OK just let me begin by saying that I'm English but have lived in China for the past ten years! I love China and living here and honestly concider China as my new home. The things that I am going to say aren't a bashing of China or of Chinese people as my wife is one and I love her and her family and friends very much!!!!

I can just see some flaws in your opinion though! Why do you think that they went to the place that they went to? If that was a place that could make China look bad then no government in the world Chinese or not would let foreign press officials go there!! It's not only about China trying to hide things it's the whole world that wouldn't want the foreign press make them look bad. When you talk about the report facing restrictions it is true that he will face restrictions as every government would. I have to say that there are laws in China that restrict freedom of speech and you can't deny that right? Even if the gorvernment are trying there hardest to be more open and honest about things! Which I strongly agree with you about that! Though the restrictions are there and are inforced!

As for the point of meeting people that he doesn't want to interview, I need to ask you one simple question. What is the point of reporting news if there isn't any to report? The whole idea of news is to have something to report. It's there job to find the news when ever and where ever it happens and I think that you will find that's the BBC news moto! It doesn't matter that it happened in China or not just that it's happening! He needs to find people that can tell him what really happen and normally it's hard to find people that want to tell the really story to a foreigner. It's a face thing not a government thing but he doesn't know that as he doesn't understand the culture of China as well as you or even I a little more each day anyway! If you want him to really understand it then you have to put yourself out there for him to hear you not just think of him in such a negative way because what person wants to talk to someone or understand them that just wants to call you a cheat and a lier? Giving up yourself is the only way that people of different countries can come together in peace. If someone says bad things about your country then change there oppion don't just say why they are bad or the arguement will go on and on until war starts or conflict of some kind. Hitler had an opion and that killed a lot of people and started the second world war!!!

As for your Police theory that the the report was ignoring certain reasons why the police were more active in that area is only adding to the reports words as increased terrorism in the area is just one reason why they were there not the whole reason. In China as in other coutries you have an anti-terrorism police department and the police shown were local and from other areas and are there for reason of crowd control not terrorism. Your sensitivity in this point does not reflect the oppions of the local people of that area or any of my local Han Chinese friends which includes a few policemen. They are right but how you look at it is different as heavy handed behavior is need in some places and issues. I think if you can view it in that way it sounds better!

OK, Your point that he only goes out of his way to take pictures of people that don't show them smiling and happy. This really is a strange thing to say to me and I'm sorry I'm not puting you down but come on!!!! If you are reporting in England on a story of war or terrorism or even just something bad are you going to take a picture of beautiful children smiling and dancing around or an old couple kissing and holding hands as a beautiful scene. Of cause not and besides I'm sure by the tone of your words you don't send all day skipping down the road smiling and waving at foreign photographes right? especially if your local area of China is some kind of trouble and you are worried about what the future will bring you as even if you deny it there was still some kind of problem there even if it was miss reported in your oppion or the reporter wouldn't have been there in the first place.

OK so to your last point. If you were one of the people in that remote place that could speak good English you wouldn't instantly run up to the first foreigner that you see wanting to talk to him and practise your English? Of cause you would it happens to me everyday but the moment that the foreigner starts to ask you questions that you don't want to answer not out of fear of government issues but just because you have been raised that speaking bad things about China is a bad thing to do, you suddenly stop wanting to talk or answer any other questions right? If you were in his situation you would feel safe after what happened there? Maybe that's why he said he didn't feel safe and was afraid, I know I would feel the same! As for fearing to talk again I'm afraid I would feel the same as you never know what's going to happen if you say too much with the restrictions that are still current law in China right or wrong no one is saying but still current law!!

So in my summary

A) Bashing BBC reporters for trying to do their jobs just shows the international community that you are afraid of the truth!
B) If A isn't true then having a more objective oppion is a better idea than showing the world the sensitivity to critism of your country.
C) Base things more on the facts not made up beliefs as half of what you are saying even if you believe is true has no depth or consistancy.
D) Have more faith in your country to get you through hard times instead of blaming foreign reports for tell stories that you don't agree with.
E) Strength comes from self belief and no one can hurt you that is telling lying so if you turely believe that he was lying why worry?

Please I hope that this has been objective enough but still just another persons ideas so I hope that you have read this and understood that I'm not taking sides in this matter just trying to help people to realise that being nastey for the sake of acknowledgement isn't a good thing! Thanks for reading!!!