Fascinating to see the difference in how the NYTimes treated Obama’s recent town hall meeting with Shanghainese students, compared to the way China Daily reported the event.

From the NYTimes:

The meeting came the day after Mr. Obama tried to hold a frank and public discussion with Chinese students in Shanghai. The event was called a town hall, but Mr. Obama’s meeting with about 500 students had little in common with the sometimes raucous exchanges that have become a fixture of American politics.

It was, instead, an example of Chinese stagecraft. Most of those who attended the event at the Museum of Science and Technology turned out to be members of the Communist Youth League, an official organization that grooms obedient students for future leadership posts.

Some Chinese bloggers whom the White House had tried to invite were barred from attending. Even then, the Chinese government took no chances, declining to broadcast the event live to a national audience — or even mention it on the main evening newscast of state-run China Central Television.

The scripted interaction underscored the obstacles Mr. Obama faces as he tries to manage the American relationship with an authoritarian China, whose wealth and clout have surged as its economy has weathered the global downturn far better than the United States’ or Europe’s.

From China Daily:

Barack Obama was in typical eloquent form Monday for a signature “town hall meeting” with a difference.

While the relaxed style and well-constructed answers were characteristic of the United States president, the fact that he was speaking to around 500 elite Chinese students, possibly the leaders of tomorrow, made the 75-minute session in Shanghai an impressive occasion.

The meeting was heralded as one of the most important events on Obama’s weeklong trip to Asia.

The president fielded eight questions – half from audience members and half from among those submitted over the Internet – during the casual and free-spirited event. Students smiled and applauded politely when Obama answered questions and chuckled appreciatively when he tried speaking Chinese.

The NYTimes aren’t kidding about “Chinese stagecraft.” A couple of weeks ago, the government commanded all the universities to make an upcoming graduation ceremonies for foreign students a big deal. It was going to be filmed by CCTV and everything.

So in a matter of a week, a big budget show was whipped up, seemingly fabricated out of thin air. The morning of the ceremony came, and all the performers got on stage, donned their impressive outfits, and sang and danced their hearts out. Did it matter that the whole thing was obviously done to backing tape? Including the singing?

Nope, the officials clapped. The film cameras captured their 15 seconds of news footage. Everyone was happy.

Similar comments were made about last month’s 60th anniversary. There was a noticeable lack of participation from regular Chinese citizens. The only people lucky enough to witness the parade and show were party officials and VIP guests. The rest of the country had to watch it on television.

And so it was designed, as a made-for-television event.

Now the Western media may cast this as another expression of the Party’s iron-fisted control over this nation, but I can’t help but wonder if this is also just a cultural oddity, related to the Chinese obsession with face. Perhaps the Chinese, not just the Party, would rather events happen hitch-free, and to plan, even if it means sacrificing a kind of authenticity in the process.