Morey owes the Chinese an apology

China Plus Published: 2019-10-07 20:16:18

Comment

Editor's note: The following is taken from a CCTV commentary.

There has been overwhelming criticism in China against Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey over his tweet supporting Hong Kong rioters. The Chinese consulate in Houston has lodged solemn representations, while the Chinese Basketball Association, CCTV sports channel as well as Chinese sponsors and partners have swiftly suspended or terminated their cooperation with Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. [File Photo: VCG]

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. [File Photo: VCG]

Amid ongoing backlash in China, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has distanced the team from Morey's tweet, saying he does not speak for the Houston Rockets. "We are NOT a political organization," he stated. The NBA has also expressed disappointment over Morey's tweet in a statement, acknowledging that his views have deeply offended many friends and fans in China.

However, at this point, Morey himself has not yet issued an apology.

Morey's show of support for Hong Kong rioters not only has touched upon China's bottom line, but also runs contrary to the values of the NBA and has damaged his own image and that of the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets has enjoyed tremendous popularity in China thanks to Yao Ming. Over the past 17 years, the club has signed sponsorship deals with many Chinese companies. It is fair to say that Morey himself has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the club's popularity in China. However, it is wrong to assume that Chinese fans' love of the team can be taken as indulgence for caprice. Chinese fans are Chinese citizens in the first place. They won't place their love of an NBA team above their country.

Hong Kong is part of China's internal affairs which would tolerate no foreign meddling. Morey and Houston Rockets need to offer a sincere apology to the Chinese public. It would be unwise for any individual to underestimate 1.4 billion Chinese people's readiness to defend their national sovereignty and dignity.

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LU Xiankun Professor LU Xiankun is Managing Director of LEDECO Geneva and Associate Partner of IDEAS Centre Geneva. He is Emeritus Professor of China Institute for WTO Studies of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Wuhan University (WHU) of China and visiting professor or senior research fellow of some other universities and think tanks in China and Europe. He also sits in management of some international business associations and companies, including as Senior Vice President of Shenzhen UEB Technology LTD., a leading e-commerce company of China. Previously, Mr. LU was senior official of Chinese Ministry of Commerce and senior diplomat posted in Europe, including in Geneva as Counsellor and Head of Division of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO and in Brussels as Commercial Secretary of the Permanent Mission of China to the EU. Benjamin Cavender Benjamin Cavender is a Shanghai based consultant with more than 11 years of experience helping companies understand consumer behavior and develop go to market strategies for China. He is a frequent speaker on economic and consumer trends in China and is often featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Channel News Asia. Sara Hsu Sara Hsu is an associate professor from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a regular commentator on Chinese economy. Xu Qinduo Xu Qinduo is CRI's former chief correspondent to Washington DC, the United States. He works as the producer, host and commentator for TODAY, a flagship talk show on current affairs. Mr. Xu contributes regularly to English-language newspapers including Shenzhen Daily and Global Times as well as Chinese-language radio and TV services. Lin Shaowen A radio person, Mr. Lin Shaowen is strongly interested in international relations and Chinese politics. As China is quite often misunderstood in the rest of the world, he feels the need to better present the true picture of the country, the policies and meanings. So he talks a lot and is often seen debating. Then friends find a critical Lin Shaowen criticizing and criticized. George N. Tzogopoulos Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is an expert in media and politics/international relations as well as Chinese affairs. He is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre International de Européenne (CIFE) and Visiting Lecturer at the European Institute affiliated with it and is teaching international relations at the Department of Law of the Democritus University of Thrace. George is the author of two books: US Foreign Policy in the European Media: Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism (IB TAURIS) and The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (Ashgate) as well as the founder of chinaandgreece.com, an institutional partner of CRI Greek. David Morris David Morris is the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commissioner in China, a former Australian diplomat and senior political adviser. Harvey Dzodin After a distinguished career in the US government and American media Dr. Harvey Dzodin is now a Beijing-based freelance columnist for several media outlets. While living in Beijing, he has published over 200 columns with an emphasis on arts, culture and the Belt & Road initiative. He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor in China and abroad. He currently serves as Nonresident Research Fellow of the think tank Center for China and Globalization and Senior Advisor of Tsinghua University National Image Research Center specializing in city branding. Dr. Dzodin was a political appointee of President Jimmy Carter and served as lawyer to a presidential commission. Upon the nomination of the White House and the US State Department he served at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria. He was Director and Vice President of the ABC Television in New York for more than two decades.