Time to recalibrate the cynicism meter

Did S.H.E learn Chinese as a foreign language?

One of the songs performed at this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala was "Zhong Guo Hua" (中国话, "Chinese). You couldn't have asked for a more appropriate song for a national exercise in bland, feel-good sentiment.

There's the patriotic title, of course. And the lyrics, which describe the spread of Chinese culture across the globe, dovetail nicely with the whole "soft power" concept that's so popular with the cultural ministries these days (particularly since the audacious claim in the original that "the whole world is speaking Chinese" was softened to merely "lots of foreigners" for the version sung at the gala). It was performed by S.H.E, a pop trio from Taiwan, so you've got the cross-straits angle. And a reference to 2008 was thrown in especially for this performance.

So it was hard not to snicker when the story surfaced online that CCTV announcer Li Yong had introduced S.H.E as "foreigners." Specifically, he was quoted as saying, "These days lots of foreigners speak Chinese. Chinese needs to be sung to be learned well. Next, we'll hear some foreigners sing 'Zhong Guo Hua'." Predictably, commenters in online forums called for Li Yong's head.

As rumors go, this one had a lot going for it. Li Yong is known for running his mouth, and mistakes by Gala hosts are certainly not unheard of. In addition, rumors about S.H.E's splittist tendencies are constantly being reposted in China's online forums. Did you know that when a Japanese journalist asked, "Are you Chinese," the group responded "No, no. We are Taiwanese!" or that they refer to their mainland fans as "you Chinese people"?

Schadenfreude will have to wait for some other occasion, however: Chen Linchun, the Gala's director, denied that Li Yong even uttered the word "foreigners" (外国人) during that segment, and a Modern Express reporter contacted Li Yong's wife, Ha Wen, who said that Li reacted with laughter when he read the story online.

A helpful commenter on the Netease BBS provided a transcript of the intro patter:

Zhou Tao: So today, in 2008, China has been carrying out the economic reforms for thirty years. More and more Chinese people are studying foreign languages and cultures, and there are also lots of foreigners who have are captivated with our Chinese language.
Li Yong: Lots of foreign tourists, when they come to China—say, Beijing for example—do three things. First, they climb the Great Wall. Next, they eat Peking Duck. Then they study Chinese.
Zhou: Oh, studying Chinese is the hardest of the three.
Li: I used to stutter when I was young—I couldn't speak smoothly. My grandmother said, sing, and you'll learn more quickly.
Zhou: Is that true?
Li: Yes, it is. If you don't believe me, there are people who have learned Chinese from singing songs.
Zhou: Let's take a listen.

But wait! That's just a transcript of the rebroadcast. What about the live broadcast?

Another Netease commenter offered the following unassailable logic:

If we find a recording of him saying "foreigners," that will prove that he did indeed say foreigners!

If we can't find a recording of him saying "foreigners," that will prove (a) he did indeed say foreigners, and (b) they destroyed the evidence!!

If the recording proves that he did not say "foreigners," that will prove (a) he did indeed say foreigners, (b) they destroyed the evidence, and (c) they faked a live recording for the rebroadcast.

In sum, Li Yong did indeed say "foreigners."

See also: ESWN translates a story about faked reports that Gillian Chung had spoken at a chastity event in 2006.