Chinese voices of moderation on Tibet

Conversation bounced around the table, a mix of Mandrin, Cantonese and English at Jashan, an Indian restaurant on Hong Kong Island in SoHo.

Over rounds of mango lassi, a yogurt drink with mango juice, the Chinese mainland students all around me were speaking excitedly in Chinese.

I watched their faces trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then one of the students turned to me and asked,

"Have you heard about the 'heart' China name changes on MSN?"

For me, the most embarrassing part of being an American abroad has to be when a local asks questions about a recent news event -- and I have no idea what they are talking about.

Even though I read the local newspapers, the New York Times online and other news outlets daily, I still miss out on some key events once in awhile.

I replied politely that I did not.

The students informed me (and I confirmed through the South China Morning Post) that overnight millions of Chinese changed their MSN instant messaging names by adding a heart and the word China.

This latest round of nationalism is in response to world-wide protest about the Olympics as the torch circles the world.

I listened as the students around the table, who wished to remain unnamed, debated with the MSN name changes.

One student explained how she argued with her boyfriend because she thought it was silly. While she does not believe in Tibetan independence, she also does not believe in showing nationalism so blatantly.

Another student expressed concern over the name changes. He told me he found the name changes unhelpful.

"The two sides need to listen to one another," he said.

I could not agree more. The entire table discussed how both sides do not understand each other, leading to conflict. (A Chinese student who stood up for moderation at Duke University received death threats recently.)

Heated rhetoric between the Chinese government and what seems to be the rest of the world (Japan criticized China today), has not improved Tibetan human rights. The Chinese are not listening. The west is not listening.

Voices of moderation need to stand up and bring China and the West to the table. Finger pointing through the media is not changing the situation.

* Image taken from MSN China urges users to 'love' Beijing Olympics.