The international scrutiny on China has raised a dilemma for activists seeking to promote Chinese civil liberties while not aiding self-serving critics who use China to deflect attention from human rights abuses carried out by countries like the United States.

Helen Zia is a Chinese-American feminist Activist and journalist. She is the author of “Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People.” She also co-authored the book “My Country versus Me” with Wen Ho Lee, the nuclear scientist of Chinese descent falsely accused by the Clinton administration of spying for the Chinese government.

Despite her outspoken criticism of the Chinese government, Helen Zia took part in the Olympic torch relay earlier this year in San Francisco, its only North American stop. The torch run was steeped in controversy as thousands of protesters gathered to demonstrate against the Chinese government.

In a piece called “Why I Will Carry the Olympic Torch” Helen Zia wrote: “..A peaceful and better world is possible through friendly engagement and mutual understanding, not violent confrontation and polarization. It’s an Olympic message, a possible dream that our global civilization and everyone who is a part of it can aspire to–and for which I am proud to carry a torch.”

Helen Zia, Chinese American feminist activist and journalist. She is the author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. She also co-authored a book with Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee called My Country Versus Me. She took part in the Olympic torch relay when it came to San Francisco earlier this year.

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