens who work with foreign journalists put themselves at risk by doing so. It is often the same in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Locals who work for foreigners are seen as targets for terrorists. Here in China, they are the target of their own government, which has the power to take away their livelihoods.

This experience changed our driver, who is a friend to all of us. She used to be happy and friendly and eager. Now, she constantly looks over her shoulder. And despite the fact that we told her we would not again ask her to drive us to any sensitive places, she is no longer comfortable doing her job.

We went to cover a story about some Chinese cancer survivors meeting with a U.S. swimmer who has cancer. We told her the topic. But she was still afraid. She drove 10 miles an hour on the highway, clearly distressed, despite our pleas that we would be late. Then she claimed that she was having car troubles, and we had to get out of the van with all of our gear and take taxis to the interview. She just couldn’t cope.

We are using a different driver now while she takes a few days off to rest and get through her experience. We know she will be fine, but it is hard to see her in distress. And it would only cause more problems for her for us to talk to her employer or go to the Foreign Ministry to ask the police to leave her alone.

Foreign journalists working in China are accustomed to being looked at with a suspicious eye. The government here expects us to do stories critical of China. Journalists themselves often experience harassment from police, but without real threat. It is our local staff that has legitimate concerns over helping us do our job.

In China, freedom does not exist the way we know it in the West. One day, I will go back home to America. For the vast majority of 1.3 billion Chinese, that is not an option.

August 20, 2008 in Beth Loyd | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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