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Mind your language when addressing foreign audiences

Two recent cases of Chinese nationals abroad highlights the need for people to think twice about what they say and do when in the public eye

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Yang Shuping, a graduate student at the University of Maryland in the United States, who praised United States' fresh air and freedom of speech has been forced to apologise after she was slammed as a liar and told to stay in America by nationalistic netizens. Photo: Handout

Those who are trying to impress or seek attention are bound to be over enthusiastic about what they say and do. Two Chinese women, one giving a graduation speech at a university in the United States, the other at the Cannes Film Festival draped in a bright red dress emblazoned with the stars of the national flag, have shown that truth. They have been widely criticised at home, prompting both to apologise. The incidents are textbook lessons of the importance of responsible behaviour when in the public spotlight.

University of Maryland psychology and theatre graduate Yang Shuping was understandably proud to be chosen to give the annual commencement speech. Such occasions require offering a measure of praise to the college and perhaps, for a foreign student, the host country.

Yang did that, using widely held American perceptions of China having poor air quality and suppressing freedoms to speak of the “freshness of the air” she felt living in the US. Her hometown of Kunming (昆明) was singled out, a questionable claim given its reputation for having relatively low pollution levels. The remarks, while winning applause from the mostly American audience, understandably caused a storm of disapproval on mainland microblogs, sparked a “proud of China” campaign among patriotic fellow mainland students and prompted the foreign ministry to remind Chinese that they should think first when making public statements.
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