The (Two) China Sydrome

or

Little red book for some, little American flags for others

In talking with a local Chinese colleague at the Jinan airport yesterday, I happened to bring up Taiwan. This brought about an abrupt change in the conversation. I'll explain why later.

Quick thing on Taiwan to save you from visiting the wiki...a few years after the end of WWII (maybe 1948 or 1949) Chiang Kai-shek and his followers were forced from mainland China by the Communist followers of Mao Zedong after the Chinese Civil War. The Chiang government fled to Taiwan and made that the seat of his 'Presidency'. At that time (and maybe now, but more on that later) Taiwan was part of China...the People's Republic (or Mainland) China.

Anyway, back to our story. I had mentioned Taiwan, and whether it was a separate entity from China itself, and my colleague became very passionate about the fact that it was not. After I stated that I had thought that China didn't consider Taiwan another country, he started in on how I only thought that because I believe what the American media told me, and how would I like it if Alaska decided to break off and become another nation? Of course, I told him that would be fine, but that's neither here nor there. I think the issue comes from how the US pretty much treats Taiwan as a sovereign nation, even thought it does not formmally recognize it as such...mostly due to how China would feel about that.

He asked how I would feel if another country 'backed' the Confederacy in the Civil War (they did, but I didn't bring that up) and that led to a bunch of stuff about how America involves itself in the issues of other nations, 'what gives us the right to be the cops of the world', etc. Fun stuff.

It wasn't in a mean way, and that was the thing. A few examples of American misdeeds were brought up that I thought were a little out of hand...such as the treatment of the Indians and all that. Of course, I had to ask for an example that wasn't 100+ years old.


I kept joking about how China was a Capitalist Country and just didn't want to admit it. He said that wasn't as bad a word now as it used to be, but he still didn't look too happy about it. He kept saying they were a 'free market economy' which I told him is just an Economist's fancy term for 'Capitalism'.

I found it a little hard to agree with much he said...it seemed he was saying I was fed everything by the media. I wonder where he got his pre-conceptions about America?

On my stating that just because the Government decides something doesn't mean everyone agrees with it, I was told that since the Presidential election is pretty much 'majority rules' then the people who did NOT vote for the winner pretty much have to live under a tyrant and have no say in anything. When I brought up the system of checks and balances I was told that that concept is pretty much something we tell other countries so they don't think the President is a tyrant. (hello, Federal Republic)

I didn't start in on him with anything about China--though the Human Rights Band was striking a few chords. I'm not exactly going to take stands (such as defending the Iraq War) that I don't believe in just to argue with somebody. Hello, I'm not Shell.

Anyways, it probably looks harsher than it really was. It was really just a conversation. But it's the second I've had with someone from another country that doesn't exactly love America...but why should he? And why should I care?