China's government (and, in many cases, China's people - at least those who support their questionable leadership or refuse to speak up out of fear or whatever reason and do nothing to speak truth to power, even while their own power is some billion and a half people strong) will continue to fail to convince the world of their superiority, success, global leadership ability and other claims made regularly while proposing that they are peaceful (and build up sandbars in the sea that are disputed territory), claiming to provide their people with accurate news (while censoring the Internet and banning VPNs) and claiming that Human Rights in the country are doing 'just great' while pointing their fingers at other nations (while Nobel Laureates, Civil Rights lawyers and many regular citizens and people promoting religious peace and tolerance are locked up and 'disappeared'). I suspect that the problem is a very serious 'disconnect' between the way people 'want to be seen' and the way the world sees them. With respect to the people, it is vitally important not to allow such leadership which thoroughly discredits most every claim made by the people to perpetually demonstrate that it is not true through their actions...and to start showing people the truth, not simply trying to claim a truth that is not being exemplified. People of the world believe what they see - not what they hear - and we all must remember that, no matter how much we may understand our own intentions (we see what we say, do, think and feel), others only hear what we say and see what we do. If those things are not in alignment, the truth is simply 'Shen Hua' (myth). Sadly, we have just been shown another very tragic example. Rest in Peace, Liu Xiaobo... (and may your wife also find peace).

China's government (and, in many cases, China's people - at least those who support their questionable leadership or refuse to speak up out of fear or whatever reason and do nothing to speak truth to power, even while their own power is some billion and a half people strong) will continue to fail to convince the world of their superiority, success, global leadership ability and other claims made regularly while proposing that they are peaceful (and build up sandbars in the sea that are disputed territory), claiming to provide their people with accurate news (while censoring the Internet and banning VPNs) and claiming that Human Rights in the country are doing 'just great' while pointing their fingers at other nations (while Nobel Laureates, Civil Rights lawyers and many regular citizens and people promoting religious peace and tolerance are locked up and 'disappeared'). I suspect that the problem is a very serious 'disconnect' between the way people 'want to be seen' and the way the world sees them. With respect to the people, it is vitally important not to allow such leadership which thoroughly discredits most every claim made by the people to perpetually demonstrate that it is not true through their actions...and to start showing people the truth, not simply trying to claim a truth that is not being exemplified. People of the world believe what they see - not what they hear - and we all must remember that, no matter how much we may understand our own intentions (we see what we say, do, think and feel), others only hear what we say and see what we do. If those things are not in alignment, the truth is simply 'Shen Hua' (myth). Sadly, we have just been shown another very tragic example. Rest in Peace, Liu Xiaobo... (and may your wife also find peace). - China editor Carrie Gracie looks back at the activist who scares China in death as he did in life.