Why are the Chinese so sensitive to Western criticism?
09.06.2025 09:20
So you see there was still to be excessive outside interference in China’s affairs. interestingly it was this time not just the “Western” countries, but also the Soviets who were heavily vested in this interference and struggle for power. The Soviet Union;s friends won and the USA with some of its old allies continued to treat China as some sort of low life. The Soviets on the other hand did a lot to sup[port China, although this was mainly to piss of the USA . China still has a close relationship with Russia even since the old Soviet Union collapsed. Oddly it appears to be that, now it is Russia who need support from Russia.
The Soviet Union trained some Chinese people to take over as a Soviet friend once the Japanese had been removed. The allies during WW2 were keen to help the Soviet backed people as well as another less Soviet allied group to defeat the Japanese, but once this was done the who nation split and the Soviets backed their friends and the American (USA) led group backed the other side.
However to continue in this foolishness is not going to do anyone any good, and a large part of this problem is China;s refusal to accept real sighs of friendship and co-operation from even it;s current and important trading partners. The slightest ill considered statement by a politician from a politician can have major repercussions with the leaders of China. The fact that the offending politician may well be booted at the next election and does not in realty express his/her nation’s beliefs has bugger all effect. The leadership. nation of China has been “insulted| or maligned and revenge must be sought without any sense of true reason.
OK so China does have some historic reason for felling pissed off with “Western” countries for the way it had been treated in the past. China not only has along history it also seems top have a very long memory and has never forgotten how past foreigners treated her. “Let bygones be bygones” does not seem to be a saying common when it comes to the National psyche of China.
Yes gunpowder, paper, printing, a well educated civil service, guns and rockets were just a few that readily come to mind. Their cultural back ground is at least as far back as that of ancient Greece with philosophers, scientists, and writers who were the equal of any of Europe's ancient past.
Yes eventually the Opium trade was stopped by both the Chinese leaders and foreign governments, but the possibility for good will between Europeans and Chinese was not so easily repaired. China was still seen and treated as a backward country by many, and internal strife did not make matters better in the minds of the foreigners. in fact many foreigners were too willing to allow things to get worse as they were selling armaments to each side. The Sino-Japanese war further weakened internat cohesion and it was not untill Japan attacked the USA that many outside countries realised that China just might be an important ally.
Their achievements, both cultural and technical, over a few millennia were not appreciated by outsides as being worth giving credit, yet these same outsides were vet happy to take and use these same achievements for their own purposes and sometimes as in the case of gunpowder against the Chinese people.
Times internationally have been changing for several decades, but to China the old wounds are still weeping and any action to alleviate this is seen by them as a sign of weakness and loss of dignity (“Face”). Those wounds are apparently China’s badges of courage and strength, and this is a great pity for all nations of this planet.
China has become a great powerhouse of industry with a mixture of government owned. controlled business along with raging capitalism and private enterprise. There is no way any country’s leaders would seriously treat China or it;s leadership with contempt. Well none of the clever leaders that is. . . . . .
European ( see Marco Polo) traders who arrived were amazed at the high standards of Chinese culture and wondered ate their technical achievement, but then it all when very sour. better trading deals were wanted by the outsiders and when the Chines objected they were supplied with something to”quieten them down”. enter now the greatest drug trade in history, and this one was sanctioned by several outside national governments. huge quantities of Opium was sent into China and caused a loss of many potential workers as they became less inclined to do the work that was needed. This also made may less inclined to renege against the increasing power of the outsiders. It was also very profitable for those who were transporting and selling this harmful drug.
China was treated like dirt by “Westerners’ for several hundred years.
Yes the USA and others have been bloody minded over some quite legitimate actions of China, but they are also justified in being upset when China abuses it;s new found power to bully other countries either by threats of military or trading activities. The USA has of course also been involved in such bully activities against China in a tit for tat “game”m so neither side is truly innocent.
Now (2024) China is still sticking to their old “friend” Russia for support although in reality it is Russia who is in need. This is also quite foolish on China;s part as in reality it could if it acted sensibility and without any bully activities replace Russia in global standing and become an trusted friend to all nations with no need for subversive activities. They just need to act as grown up as they actually are, instead of still acting as a bull because some one said something they did not like.