A bit of a thought experiment here. What perceptions (misguided or otherwise) would the average Chinese person have of the US? What perceptions would the average American have of China?
Of course, there are lots of people with a foot in both countries, so for the sake of this experiment lets cast them out. By “average”, let’s say a reasonably well-educated person who has never lived in the other country but follows the news and is susceptible to the biases in their respective media. Let’s further assume that the “average” Chinese or “average” American possesses no extremist political leanings and is generally patriotic and law-abiding.
What does the “average” Chinese person think of America? A few guesses:
-American concern for the plight of the Tibetans is a red herring, as the US government is primarily motivated by an a priori fear and resentment toward China.
-The American political system is neither inferior or superior to the Chinese one, just different. America, though, believes that its democracy should be adopted throughout the world, posing a threat to the sovereignty of countries such as China.
-American economic strength, while derived from exploiting the resources of other nations, should nonetheless be emulated in China.
-American cultural exports harm traditional Chinese values to a certain extent, but this effect is mostly benign.
-American criticism of China’s relations with other countries is hypocritical and unfair.
-Mao Zedong was a national hero who united China after a century of division and humiliation at the hands of enemies, both external and internal. His mistakes during his tenure do not diminish his constructive role in Chinese history.
-China’s problems are largely caused by malevolent foreign interference, not by internal governance.
-Americans are militant nationalists who are suspicious of foreigners due to its biased media.
-American hamburgers and French fries taste good, and American movies are cool.
And the American perception of China?
-China is very close to becoming a major economic and military power and poses a threat to American dominance of the post-Cold War world order
-China is rigidly controlled by a malignant government who oppresses the individual rights of the people and uses force to suppress any dissent. As a result, the Chinese are mostly unthinking automatons.
-China’s role in Tibet is nothing short of neo-colonialism. The Dalai Lama is a man of peace and should be allowed to govern Tibet unmolested by the Chinese.
-China plays an unconstructive role in world affairs due to its reluctance to pressure rogue regimes in Africa (Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc.) and Asia (Burma, North Korea).
-A new Cold War is possible, though not inevitable. Nonetheless the two countries are poised to become adversaries despite paying lip service to mutual cooperation.
-The Communist Party is unpopular, and is vulnerable to collapse in a popular uprising. The Chinese would prefer an American-style multi-party democracy.
-Mao Zedong was a villainous murderer on par with Hitler and Stalin who ruined his country through megalomania and economic mismanagement. The Chinese will not advance unless they repudiate him further.
-The Chinese are militant nationalists suspicious of foreigners due to its biased media.
-Chinese food tastes good, and kung fu movies are cool.
I don’t mean to endorse any of the above, and am just fleshing out what I see are common perceptions that citizens in each country have of the other.
What’s spot on? What’s off-base?
Comments 7
Sounds about right, with a couple quibbles.
Americans are militant nationalists who are suspicious of foreigners due to its biased media.
I have never heard this criticism at all in discussions with Chinese. Yes, they claim we have biased media, but only a few “What about the Dixie Chicks?”-types online will turn the nationalism card against Americans.
China plays an unconstructive role in world affairs due to its reluctance to pressure rogue regimes in Africa (Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc.) and Asia (Burma, North Korea).
Most Americans, even your “average” politically-aware American, have no idea about China’s relationships with these countries whatsoever. (In fairness, most Chinese had no idea either until somebody criticized the Chinese government for the relationships.) But among people who do pay attention in the States, the criticism isn’t about a Chinese “reluctance to pressure” but rather Beijing’s shameless support for the regimes in question.
Posted 05 May 2008 at 8:48 pm ¶this is an interesting piece!
Posted 06 May 2008 at 12:41 am ¶I just thought it could be more fair and close to truth if you fill the blank “What perceptions _____ would the average American have of China?” with “(misguided or otherwise)”.
cheers!
One more:
The American think Chinese culture is awesome. [Because the most frequently mentioned word from an average American is China has a long history ....(hmmm...thinking hard....what to say next to the Chinese in front of you)]
The Chinese think America is both culturally and morally inferior.
Matt,
Good point about the latter, but I do think quite a few Chinese think of the US as a belligerent nation…perhaps I phrased it poorly.
Marco,
Posted 06 May 2008 at 9:05 am ¶Absolutely…misguided or otherwise definitely apply. I wrote toward the end that I don’t endorse all (or even many) of these ideas, just that they seem to speak for the plurality.
I don’t think the Chinese think of the US as a “belligerent” nation, it is more like they think of the US as a country who pokes its nose everywhere.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 2:45 am ¶And the guns man! The millions of guns we Americans keep tucked away under our mattresses so our kids can go to school and blow their classmates away. Those guns; all those blasted guns!
Most Chinese can’t drive. Not sure how many Americans have said that, but it’s another nugget that rears its ugly head in conversations between the uninformed all too often.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 7:17 am ¶some other popular perceptions:
Chinese think American universities are the best in the world.
Chinese think all Americans are extroverted, open, outgoing and talkative.
Chinese think gay Americans can live a total open, out-of-the-closet life in the states.
Chinese think Americans change bf/gf more often than Chinese do.
Chinese students think all American high school students live exactly the same life portrayed in High School Musical.
Chinese think Americans don’t know much about the rest of the world.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 12:02 pm ¶Cyan,
Interesting additions!
Todd,
The gun thing I think is perceived by people throughout the world. A Spanish friend of mine once tried to shock me by saying he had never seen a gun in his life, and was humbled when I replied that I hadn’t either.
Pfeffer,
Posted 07 May 2008 at 9:47 pm ¶I think you’re probably right…belligerent is probably not the correct word.
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