Thanks Huang, but there's no gift C919

HUANG SHICONG, a TV commentator in Taiwan who was widely ridiculed after saying that people on the mainland could not afford to eat zhacai, or pickled mustard root, in August, became the media focus again by uttering exciting words to laud China's first passenger airliner the C919. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

When Huang said mainland people could not afford zhacai, a zhacai producer mailed him a whole box of their products as a gift. This time, after praising the C919, the response was:"Thank you, Mr Huang, but we won't send you a plane as a gift."

That's only a joke, and Huang's words about zhacai are obviously based on lack of understanding of the Chinese mainland. But this time his words about C919 are true, without any exaggeration even though he uttered them in an exciting way.

As the first domestically made big passenger airliner, the C919 is a symbol of the nation's R&D capabilities, the manufacturing process of which has involved many technological breakthroughs.

If one carefully watches the video of Huang this time, one will see that he also mentions the Chinese augmented reality technology that is employed to build the planes. It seems that Huang has learned from the past mistakes and has done his research this time.

This offers some food for thought. As the mainland economy is on a rising path, it is natural for different voices to emerge, some might be quick to utter unfair judgments based on outdated perceptions. How to deal with these critical voices is a big challenge that China must handle.

Huang's case is a good example. When he spoke irresponsibly last time, Chinese micro bloggers and the media did not use offensive words against him. On the contrary, they welcomed him to visit the Chinese mainland to see the reality with his own eyes.

Most unfounded criticism stems from preconceived notions and a lack of first-hand knowledge, and the best way to counter it is to demonstrate that it is not the reality. If Huang could make a trip to the Chinese mainland that he often talks about, his comments would be much fairer and more appealing to audiences, because they will be based on true stories instead of just empty talk.

Of course, Huang's remarks last time were not about core national interests such as national sovereignty or national unity. Those who advocate Taiwan "independence" should never dream of jokes or humorous responses. It is a much harsher response that awaits them.