Ehhh, I’ve gotten close to Chinese people and a part of it is genuine, talking one on one. However they are also filled with valid criticism for America as well (although I am British and generally tell them to think what they like about the USA, I couldn’t care less).
Things like the Taiwan issue is hard. It’s like “we won’t invade Taiwan” but also “America should stop giving Taiwan weapons to defend itself”. And also usual circular reasoning “Taiwan is our because it just is”
What doesn’t help is western people’s attitudes. Many Chinese people know life in the West is better. But I saw some British people on Xiaohongshu telling Chinese people “don’t come here, we want to leave”. They were telling the Chinese that education is expensive here, yet neglecting to say that our definition of inexpensive education is like other european countries with free university, compared to how it is here where all education is free up until 18, then universities are paid for 3-9k per year on a very generous loan with low interest that is paid off by extra tax and has an expiry date where it’s written off entirely. Or how hard it is to find a job, when China has a far bigger unemployment rate, and those who are employed have to run a ‘rat race’. But life is seemingly better there because they have big cities with mass transit systems and you can order oreos to your house at 3am.
Don’t get me wrong- I think China would actually be really nice to visit as a holiday destination. But I’d hate to actually live and work there.
And that’s not talking about censorship, lack of freedom of thought or the freedom of religion
Ehhh, I’ve gotten close to Chinese people and a part of it is genuine, talking one on one. However they are also filled with valid criticism for America as well (although I am British and generally tell them to think what they like about the USA, I couldn’t care less).
Things like the Taiwan issue is hard. It’s like “we won’t invade Taiwan” but also “America should stop giving Taiwan weapons to defend itself”. And also usual circular reasoning “Taiwan is our because it just is”
What doesn’t help is western people’s attitudes. Many Chinese people know life in the West is better. But I saw some British people on Xiaohongshu telling Chinese people “don’t come here, we want to leave”. They were telling the Chinese that education is expensive here, yet neglecting to say that our definition of inexpensive education is like other european countries with free university, compared to how it is here where all education is free up until 18, then universities are paid for 3-9k per year on a very generous loan with low interest that is paid off by extra tax and has an expiry date where it’s written off entirely. Or how hard it is to find a job, when China has a far bigger unemployment rate, and those who are employed have to run a ‘rat race’. But life is seemingly better there because they have big cities with mass transit systems and you can order oreos to your house at 3am.
Don’t get me wrong- I think China would actually be really nice to visit as a holiday destination. But I’d hate to actually live and work there.
And that’s not talking about censorship, lack of freedom of thought or the freedom of religion