One of the biggest challenges that confronts any media professional is getting honest feedback on the content s/he produces. TV journalists at the biggest networks in the world share the same complaint as the lone blogger — constructive criticism of one’s work is extremely hard to come by. So when we received a pair of thoughtful, well-written feedback emails from a reader in Scandinavia and another in the United States, it was immensely appreciated. Although the critiques (below) do sting a bit, their suggestions are valued and, in some cases, have already been incorporated into how we produce content on China Talking Points. We thought it would be great to share their comments as a way to invite other readers to contribute feedback as well. The comments below have been reprinted with the authors’ permission however both individuals did requested anonymity.

The rejection of Southern Media and Chengdu’s B-Ray Media’s offer to purchase the ailing U.S. magazine Newsweek is just the latest setback the Chinese have encountered in their desire for acceptance by the international media. …

Quick quiz: name a single mainland Chinese company that has successfully built brand equity in the U.S. market sans acquisition?  Lenovo doesn’t count as most of its brand value derives from the purchase of IBM’s …

For too many Chinese the current dispute over the country’s currency valuation is yet another chapter in a well-worn narrative of the United States trying to “contain” China.  Such nationalistic responses are now predictable yet regrettable as …

Most Chinese people do not fully understand the extent to which Americans disregard events beyond their own borders.  It’s completely understandable that Chinese observers get confused on this front because from their vantage point the …

There is a current within the recent debate over Google and China that many Chinese observers are overlooking. Both Michael and I feel agree that the reaction to Google’s opposition to Chinese censorship rules and the company’s threat to withdraw entirely from the China market are misunderstood. It is easy to take this one dispute and examine it in a vacuum. By itself, this controversy can be seen as a human rights issue/information imperialism/a Google business failure/control over the internet and the list goes on and on. While those are all valid filters to explore this issue, none of them adequately explain the overwhelming public support that Google is receiving in the United States for its decision to challenge the central government. Americans are rallying behind Google in this dispute because we, as a culture, as a people love to challenge authority:

Atlantic Monthly correspondent James Fallows has coined a wonderful expression to summarize a series of controversial Chinese decisions over the past year: the new “Bush-Cheney Phase.” The stunning news that Google and China are about …

Too many people focus on the same 15-20 China analysts for their insights on Sino-U.S. relations.  Elizabeth Economy, Nicholas Lardy, Jonathan Spence and Orville Schell among others are all extremely learned and no doubt represent …