From Xinmin:
On February 20, 2010, in Vancouver Winter Olympics, Zhou Yang (周洋) won the gold medal in women’s 1,500 meters short-track speed race. This was the Chinese team’s third gold medal of this Olympics, but also was the first time in the history Chinese team won three gold medals in the Winter Olympics.
However Zhou Yang was criticized by the State Sports General Administration deputy director Yu Zaiqing (于再清) on the CPPCC session.
Thanking your parents is not a problem, but should thank the country first. Must put the country first, don’t just thank your parents and that’s it.
Yesterday morning, deputy director of the State Sports General Administration, the International Olympic Committee Vice-Chairman Yu Zaiqing participated in the National Political Consultative Conference, in subsector sports discussion, when talked about players making speeches after winning, thanking their parents, Yu Zaiqing said “Kids have some words in their minds that could not express out, when players talk after winning, honoring their parents and thanking their parents are correct, but their hearts must have the country, must put the country first, don’t just talk about parents and that’s it, I must raise this point.” He stated that (we) must enhance the moral education of the athletes.
deputy director of the State Sports General Administration Yu Zaiqing (于再清)
Incident background:
Recently, in the Winter Olympic Women’s 1,500 meters short-track speed race finals, the only Chinese racer Zhou Yang broke the Olympic record and won the Olympic gold medal. After the race reporter asked her “What does it mean to be the Olympic champion?” Zhou Yang said “after winning the gold medal, many things might change, I will be more confident, will let my parents live a better life.” These words touched many viewers.
Zhou Yang’s monthly salary is only 500 yuan (about 80 dollars)
Zhou Yang likes to play with plush toys since she was young. When looking at her photo albums, she always holds a baby doll when taking the pictures growing up, specially the Mickey Mouse doll. Zhou Yang knows that when she was young her family could not afford to buy her one, she could only go to the store and touch them “So cute, I really like it!” When she join the national team, because of her outstanding achievements, Zhou Yang won many national and international competitions, and sometimes she wins cash prizes, other than daily spending she gives the money to her parents for savings. National athletes can only receive some subsidize, salary is paid locally. Many people would have never thought, prior to going to Vancouver, the world champion Zhou Yang’s monthly salary was just 500 Yuan.
53 comments
And CCP claims that they are protecting Chinese culture… putting nationalism before family, there is nothing more “un-Chinese” than it.
no… doing that is exactly what being chinese means. family values and the extension of it. read some Confucius.
that being said, that deputy director is a stupid fucking annoying pain in the ass and a horrible public figure.
well, actually it’s a bit more complicated. this is a thousand-year problem. for Confucius and Mencius, family comes first. the official version of confucianism (after Han dynasty) turned confucian philosophy into official ideology, and imposed the idea that loyalty to your emperor comes before loyalty to your parents. this is a VERY important concept — imagine you’re a chinese bureaucrat: would you make use of your position to make your family rich (filial piety), or would you put the ‘country’ first (loyalty to the emperor)? to my knowledge, there is no clear cut solution to this problem in the history of confucianism, although — of course — the official version is always that loyalty to the emperor (more than to an abstract, modern ‘national’ entity) comes first. but family, as we know, is very important in China. I think what happened show how strongly communist ideology and maoism are still trying to deforme Chinese traditional values (while pretending to defend the ‘national essence’). but one thing is nationalism/patriotism, another thing is rejecting traditional family values. if maoism succeded, and Chinese people are really putting national interest first, then why the one-child policy haven’t been successful…?
There is one way to fix it. Let them find their Creator YHWH, not Religion. Worship him and him alone.
And YHWH spoke all these words, saying:
1) I am YHWH your Elphim, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
2) You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I YHWH your Elohim am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
3) You shall not take the name of YHWH your Elohim in vain; for YHWH will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.
4) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labour, and do all your work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of YHWH your Elohim: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: For in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YHWH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5) Honour your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you.
6) You shall not kill.
7) You shall not commit adultery.
8) You shall not steal.
9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10) You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your neighbour’s.
Hear, O Israel: YHWH our Elohim is one: And thou shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when thou sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates.
Actually China being Atheist means that State come first and THAT IS what being Chinese is. Family would be disgraced if she lost, means the individual does not have Family is China – Racisim to say Chinese.
Athesists.
Now – The Law of the Almighty Creator YHWH – “Thou shalt Honor they Mother and Father”.
ANd that my friend is what its about – Not country. Thank your Creator even before your Parents since – you worship him. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Make no mistake you will serve your Creator YHWH or you will serve your enemy.
Shalom
It’s spelled “Atheists,” and I think they might be people too.
Who is your neighbor?
I spell properly not a good typist I admit that, My Neighbor? is not important but we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, that is who my neighbor is. I merely told you the China neighbor around the world they are Communists and atheists.
its not Atheists it is “Atheist”. China was not pluralized in my statement.
Mel and Carl, the mainland China under C.C.P. is not the ONLY China in this world. The China I grew up in, the Chinese value I learned, is VERY different from what the C.C.P. and the Western media trying to portray China as. We puts family, our friends, our teachers, our loved one FIRST. Only by doing that could a person become a positive force to help the community, the country, then ultimately the world. To help the world you first need to be a better man and help those who are closed to you… THAT is the traditional Chinese (to be more precise Confucius) value.
Confucius does stress the idea of a hierarchy in his teachings. The idea, based on the pre-qing land system when nobles ruled the landscape. Family, as it was known then is a not only a group of blood-related people, but also a significant political entity. Thus, family values is a political idea as well as a moral idea to be enforced then.
Now, in present times, I don’t think the average family could still be regarded as a political entity, but the system of values Confucius teachings is stressing is no mere moral values, but a political ideology as well.
correction there, pre-qin is the right word, not pre-qing. Ah.. i should have just said pre-zhou land system. anyways.. that’s the spring and autumn era
Seems like you translated a proper noun- it is Kong Fusi westerners are too ignorant to pronounce names in Chinese now?? YHWH’s law is the only Law. Mans Law will be judged. remember the C.C.P is mans govt. Man does not make you a better man – thats Masonic trash, lies.
Has nothing to do with
“Actually China being Atheist means that State come first”
Sorry but that’s just gibberish.
Gibberish means Shoel for you. It is Kong Fusi – don’t you know that is atheism. If your correct What is the Official Religion/belief system of China??(anihC).
See.a. below. Learn the word I used Like Sheol, and YHWH, and Kong Fusi. The you may say that.
gib·ber·ish (jbr-sh)
n.
a. Highly technical or esoteric language.
Guo Bao You are Wrong….Confucianism (Chinese: 儒家; pinyin: Rújiā) is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (Kǒng Fūzǐ, or K’ung-fu-tzu, lit. “Master Kong”, 551–478 BC). It is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia. It might be considered a state religion of some East Asian countries, because of governmental promotion of Confucian humanistic philosophies.
Cultures and countries strongly influenced by Confucianism include China (mainland), Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, as well as various territories settled predominantly by Chinese people, such as Singapore. Japan was influenced by Confucianism in a different way.
In Confucianism, human beings are teachable by other human beings, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self-creation. A main idea of Confucianism is the cultivation of virtue and the development of moral perfection. Who is doing the cultivating? The State. That’s Atheism.
If her monthly salary was just 500rmb what does she have to thank her country for? I’m not advocating paying sportsmen/women millions like footballers (overpaid dimwits for the most part), but it seems that if she must thank her country first, they should do something more for her than 500rmb a month …
“Yes Mr. Yu Zaiqing I will definitely consider that if I ever win Olympic gold again. Btw Mr. Yu Zaiqing,, when was the last time you publicly thanked the Harmonious Society for your position, your fat salary, your car and the driver and your government 10 million yuan house? I know that you guys selflessly and without any agenda helped train me and shipped me on a plane to Canada. China of course would NEVER use my gold medal to promote itself and it’s athletes for personal gains and propaganda so I am truly sorry for not mentioning you guys. Now some people say that YOU people should be thanking ME for winning a gold for China. Not me though. Have a nice day Mr. Yu.”
You never won the Medal, so why speak like you did. To win a Medal is such an exciting thing no matter who wins. That Man or Woman personally feels the Joy and rightfully so. Congratulation from everyone. Don’t let this blog ruin your good effort.
Enjoy – Champion!!
What’s the Chinese netizen take on this?
they said Yu Zaiqing is talking too much, and f him for being so bitch
This is a big joke in China now. Under pressure from netizens, that Mr. whatever modified his position a little.
For one thing, the party may be big and great and wonderful in China, but you don’t mess with anyone who thank her parents.
Just wonder whether Mr. Yu’s parents failed to teach him about respecting parents. If so, Grandpa and Grandma Yu should hit Mr. Yu’s butt for not being a good boy.
Thank the country first?? For giving her 500 kuai a month??
Fuck this disgusting communist cadre! :(((
I’ll present this to my HS class this week and see what their take on it is.
I would be curious to see how this same scenario would have went down if it was Yao Ming interviewed after the P.R. Chinese Basketball team winning a medal at the summer Olympics?
Honestly, when it comes to the “Olympic” sports, i.e. sports with no professional leagues – like basketball, soccer, and hockey – I am not too terribly surprised that the atheles are treated like this.
Heck wasn’t there an article a year or two ago somewhere about what happens to folks like this after their “careers” are over?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103304.html
Quote:
..these bloody criminal dictators…why dont the open world act once and for all and break these walls down FOREVER!!
by having another war that will bring millions’ death? by imposing the Western order to yet another region without the consent of the residents?
Whatever change that is needed for China must be brought to fruition by its own residents from within.
haha.
damn right!!
I still think China’s going in the right direction, and that impatience is only becoming on children.
Nobody’s perfect, and it’s familiarity not clarity that make you prefer your own imperfections to China’s Swed.
Motherland should be recorded in the heart, not only talked about.
Why everything is full of political overtones 🙁
于再清生儿子时大概是先感谢国家的栽培，组织的信任，
还有王局长、李局长、张局长、赵局长对于它工作的支持和指导吧？
Let me be brief: Fuck that shit.
These disgusting communist jerks are always brown nosing their dispicable party. The day the CCP disappears will be a happy day for all the world.
These idiots. They weren’t even prepared to praise their athletes unless they got GOLD AND GOLD ONLY. They were prepared to NOT give them gifts, flowers or praise if they “only” won silver or bronze.
China has a LOT of growing up to do. Seriously. That is infantile behaviour.
Not funny to be an Olympic athlete here who doesn’t win a medal. And the Chinese themselves are pretty harsh when it comes to people who let them down. Liu Xiangs 2008 disappointment, Yao Ming who apparently didn’t donate enough to the Sichuan earthquake, Jet Li for settling down in Singapore, Zhang Ziyi for having foreign boyfriends. I assume most famous Chinese people or people who aspire to be famous are aware of how fickle the support they get from the Chinese people and the official China in fact is.
Remember for every gold medalist here there are probably hundreds of Chinese who work just as hard to win fame for China in sports but who never make it and dont get a dime for their efforts. Only a true hypocrite would berate someone who did China a great favour when 90 percent of the Chinese could ask “What has the government ever done for us?” with validity.
Really, who the hell are you if you didn’t win a medal in a world competition? Try naming the SECOND highest mountain peak from the top of your head then. How about the second largest lake? the second fastest man, the second most well known person of any list of ratings, and you probably didn’t even look beyond the first person.
Wining Gold IS the Goal. “It’s all about participation” my butt. That’s what you tell kindergarten kids when they trip and fall.
Growing up to do? Ha.
Firstly,no one have the right to tell you that you should thank who.
Secondly,the members of the Committee should talk about more such trivial things if they have nothing to say in the Two-Session.
The more bullshit they say the better ! This one was especially good.
— Woods
Many Chinese athletes practice their sports not because they like it but because they are selected by the country. If you win a lot of medals, then it shows you have advanced as a country. It means the economy is growing, that living standards are improving and that there is better technology. Or at least that is what it is supposed to mean. Meanwhile promising children are hothoused from as young as six in elite, sports-focused boarding schools, where access to their families is often limited. Militairy style training regimes are often still reminiscent of those used in East Germany in the Soviet era, when athletes were worked “like horses”. These robot-athletes are in fact raised to be PR-soldiers for China. Obviously, a soldier does not honor his biological parents in the first place. A soldier serves his country. And his victory belongs to the flag of the country he defends. Any other loyalties should be secondary, and obviously only a gold medal is good enough in terms of public relations. After all, there is a well-known saying: “there is no first place for literature, as there is no second place for kung fu…”
hey just asking if ur opinion has any evidence to support?
Just a case of tall poppy syndrome and green-eyed monster, mebbe?
People in the government sporting apparatus – coaches, eg – and envious others who don’t make the cut could have make some noize abt thank-you speech. So this man mebbe had to step in and remind her of priorities to mollify the spite and wounded feeling.
Here’s my translation of Yu’s speech:
“Thanking your parents is not a problem, but should thank the country (read: leaders in the State Sport Administration, aka, MEEEEEEE) first.”
Being grateful is something to give not to take.
Fuck Yu.
Blah-blah.. Who are you without your country? Without food, electricity, safety, medicine, education. All of that is given to you and your parents by hands and lifes of the other citizens. Any hero is nothing without people, who made him, not only parents.
Especially, speaking infront of international society, shall never forget who you are and where came from.
I saw this on google once.