Kaiser Kuo came and talked to us yesterday. He had some pretty cool things to say, much of which stuck with me. Aside from being outstandingly successful, he's a badass and has an extremely positive attitude about life in China.
One of the things he talked about was how the media is influenced in China. (1) Many reporters initially take a negative attitude to China because of how the Chinese government treats them. They're frequently followed, spied on, and harassed. (2) In terms of political coverage, the Chinese political right is covered more heavily because they're supportive of more liberal "American" policies which makes them relatable and easier to talk too; they also tend to make themselves more available to American media than the conservative left. (3) Weibo is not a good representation of Chinese political climate.
He also talked about China in terms of PR. The analogy he used to described China is that of a guy trying to pick up white chicks (the white chicks being Western countries). China has built up its infrastructure and made great strides in the past few decades, but in terms of international appeal, China still lacks a sense of humor and confidence.
Over the course of the night, Kaiser continued to emphasize how amazing it is to be in China right now. Things are constantly changing and improving, and it's easy to see all these changes in an enormous city like Beijing. China is happening and upcoming, and overall, has so much to offer. He recommended a couple cool places to see in the city, and I'm excited to check them out.
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