media - Western views on China

One of China's internet fathers, CCTV producer Hu Yong, gives a nice characterization of Western views on China. (The article, translated by ESWN, is about weblogs, but I found this the nicest part, since it is often reflected in most English-language blogs.)

Hu Yong said: "Concerning the Internet in China, there are usually two popular views in the west. One of them consists of unreasonable optimism, for the belief is that western thoughts and ideas, commercial forces or technological advances will cause rapid changes in China. The other consists of blind pessimism, for the belief is that China has not changed under a totalitarian regime which prevents the people from having any freedom of speech. Both these views are wrong, and they merely expose the naïveté of westerners."