“Everyone thinks the Chinese government selected me. Never ever. I was selected by Herzog and de Meuron.”

The importance of elections, transparency, legal procedures, an independent army, and the judicial system is not regarded as highly in China. These core values are the most important evidence of the health of a society, quality of life, and security.

It’s just a way you have to set up some kind of activities to follow your instincts or your curiosities.

We should also leave behind discrimination, because it is narrow-minded and ignorant, denies contact and warmth; and corrodes mankind’s belief that we can better ourselves.

Creativity is the power to reject the past, to change the status quo, and to seek new potential. Simply put, aside from using one’s imagination – perhaps more importantly – creativity is the power to act.

I never really read Allen Ginsberg poetry, even though I have a book he gave me.

Any politician who respects China’s government should tell it openly what is in his heart. It is disrespectful to keep quiet about such issues – both vis-a-vis the government and the people concerned.

What counts in the end is what the government does.

Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught.

In my life, I often make so-called major decisions by very quick, immediate responses.

Civilization has evolved toward more acceptance, understanding and tolerance of global thinking. If we accept differences, our creativity booms. It makes life much more colorful.

Now you have the equal opportunity to equip yourself through information and knowledge and express yourself as an independent mind.

Just look at the statistics: Each university has tens of thousands of applications for students who want to be in art school, but they can only accept a few hundred.

Liberty is about the right to question everything.

You’re still being looked at as somebody who – it’s a very complicated issue.

In this kind of dictatorship, in this kind of totalitarian society, it is easy to make deals that you cannot make in a democratic society.

Had I to create a name for these times, I’d say it is the age of craziness

Like most Chinese, I am basically a fatalist – too sophisticated for religion and too superstitious to deny the gods.

You know, the Chinese don’t like to be photographed because they believe that a part of their life is being taken away by the photographer. And in a way, they’re right.

I have a blog in Chinese, which you can follow, Chinese signs. But I don’t even update at all, often I don’t.

If you are asking me if I would advocate that the Chinese go to greater flexibility in their exchange rate, I certainly would.

The second ‘Postal Service’ album is threatening to become the ‘Chinese Democracy’ of indie rock. It will come out eventually, or maybe it won’t.

I worked in a Chinese restaurant.

Because of the Chinese culture of obedience, you don’t ask questions… You follow and obey.

If I were to limit myself to the opportunities that were presented playing only Chinese-American parts, I would be virtually without a career.