‘April Media’, a Chinese mainland internet network, founded in 2009, asked Asia Media International’s editor-in-chief to comment on how he thinks China can be more clearly understood. Known since 1996 for his newspaper columns on Asia and, more recently, his focus on China in the prestigious South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Professor Plate, who is the Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University, offered an original 13 minute video to April Media for airing in China. The video, though somewhat cut by censors in the Chinese govt., apparently drew many thousands of hits. “It would have drawn millions, except for the censoring,” said one commentator on the mainland.
Here is the professor’s original cut of the video before it was sent to the mainland. Prof Plate says very many substantive points remained in what was shown in China. Apparently the censor’s touch was on the light side. Our founder is internationally known (and sometimes criticized) for practicing a journalism that emphasizes mutual understanding rather the mutual condemnation.