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.
April 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I am abslutely in-tune with your quote”Empowered the right to protest that living abroad offers them” and am amazed that such zeal can arise from people who have never practiced nor realized this potential on their own shores. As we all know, living abroad comes with its nuances–and we live with them every day. But, to see Chinese citizens (such as those in Australia last week) protesting under the guise of Chinese victimization makes me sick. Look, we don’t march on Tiananmen square, waving American or British flags and making known our opinions of Chinese policy to the detriment of peace on their own soil. While here, we respect that we don’t have these rights, as they don’t, and get on with our lives. What good can possibly come of all this intense nationalistic fervor? Isn’t it time they realize that in a world of globalization (where they have benefitted so much) it isn’t about the MOTHERLAND, it is about “one world, one dream?”
One other thing:
In response to Pakistan’s wonderful guardianship of the flame during its travels through their land, China has awarded the country a $500 million loan. I guess those that play along get rewarded (like Deng Xiao Ping’s “deal” of the two doors). I’m sure there are people in the “motherland” who could really use that money in the form of subsidies to calm inflation. Oh well. It’s all about face anyway.
April 19th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Michael - thanks for commenting.
I didn’t know that about Pakistan, although I’m certainly not surprised. China has been bullying or buying its way to anti-protest measures in other countries on the torch route.
Nepal are the latest to bend to pressure from Beijing, sending in the army to confiscate mobile phones and laptops from mountaineers on Everest. A true farce, and all in the name of producing some ‘harmonised’ images for CCTV.
April 19th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Here’s a link for the Nepal story
April 19th, 2008 at 1:00 am
“Fenqing out of control” ? Yes, “Fenqing were out of control in 1989 too.
By the way, the Olympic is the world’s Olympic, not only China’s. Although there are many problems in China, the protesters shouldn’t use Olympic as a tool to fight against China.
There were riots in Paris too several ago, but we didn’t interfere in that riots because that’s their own affair. But nowadays they are interfering in Tibet affair-our own affair.
Olympic is a window for us to know more about the world as well as a window for West to know more about China. The protesters are doing nothing more than closing the window.
April 19th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Monica -
“By the way, the Olympic is the world’s Olympic, not only China’s.”
Somebody needs to remind China of that fact.
“The protesters are doing nothing more than closing the window.”
The window has been closed on Tibetan culture since 1951. Western countries give people - including Chinese - the right to protest and express their opinions freely. They have been happy to do that on foreign soil recently.
April 19th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Stuart,
“By the way, the Olympic is the world’s Olympic, not only China’s.”
I am reminding almost everyone around me of that fact and most of them agree with that.
“The window has been closed on Tibetan culture since 1951″
The Tibitetan has beeen liberated from slavery since 1951 and most of us respect their culture. The government’s opinion doesn’t always stand for the people’s opinion. Besides, The Tibiten shares more rights than us, for example, they can have three children but we can have only one; they can go to university with a much lower score than us.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Tibetan culture has been preserved in a way that Westerners have never managed for their respective indigenenous folk. Tibetans are still 90 percent of Tibet, whereas Native Americans are 2percent of American population. Australian Aborigines have a life expectancy of 59.6 years, Tibetans 67 . Tibetans are not restricted by the one-child policy.
There is a dual track education system in Tibet - Tibetans can choose to study in Mandarin or Tibetan (as do all other significantly large minority groups). Do the Aborigines of Australia, the Maoris of New Zealand have this. Tibetan economic disparity compared to Han is not due to deliberate government policy but cultural differences - just like why Han Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia have economic clout way out of proportion to their numbers in those places.
Both Tibetan population and life expectancy have doubled since 1950. If that is geneocide, looks like we will need to be finding a new definiation of the term
April 25th, 2008 at 2:12 am
China has laws that suit China’s situation at this time, the West has laws that suit the situation in the West at this time.
There is no double-standard in Chinese protesting in the West, while protest in China is perhaps more difficult. The principle is simply to respect the law of the country you are currently in.
Furthermore Chinese arguing that Tibet is a part of China, while in the West is not a significant indication of free speech. After all the Chinese protesters position is pro-Western government policy. All Western governments recognize Tibet to be part of China.
I’m sure that China would not have much problem in Americans in China demonstrating and supporting California as part of the US.