Fenqing out of control
Read this article from the NYT. It reports an incident and repercussions that are by no means isolated.
Empowered the right to protest that living abroad offers them, Chinese citizens the world over are riding a wave of nationalistic frenzy. The irony is staggering in the light of the present storm over perceived western media bias.
The NYT article highlights the danger of stoking up emotions through the carefully tailored story that the rest of the world are against China and its people. This plays perfectly to the deep sense of victimisation felt by so many Chinese, making it all too easy for their government to turn its citizens into an angry nationalistic mob.
As Richard points out over at Peking Duck:
China has come so far so fast, but if it doesn’t grow up along the way it will be doomed to wallow in impotent and pointless rage. It can do better than this.
There is certainly something worryingly child-like in these sorts of mass responses. A responsible government would address such an issue head-on, rather than instructing embassies around the globe to mobilise Chinese students abroad to do their bidding. So much for the promise of a peaceful, tolerant, and harmonious rise.