Introduction: A German girl who likes Chinese and Chinese, culture and games, Haiwenna, because she is dissatisfied with the groundless slander of China on social media, makes personal comments to speak out for China, and did not expect that she and her family were harassed and attacked by Hong Kong independence and Xinjiang separatists in Germany, and even attracted slander and slander from Western media and think tanks. What is the intention of the German newspaper Le Monde and the self-proclaimed British think tank ISD to spend a lot of manpower to obtain so-called "first-hand information" on the grounds of interviews, and then distort the truth and compile long articles to smear Helena? Recently, a reporter from the Observer Network contacted Haiwenna to listen to her personal account of this encounter and her vision of China, Sino-German relations and the worldview of young people. The following is the full text of the interview.
【Interview, Collation/Observer Network Liu Hui Kelly】
Observer Network: Hello, Haiwenna, thank you for accepting our interview, first of all, let's say hello to everyone.
Helena: Hello everyone, my name is Navina, my Chinese name is Helena, I am now in Germany studying science and economics, it is a pleasure to meet you.
Observer Network: Your Chinese level is fantastic, much better than I thought. We have heard your story, you spoke up for China on Twitter, and as a result, you were viciously attacked by some netizens and Western media, especially the German media Die Welt and the British think tank ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue) published articles to slander you. Not only did they tamper with your interviews, they also spread rumors about you. As a 21-year-old college girl, how do you feel about that?
Helena: After that, I learned more about the way Western journalists worked, and finally how ignorant and immoral they could be.
Before I was interviewed, I always thought that those journalists [reporting on China] were biased because they didn't know the real China, so I thought if I could give them a different perspective, they might be more objective.
But the truth is that they don't care about my opinion at all, they just make up words to slander me, and they don't think about how much negative such an article would have on me personally from the perspective of the interviewee.
First of all, I was very disappointed in their status as "journalists", and from then on, I had every reason not to trust the media easily. Of course, I also understand a truth, when you are slandered by the media, you should pluck up the courage to fight back against them.
I was able to win this lawsuit because I kept all the evidence and I was on the side of justice. Therefore, in the face of slander and rumors, it is worth investing time and energy to fight back, rather than being helpless.
Observer Network: You did fight back against those Western media with practical actions, and I heard that your lawsuit was won, right?
Helena: Yes, at the moment I have won the case. The court ruled that several authors who slandered me had to revise the original text and not to write articles that defamed me again, and to pay compensation.
However, the lawsuit is not over, because Axel Springer (a media group owning Germany's Le Monde, 44% U.S.-owned) has refused to accept the verdict, so it will have to wait a while.
In fact, I'm confident that I'll eventually win the case, and I've been in constant communication with my lawyers. They said the court would uphold the original judgment unless the newspaper provided further new and convincing arguments.
Observer Network: In this lawsuit, you are competing with the institutional media in terms of personal strength, and the strength of the two sides in this showdown is obviously unbalanced. Do you feel lonely?
Helena: No, I don't feel lonely at all. When these Western media denigrated me, I got the support of a lot of fans, including my friends and family. A girl and a Western media giant, this is indeed a very strong contrast. But to be fair, I don't feel lonely, and I appreciate the support you have.
Observer Network: It's lucky to have so much support. In fact, social media is becoming more and more popular, and netizens are accustomed to sharing what they see, hear, and think on a daily basis. We see many foreign bloggers like you who, once they say good things about China, are immediately labeled as "Chinese propagandists" or accused of "taking Chinese money." As a person who plays social media on a daily basis, why do you think this phenomenon occurs?
Helena: I have noticed that my situation is not unique, and many bloggers like me who speak out for China and express impartial views will be slandered by the Western media. What I do know is that most of these slanders come from the pro-American media. Axel Springer, for example, the media that attacked me, has always been notorious for sounding the horn of the Transatlantic Partnership.
I've also noticed that the content of the slander against these foreign bloggers is almost the same. Those media outlets accuse us of being "Chinese propagandists," saying we have ties to the Chinese government and saying we benefit from our social media dynamics. And almost all of these slanders have appeared since last year, especially this year.
Here's my personal guess. Let's think about the background of the current geopolitical conflict between China and the United States, and it is natural to infer who will benefit from these slanders once they stand firm.
In my opinion, this is a public opinion manipulation, at least to influence the German side, through public opinion to influence German policy in the national interest of the United States. But that's just personal speculation.
Observer.com: Thank you for sharing these private opinions with us honestly. From your social media, we know you've been to China. What cities have you been to and where are your favorites?
Haiwenna: I've been to many cities in China. I have been to the big cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, and some small cities, such as Liaocheng in Shandong. At the moment, I like Qingdao the most because the city is not as expensive as Shanghai, and the climate is very good, not too hot and not too cold, and there is Tsingtao beer.
Observer Network: It seems that you have come to China a lot. What is your impression of China? What attracts you the most in China? I think you have more say in this than you do in China for a day.
Haiwenna: Chinese culture is broad and profound. In fact, I am still in the learning stage, and it is difficult to summarize Chinese culture in one sentence, but I can say some interesting experiences.
When I became interested in Chinese history and philosophy, I found that Chinese culture offered a new perspective, one you would never have considered before. When you study Chinese philosophy and culture, you will feel inspired, start to reflect on some of your previous views, and feel that maybe my original ideas were too absolute. From that point of view, I think Chinese culture is very good and everyone can try to start learning.
Haiwenna and her Chinese friends make dumplings. Image from the author
But unfortunately, for many foreigners, learning Chinese culture is really too difficult. In Germany, we know basically nothing about China, Chinese culture and Chinese history. We understand that China is either through movies or through games. But unfortunately, the images we see Chinese are "stereotyped".
Haiwenna celebrates her birthday in China. Image from the author
Before I studied Chinese, I was only interested in Japanese and Korean culture, and I didn't care much about Chinese language, culture, and politics. The promotion of Japanese and Korean culture is doing a lot better.
Later, my Chinese friends let me know more about Chinese culture and history. After that, I found that Chinese culture is so profound and rich. This was the beginning of my real study of Chinese culture, but other Germans would probably never have set foot in Chinese culture without chinese friends.
Therefore, I think China should try more to promote its own culture, and China should be full of confidence in its cultural heritage.
Observer Network: You just mentioned that Chinese culture is profound and profound, and I also saw you say on Twitter that after learning Chinese culture, I feel that my thinking has become more long-term and more balanced, which surprises me. The next question is, as a university student studying business, how do you view China's achievements in economic development? Will you consider coming to China in the future?
Haiwenna: Actually, I am very interested in going to China to work and study. I had planned to study in China next year, but I haven't got a student visa yet, so this plan had to be postponed. I don't know when I'll be able to apply to a university in China. Not sure now, it makes me a little sad.
When it comes to China's economy, I really think that China's economic growth is a miracle in human history, and China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. In the Western media, it is not worth mentioning or understating.
In fact, I believe that poverty is at the root of many problems in our society, such as human trafficking, the drug trade or conflict.
Over the past few years, I have seen many of the products produced in China exported to developing countries, which has greatly improved their living standards. As citizens of the world, we should welcome such things.
But I personally don't think most Germans are really ready to see China succeed and see China start to make a name for itself in the high-tech space. But I don't think China has done anything wrong.
In Germany, our administrative costs are indeed high, there is insufficient support for innovation, and there is a lack of strategic planning. My Chinese friends and I have participated in China's science and technology innovation competition many times. But in Germany, we can't find any financial support for our creative ideas, which is very depressing.
In addition, many cities in Germany need to spend more than 20 years to repair a road, not to mention the Berlin airport, which was opened last year, nine years after the planned completion. I don't think the German media can solve these problems in Germany by spreading lies about China.
Observer Network: We know that you are from Germany, and china and Germany have always been very close in economic and trade relations. What is the impression of young people like you around you about China?
Helena: I think the current situation in Germany is more complicated. First, we knew merkel would no longer run for chancellor, and for the first time many of my friends faced not knowing which party to vote for. I can't predict what will happen to a "post-Merkel" Germany. But I can see that most political parties in Germany want to show some "strength" to China, so Sino-German relations may deteriorate in the short term.
In my view, the lack of vision to be an enemy of China and the fact that it is contrary to Germany's interests are also unsustainable, because we have benefited a lot from good Sino-German relations in the past. If there is another "Trump"-style leader in the United States in the future, then Sino-German relations will be affected, and making enemies of China will only cause harm to our German people.
I am also pleased to see that many young Germans oppose a close alliance between Germany and the United States. Even, for some young people, scorn for the U.S. government is a form of political correctness. Perhaps in the future, Germany will try to keep its distance from the United States, and will also be cautious about publicly praising the United States.
If the Chinese side can also grasp the relationship with Germany very well, then I am very optimistic about the future of Sino-German relations.
Observer Network: We are also very optimistic about this. We talk about some of the content that interests you, and from your Twitter, we see that you like "Original God" very much, "Original God" is a game with Chinese elements, made by Chinese companies. What do you think of Proto-God?
Helena: First of all, I like to play Original God because it's very good quality, the character design, the scenography, the cross-platform are very well done, and the Chinese elements in this game are very authentic, which is one of the reasons why I like to play this game very much.
"Original God" was selected as a key project of national cultural export. Image source: Visual China
Original God has been very successful in terms of influence, it is very friendly to new players in the West, and the game design and elements are very "Chinese". And the first city prototype in the game is based on Germany, and German players will think, "Oh, I know this!" "That way, they'll be more willing to play the game."
Another point is the fusion of Chinese culture in "Original God". If you've been to different cities in China, you'll find that the game presents an authentic China, which is novel for players. The Chinese in the Chinese games we usually play usually wear cheongsam, can do kung fu, and wear ball heads.
From this game, I was exposed to a lot of things I hadn't seen before, and I learned some things related to Chinese culture. On some game forums, I saw that some friends had just started playing "Original God", so they decided to start learning Chinese culture, and even had the idea of going to China to study. So I really think Protoss is doing a good job of marketing.
Observer Network: Of course, we welcome you to come back to China.
Helena: Thank you! I'm very much looking forward to it!
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