‘China and the West revisited’ from JPOST
The politics surrounding Beijing’s hosting the Olympic Games have exposed two interrelated phenomena: the wounds and self-consciousness of the Chinese, and the extent to which the West misunderstands them. But they also represent a significant opportunity to better understand a country that will play a more influential role this century than previously.
People hold a Chinese flag as others chant slogans in support of China and the Olympic Games after the dawn flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Friday.
Photo: AP
For several thousand years, China existed as a regional hegemony. Its soft power extended to the far reaches of East Asia, and its riches drew bold explorers from the West. China’s very name - the “Middle Kingdom” - indicates it has long viewed itself as a leader, and was indeed long regarded as such. Yet by the middle of the 19th century, China had become a vastly different place. Foreign invasions and occupations devastated China’s national pride. The most traumatic of these were the British Opium Wars of the 1860s and Japan’s brutal occupation prior and during World War II. For a nation that had traditionally dominated its region, the slicing and dicing of the homeland by foreigners constituted a profound humiliation from which the Chinese are still recovering.
The years following the war saw a beleaguered China emerge unified, thanks to Mao Zedong. While his rise to power and solidification of communist rule featured extraordinary brutality - including the political persecution of hundreds of thousands - Mao ushered in a period of massive transformation and an invigoration of Chinese national pride. His exclamation on independence in 1949 that “the Chinese people are back on their feet” still reverberates in China. Like Russia’s current image of Stalin, the Chinese (many of whom did not live under Mao) see his legacy as the man who unified China against all odds and reclaimed its dignity. Such is the power of a national symbol in China.
For the Chinese, Beijing’s
hosting of the Olympics is yet another national symbol, a step in reclaiming the national pride stripped away 150 years ago. In this regard, the discourse headed by prominent Western leaders such as Angela Merkel of Germany and Gordon Brown of the UK prior to the Games on targeting the opening ceremony for boycott is indicative of how misunderstood China is, and the extent to which such threats could backfire.CRITICS RIGHTFULLY point out China’s myriad political shortcomings and problems. China’s violence toward the Tibetan minority and its own citizens, its support of Sudan’s genocidal regime, and its harmful environmental policies are surely unacceptable. We must demand of China that it assume the role of global leadership more responsibly. Nevertheless, the attempt to bully it into changing its policies through a symbolic Olympic boycott only exacerbated these problems.
The core of the problem is a failure to adequately distinguish between the policies and shortcomings of the Chinese government and the views and aspirations of the Chinese people. The threat of an Olympic boycott embarrassed the latter, while doing little to sway the behavior of the former.
Despite China’s rapid ascendancy, we must remember that the Chinese people are deeply suspicious of the intentions of foreigners; at the same time, they desperately wish to be included in the global community. Calls for boycotts and other forms of delegitimization, rather than encouraging China to change, have deepened these public feelings of suspicion. Overall, they have made it less likely China will respond positively to the goading of Western democratic powers.
Even those Chinese who oppose the policies of the Communist Party of China have rallied around it when they felt their national identity under attack. Continued threats to delegitimize China will push the Chinese people further into this defensive posture. If we truly want to positively impact China, our engagement has to be constructive and carefully weighed. Gradual engagement, rather than rhetoric of shaming China, should be our modus operandi, if we wish to avoid alienating the Chinese people. After all, it is the will of the Chinese people, rather than any one particular policy of the communist party, that represents the best long-term hope of greater democratization and political freedom taking hold.
PAYING HOMAGE to China’s rich history and culture at the Olympics is a good starting point. This should be concomitant, though, with calls on China to improve itself on various issues. Criticism must be aimed squarely at the CCP while keeping China’s national pride intact, as US President George W. Bush wisely chose to administer in Bangkok on his way to the opening ceremony.
Western governments should enrich relations between the Chinese community and their own by means of cultural exchange and cooperative projects. The message needs to be unequivocal: We respect China and celebrate its culture, but demand responsibility on China’s part. Mismanagement of foreign policy, including decisions by Western leaders to pursue delegitimizing actions such as cultural boycotts, will create greater distrust bereft of constructive policy impact.
The writer is a graduate of the departments of international relations and East Asian studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in Chinese studies.
i agree mostly with what this person says.
however, i would like to point out something that everyone i have heard from has missed.
in china, it is taken for granted in the culture that the government will, or at least should, care for the best of the people. you may say “well of course”, but heres the catch, if the greater good involves somehow sacrificing some people, those people and the general populace might not like that, but they will understand that its nessesary, or at least that the government beleives its nessesary. in the west, if something like the three gorges dam is proposed, (the three gorges dam, when finished, will displace about a million people and flood lots of land) it will be immediately struck down because to the governments there anything that might harm people is anathema, even if it is for the greater good.
thus, china’s government does not value individual person’s human rights as much as western governments do. the chinese people value it basicly as much as any westerner would, but once a chinese person is put in a government position, then he will be willing to make sacrifices (as in, violating “human right”) if nessesary.
for the commies currently in power, it hasnt sunk in yet how much the west values its human rights. nor have they yet learned crucial public realations skills, nor have they completely graped the concept of “soft power”. soft power is, basicly, the concept that people will more likely do what you want more often if they like you, ie, if you have a good image and reputation.
i would also like to point out that “human rights” is something that western culture places a high value on, but in other culture, that might not be so. in weestern culture, anything that violates human rights is basicly denounced as evil, and MUST be stopped.
in the west, human rights are taken as an axiom. this is likely because of Jeffersonian ideas “these truths we hold self eveident, that all men are entitled to certain unalienable rights…” and also because of how abrahamic religions place so much emphasis on the individual over the group. you know, because of the concept of the immortal soul, and “christian charity”. also, the intolerance of abrahamic religions likely influenced the west into beleiving that they had to force this gospel of human rights on other nations whether they like it or not. (admit it, abrhamic religions are intolerant, “follow my word or you go to hell”, yes that is very tolerant of you god.)
if the west realizes that human rights is just another cultural trait, then that would greatly make any diplomatic encounter with any other nation greatly more productive. western governments also should take note that their job is to ensure the best for their own people, not police the world.
questionist
19 Aug 08 at 10:04 pm
questionist:
How do you explain that Chinese ‘commie’ government has now over 80% of approval rating. 80% of people think the country is going in the right direction. 90% of Beijinger think Olympic Games are important to them at a personal level. 76% Chinese think the same way. I am not sure whether the overseas Chinese have been surveyed. Maybe I just have not had the pleasure to talk to dissidents but most of the overseas Chinese people I know are supportive of Olympic Games and to a great extent happy with the direction of China.
Many say that ‘for the first time in their adult life, they are proud of being Chinese’
People are willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. It is true! It has nothing to do with communism. It has to do with the 5000 years of culture, tradition.
Just look at the way we are named: Our family name comes first, then our given name, sheer opposite to the Western way. From our names you can tell that we are first a member of a family and then we are an individual.
Unknown
20 Aug 08 at 9:30 am
Unknown:
chill out man, im not trying to throw dirt on the current government. im overseas chinese myself, i suport the current commie government, im an not an adcocate of any drastic change.
you said: “People are willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. It is true! It has nothing to do with communism. It has to do with the 5000 years of culture, tradition.”
yes i agree with you. that was one of the things that i had been trying to say in my previouse post. it was a long post, so maybe i didnt make that point clear enough.
but i would like to say that even though china’s government doesnt need to change immediately, i still maintain a position that more democratic elements should get added onto the government. the government now is basicly an ogliarchy crossed with technocracy. the problem with this type of government is that without new blood that gets into it (so to speak), it tends to ossify and become rather inflexible. i beleive that with some more democratic elements, the government would not do that, maybe a stronger NPC (national people’s congress) or something like that might do the trick. im not really that familiar with how the government works so im not really fit to make the call.
questionist
20 Aug 08 at 11:34 am
Questionist:
see this one:
http://blog.chinationreport.com/2008/08/19/students-from-china-to-cover-usa-election/
Maybe I am too optimistic, but I think China will slowly but surely move to more freedom… the real danger is the hot blood and eagerness of the West that could back fire in China. Agree with Unknown, the Chinese are proud and don’t want anyone to spoil their party right now… They’d rather take time to figure things out by themselves. They don’t like so much to take orders. They never liked it but now even less…
Fei
20 Aug 08 at 1:28 pm
fei:
maybe you are too optimistic but i share your optimism as well
and yes i agree, west should get out of other people’s buisness and stop uselessly critisizing china. give china time and space, theyll change on their own if they ever change at all. even the “positive critisism” that this guy who wrote this article sugests we do is most likely unnessesary at best, even counterproductive at worst. chinese people dont want to and wont change because west wants them to change. chinese people will change because chinese people want to change.
questionist
20 Aug 08 at 2:54 pm
Questionist wrote:
“chinese people dont want to and wont change because west wants them to change. chinese people will change because chinese people want to change.”
Fair enough, but for them to want to change, Chinese people need to know what many countries in the global community deem unacceptable. Granted, the West should back off and try less to impose its own perception of how history should unfold. At the same time I should say that if the Chinese government wishes to be a responsible and effective global leader, its behavior needs reconsideration, and it is certainly the place of the global community to assert that, and even demand it. I’d like to remind you that many Asian countries breathe China’s pollution. China is certainly not immune to criticism on the one hand, and criticism should be administered in a responsible and carefully weighed manner.
Person
20 Aug 08 at 6:52 pm
“Fair enough, but for them to want to change, Chinese people need to know what many countries in the global community deem unacceptable. ”
I have to tell you, that unfortunately there are no universal values and truths out there. That kind of tone gets you nowhere. No one has the right to raise an issue on a moral highhorse and condemn certain actions to be “unacceptable”. China will only do things that are beneficial to the nation and to the Chinese people, as all countries out there. When you raise the issue, try to find a tone that’s along the line of “let’s find a win-win solution”, rather than “this is unacceptable to me”. So what if it’s unacceptable to you? Slandering from western media is pretty unacceptable to Chinese people; repeated challenge to sovereignty issues is pretty unaacceptable in China. I don’t see them stopping.
Chinese diaspora
20 Aug 08 at 8:16 pm
What do you guys think about this post from Fei?
http://blog.chinationreport.com/2008/08/15/olympics-and-opium-wars/
admin
20 Aug 08 at 10:33 pm
“person”: i tend to agree with “chinese disporia”. different people will have different values. the west tends to always have the conviction that their own values are superior.
see my first post on this page.
human rights are just another western value that they attempt to imose on others.
questionist
21 Aug 08 at 4:24 pm
“admin”: i cant find anything to disagree with in fei’s post
cultural exchange is going to be more effectice than hot blooded critisism thats for sure
questionist
21 Aug 08 at 4:33 pm
Are there really no universal values? What about the golden rule “Do unto others.. ” which is also found in the Dao De Jing?
When Chinese tell others that whatever happens in China is their private business and can’t be criticised by outsiders, it can sound as if they don’t want to be part of a world community.
Gert by Sea
21 Aug 08 at 9:02 pm
Gert by sea,
Chinese complain among themselves about the government all the time… they just don’t want an outsider to do the same.
It is like having fights with your parents or spouse or brothers. While you may yell at your wife or your mother, you may not want your neighbor to do the same. You may have fights at home, you may not want to fight in public to draw other people’s attention, judgment or criticism.
China has problems. Its government and people know it! They just don’t think the outsiders can offer much help.
Zhongguoren
21 Aug 08 at 9:50 pm
everybody here just think about the mess of conflict, the European think China is the most harmful country to world peace. the America think China and the US can’t avoid of be enemy. And many many Chinese dislike Amercia, and after the torch relay in France and Britain, they disike the Western!
Who made such mess? The media did. The Western media report China with pride and prejudice, the Chinese media report the Western with sensitive and defensive mind. It is the silly and lazy( yes, lazy of them not finding the essence of each newsa amd just neglect facts ) news reporters who make their countries youth angery and unhappy.
yes, “western governments also should take note that their job is to ensure the best for their own people, not police the world.
”
i really think people individual should be free and happy. Just let the government and it’s officials be organiser, no idealogy, no politics.
hungarychen
22 Aug 08 at 2:53 pm
Chinese diaspora said:
“I have to tell you, that unfortunately there are no universal values and truths out there. That kind of tone gets you nowhere. No one has the right to raise an issue on a moral highhorse and condemn certain actions to be “unacceptable”.”
You are right, but in the meantime we all live under the same sky. So if China deems it ‘OK’ to pollute, yet its pollution precipitates acidic rain in Japan, I think Japan has a right to deem such pollution unacceptable. Even though I make no claim for any type of objectivity, I do believe that taking the needs and interest of the other into consideration will lead to a much less conflictual global society. Although China has turned itself into something Chinese anywhere can be proud of, I do hold to my reservations in regard to its record on many issues that many countries care about.
I think that it is rather the ‘mind your own business’ attitude that will hinder China’s advancement in the world. The fact of the matter is, the more China liberalizes the more it is able to assert its role as a leader in the world. How and when it should liberalize its own institutions, is entirely up to the Chinese.
Person
23 Aug 08 at 3:12 pm
[...] 在chination report blog上，有好事者转贴了这篇文章，留言也很有可读性。 [...]
An Anachronist’s Life » Blog Archive » 奥运结束，中国与西方
24 Aug 08 at 10:17 am
[...] H/T to David Peng for pointing out this article written by Assaf Lichtash and published in the Jerusalem Post. David also pointed out an interesting discussion thread on this article in Chination Report. [...]
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24 Aug 08 at 10:44 pm
Hi all!
Nice site!
G’night
Vastidelterse
1 Oct 08 at 3:14 pm
Hello.
Martha Louise, who is the only daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja, gave up the title of ‘royal highness’ upon her 2002 marriage to writer Ari, and has a reputation for not standing on ceremony.
Bye.
dipmoonidor
10 Oct 08 at 6:26 pm