4 ms·

I am extremely critical of their government but China has beautiful nature and culture. I would love to visit if it wasn't so Orwellian.

jaimex2 7y ago
It is a shame. I've done China, Cambodia and Vietnam. Highly recommend Vietnam, especially trekking in Sapa. The Chinese government loves offering students here in Australia free brainwashing trips, all expenses paid. It's was actually a good trip minus the sermons about why Huawei should have built the national broadband network.
- solotronics 7y ago
  Are you serious about the Huawei talks?
  - jaimex2 7y ago
    Yep
- 0xdeadb00f 7y ago
  > The Chinese government loves offering students here in Australia free brainwashing trips I'm curious about this. Can you elaborate a little? How does this work?
  - jaimex2 7y ago
    They call it seeds of the future: https://www.huawei.com/au/press-events/news/au/2019/huawei-australia-opens-doors-to-seeds-for-the-future-2019-program https://www.huawei.com/au/press-events/news/au/2019/huawei-a...
justinzollars 7y ago
It's not the people's fault the government sucks. And the Chinese culture is very interesting.
- throwaway1997 7y ago
  China has done a very good job of destroying its own culture since the cultural revolution. Hong Kong and Taiwan have preserved more of the traditional culture while continuing to move forward.
Wellrowed 7y ago
I've been. Sure, its Orwellian, I'm in their "system" now. But it was absolutely fascinating, I'd say go while you still can.
- AimForTheBushes 7y ago
  I would not go in their current state. It's only one rung above visiting N. Korea in my opinion.
  - solstice 7y ago
    I'm sorry, but that second sentence is just ridiculous. Conflating NK and PRC does no one any good. Sure, the space for civil society has tightened a lot since 2011, you've got the trade war and a ton of other simmering conflicts, but on the whole (with the exception of Xinjiang) it's fine.
    - kick 7y ago
      You're forgetting what they're doing to Tibet.
    - AimForTheBushes 7y ago
      I don't mean that as a matter of fact but a matter of personal opinion. I am as likely to go there as N. Korea.
    - seanmcdirmid 7y ago
      Is XJ really that bad now? When I visited in 2006, it was pretty tame with the exception of the area immediately near the border. It doesn’t even require a travel permit/full time tour guide like Tibet does.
      - solstice 7y ago
        Afaik it is now well on its way towards a full-on techno-police state dystopia aimed at the uyghurs (ai, big data, facial recognition, ideological reeducation camps, politically reliable Han Chinese as forced live-ins in uyghur families tempting them to drink alcohol and reporting on them, forced installation of surveillance apps....)

jaimex2 7y ago

It is a shame. I've done China, Cambodia and Vietnam. Highly recommend Vietnam, especially trekking in Sapa. The Chinese government loves offering students here in Australia free brainwashing trips, all expenses paid. It's was actually a good trip minus the sermons about why Huawei should have built the national broadband network.

solotronics 7y ago
Are you serious about the Huawei talks?
- jaimex2 7y ago
  Yep
0xdeadb00f 7y ago
> The Chinese government loves offering students here in Australia free brainwashing trips I'm curious about this. Can you elaborate a little? How does this work?
- jaimex2 7y ago
  They call it seeds of the future: https://www.huawei.com/au/press-events/news/au/2019/huawei-australia-opens-doors-to-seeds-for-the-future-2019-program https://www.huawei.com/au/press-events/news/au/2019/huawei-a...

justinzollars 7y ago

It's not the people's fault the government sucks. And the Chinese culture is very interesting.

throwaway1997 7y ago
China has done a very good job of destroying its own culture since the cultural revolution. Hong Kong and Taiwan have preserved more of the traditional culture while continuing to move forward.

Wellrowed 7y ago

I've been. Sure, its Orwellian, I'm in their "system" now. But it was absolutely fascinating, I'd say go while you still can.

AimForTheBushes 7y ago
I would not go in their current state. It's only one rung above visiting N. Korea in my opinion.
- solstice 7y ago
  I'm sorry, but that second sentence is just ridiculous. Conflating NK and PRC does no one any good. Sure, the space for civil society has tightened a lot since 2011, you've got the trade war and a ton of other simmering conflicts, but on the whole (with the exception of Xinjiang) it's fine.
  - kick 7y ago
    You're forgetting what they're doing to Tibet.
  - AimForTheBushes 7y ago
    I don't mean that as a matter of fact but a matter of personal opinion. I am as likely to go there as N. Korea.
  - seanmcdirmid 7y ago
    Is XJ really that bad now? When I visited in 2006, it was pretty tame with the exception of the area immediately near the border. It doesn’t even require a travel permit/full time tour guide like Tibet does.
    - solstice 7y ago
      Afaik it is now well on its way towards a full-on techno-police state dystopia aimed at the uyghurs (ai, big data, facial recognition, ideological reeducation camps, politically reliable Han Chinese as forced live-ins in uyghur families tempting them to drink alcohol and reporting on them, forced installation of surveillance apps....)