Mr. Jia Jia, who recently defected from mainland China, was brave enough to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by confirming the tide of mass withdrawals from the CCP's ranks.
He won the support and praise of people who uphold justice. At the same time, he also created a dilemma for Chinese media outside of China. That is whether they should report on the "Jia Jia incident," and if so, how? The significance of this is that it is time for overseas Chinese media to make a choice whether they should still support the CCP or not.
Mr. Jia said, "I came forward to be a witness to the tide of withdrawals from the CCP. As a matter of fact, the number of people who want to quit the CCP is far more than the 14 million published on the Epoch Times website because they don't know the channel to do so."
Quitting the CCP, as Mr. Jia said, has become a popular thing to do in China. Members of the CCP have become the minority. The profound changes taking place in Chinese society, caused by this trend, are unstoppable. The title of "CCP member" will soon be considered despicable, as the country enters an era without the CCP.
The Dilemma
While the Chinese people are seriously considering whether to withdraw from the CCP, overseas Chinese media need to make a choice also. Many of them have been struggling because of this inevitable issue.
These overseas media, being in an environment that allows freedom of speech, should be the media that helps overseas Chinese understand and think about the true news in China. They should adhere to and spread traditional Chinese virtue and culture. They should propagate ideas of democracy and a civilized society; and guide social justice and the revival of the Chinese people. This is their responsibility and in essence, this role is totally different from just being the CCP's mouthpiece.
However, under the CCP's relentless coercion and bribery, the actions of these media greatly differ from the mission and responsibility they should fulfill. They avoid tabooed CCP subjects, and have not upheld justice for their fellow countrymen, remaining silent about the various persecutions committed by the CCP. These media dare not talk about issues of democracy in China and often take into consideration the potential response of Chinese embassies and consulates in their reports on important matters.
News or No Real News
In a free society, these media have formed a small Chinese circle where there is no freedom of speech. They are tormented by conflicting views, reporting on nothing serious everyday just to stay in business out of their fear of the CCP.
But on this day in history, Mr. Jia threw this issue at the Chinese media. That is, whether to stay with the CCP or not. They cannot "wait and see" anymore. The media should take the lead in social trends but has instead fallen behind. The Chinese people are going through a historic change. In the midst of this, what role will overseas Chinese media play?
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