Despite recent legislations banning the use of Twitter in China, United States President Barack Obama on Monday urged the Chinese government to allow the use of the microblogging website, saying that it should be available to all people and all places in the world.
In a meeting at a town hall in Shanghai, China, Obama admitted that he has never used the microblogging website personally. However, he said that China, being an emerging economic power, should utilize social networking websites such as Twitter to maximize reach to its people.
“I have never used Twitter or other social networking website,” Obama jokingly said to ward off tension between Chinese officials who have recently restricted the use of the platform.
Obama, on a live broadcast, was in a state visit in China to iron the economic relationship of the two superpowers.
“My thumbs are too clumsy to type or text anything on the phone,” Obama added, pointing to his Blackberry Smartphone.
“I noticed that more and more young people in the US, and in China, are getting very busy with these electronic devices,” the US president said.
Obama then openly said that he is a strong supporter of the use of open Internet and noncencorship of all contents that can be found in the World Wide Web. The statement has a clear indication to the so-called “Great Firewall of China,” which implements a strict control in the contents that can be viewed by online users.
“In my own opinion, the more freely the information flows, the stronger the society becomes,” Obama said in response to an email question regarding the open Internet.
The Obama administration is one of the most prolific users of the microblogging website. In fact, the US president has his own Twitter feed, which can be viewed by members to see what is his next events, speeches, and meetings.
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It’s not like they are going to listen to him.