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 Mao Zedong died in 1976. Yet, the Western Media often treats China as if Mao were still alive. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there were examples of this. I am going to use a few in this post to make a point.

My sister-in-law was born in Shanghai. Her husband was born in Singapore. My wife grew up in China and suffered during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. All three are now United States citizens. My wife is a published American author whose books are banned in mainland China, which doesn’t bother her. She is satisfied that her books have been translated into more than thirty languages, just not Chinese (there is an underground version and my wife doesn’t know who translated it).

How about me? My grandfather came from Britain and was born inside America’s three-mile limit. My mother said her side of the family arrived with the Pilgrims in 1686 or soon after. Other than native-born American Indians, who arrived from Asia ten thousand years ago, we are all immigrants or descended from immigrants.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Americans supporting the Dalai Lama yelled at Chinese Americans that disagreed with the claims made by Tibetans. Those Chinese Americans were expressing what they believed was the truth. They were told to go home.

In fact, three-and-a-half-million Chinese Americans were already home, because they are American citizens. Did you know that there are about ten thousand Tibetans living in North America? Chinese were here when the railroads were built during the 19^th century, and they helped build them. While these Chinese were helping build America, they were not allowed to have their families with them and were not allowed to own property. They were discriminated against, but we seldom hear that.

Which brings me to the point I want to make. Several hundred thousand new books are published in the English language each year. Only a small number are reviewed in the Western media.

I question why the Washington Post published a review for “When China Starved”. This review was published during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

When China StarvedBy Anne Applebaum
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Washington Post

Cymbals clashed; a giant scroll unfurled. There were fireworks, kites, “ancient soldiers” marching in formation, modern dancers bending their bodies into impossible shapes, astronauts, puppets, children, multiple high-tech gizmos. The Olympic opening ceremonies showed you China as China wants you to see it.But for a deeper understanding of how far China has come——and of how odd its transformation continues to be——switch off the Olumpics. Instead, spend a few minutes contemplating the existence of a new book: the first proper history of China’s Great Famine, a catastrophe partly engineered by the Chinese Communist Party and its first leader, Mao Zedong.“I call this book Tombstone,” the author, Yang Jisheng, wrote in the opening paragraph. “It is a tombstone for my father who died of hunger in 1959, for the 36 million Chinese who also died of hunger, for the system that caused their death, and perhaps for myself for writing this book.“Tombstone” has not been translated…. “Tombstone”——in two volumes and 1,100 pages——establishes beyond any doubt that China’s misguided charge toward industrialization——Mao’s “Great Leap Forward”——was an utter disaster.

Everyone in China suffered during Mao’s twenty-seven years as China’s modern emperor, including people in Tibet. Mao turned children against their parents and friends against friends. It was madness. If you want to see, read my wife’s book, Red Azalea, which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and won the Carl Sandburg Award.

After Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping led China out of Cultural Revolution and moved China toward a market economy. Deng was a highly placed party official that dared to speak out about Mao’s policies. For punishment, Deng’s son was tossed off a three-story building and lived the rest of his life in a wheel chair, paralyzed. After that incident, Deng kept quiet until 1977.

“Seek truth from facts,” said Deng Xiaoping after Mao’s death. In 1977, Deng launched “Beijing Spring”, which allowed open criticism of the excesses and suffering that occurred during the Cultural Revolution. After a few months, Deng said enough and closed that door, but few in China have forgotten what happened during the Cultural Revolution.

Under Deng’s guidance, relations with the West improved remarkably. Deng also orchestrated China’s return to a market economy. Term limits were implemented along with an age limit that instituted a mandatory retirement at sixty-seven for government officials. It is clear that China did not want a repeat of Mao’s twenty-seven years.

Here is something you probably haven’t heard from the Western Media. China rebuilt many Tibetan Buddhist temples destroyed while Mao ruled. To learn more about how minorities are treated in China, visit this page on my novel’s Website: http://www.mysplendidconcubine.com/LongjiTerraces.htm

It might be a good thing to know that culturally, the Chinese, unlike most Americans, don’t dig up the past and keep throwing it on walls so it sticks where everyone can see it forever. Most Chinese put history where it belongs and move on with their lives.

China is not starving. If you visit, you will find McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks in every major city. The Chinese drive Ford and GM cars. In fact, GM’s Chinese sales are soaring while American sales are in the toilet.

A few years ago, my wife was asked to write a piece about China for the New York Times. What she wrote was not critical. After all, the China she grew up in has changed. The New York Times did not publish it. What does that tell you?