4 ms·

Because China has played so cleanly with the West? Please. The West is only returning the favor.

croes 5y ago
You mean China just returned the favor. China is very resentful about what happened to them especially in the Opium wars.
- ceilingcorner 5y ago
  That was nearly two hundred years ago. It’s resented because the government finds it useful for building internal unity. Periodically stirring hate against foreigners is a tactic as old as time. It’s a bit like America being mad at Britain for burning down the White House in 1812. At some point you need to get over it.
  - beaunative 5y ago
    Only that the Opium Wars was just the beginning, the whole series of events lasted until the end of WWII before people can have any sort of peace, not the case for Britains burning White House
    - ceilingcorner 5y ago
      And the US caused the Chinese Civil War? I don’t think so. The US also supported China against Japan during WW2. Apparently that doesn’t matter. https://www.britannica.com/place/China/U-S-aid-to-China https://www.britannica.com/place/China/U-S-aid-to-China
      - beaunative 5y ago
        I'm not saying that and I acknowledge that China and the US fought along the side of the Soviet Union. Though it is funny that you ask others not talk about history while your point seems to be based on that.
        ceilingcorner 5y ago
        I’m not asking others to not talk about history. I’m saying to get over some messy actions that happened two centuries ago, especially when the US has done more than enough to help China since then. As I already said, it’s only an issue in China because the government uses it as propaganda.
      - dirtyid 5y ago
        Mao "thanked" Japan for invading China because CCP would not have came to power otherwise. US ambiguous support of ROC/TW since during and post war is prolonging the ongoing civil war which PRC have tried multiple times to end post war. So no, generally US "support" / intervention has been been active pernicious to PRC interests.
  - croes 5y ago
    Hong Kong was returned 1997, not so long ago.
  - croes 5y ago
    BTW Germany is still paying compensation to the churches for expropriation under Napoleon, and that was also some time ago. They are not so willing to pay for the forced labourers of the 3rd Reich.
  - FooBarWidget 5y ago
    Who gets to decide when to get over it? Imagine telling Africans to get over their resentment for 19th century slavery because it was so long ago. Or from a more positive viewpoint, imagine telling Americans that they should not be proud of the identity they've built up as a result of the Civil War. That's not how it works. In Chinese history, 150 years is recent. As a Chinese, I'm offended at how you can so casually brush aside an important historic period just to suit your political preferences. You're brushing it aside and painting it as merely a tool for blaming foreigners. And yet if you actually read Chinese media you will see very little foreign-bashing. Go ahead, read Xinhua with Google Translate, read CGTN. Now compare that with BBC, CNN. Go visit some Chinese schools and learn how they teach history or about the west. Chinese people have much, much more favorable views of foreign countries than westerners tend to have about China. Heck, not few Chinese become disappointed at the west after they've traveled, because the image of the west that they built up in China was too rose-colored. How does all that possibly fit in the idea that the Chinese government uses opium wars to stir up anti-foreign sentiment? It doesn't. What is taught about the opium wars isn't "foreigners are the cause of our suffering", but "we must not be weak".

You mean China just returned the favor. China is very resentful about what happened to them especially in the Opium wars.

ceilingcorner 5y ago
That was nearly two hundred years ago. It’s resented because the government finds it useful for building internal unity. Periodically stirring hate against foreigners is a tactic as old as time. It’s a bit like America being mad at Britain for burning down the White House in 1812. At some point you need to get over it.
- beaunative 5y ago
  Only that the Opium Wars was just the beginning, the whole series of events lasted until the end of WWII before people can have any sort of peace, not the case for Britains burning White House
  - ceilingcorner 5y ago
    And the US caused the Chinese Civil War? I don’t think so. The US also supported China against Japan during WW2. Apparently that doesn’t matter. https://www.britannica.com/place/China/U-S-aid-to-China https://www.britannica.com/place/China/U-S-aid-to-China
    - beaunative 5y ago
      I'm not saying that and I acknowledge that China and the US fought along the side of the Soviet Union. Though it is funny that you ask others not talk about history while your point seems to be based on that.
      - ceilingcorner 5y ago
        I’m not asking others to not talk about history. I’m saying to get over some messy actions that happened two centuries ago, especially when the US has done more than enough to help China since then. As I already said, it’s only an issue in China because the government uses it as propaganda.
    - dirtyid 5y ago
      Mao "thanked" Japan for invading China because CCP would not have came to power otherwise. US ambiguous support of ROC/TW since during and post war is prolonging the ongoing civil war which PRC have tried multiple times to end post war. So no, generally US "support" / intervention has been been active pernicious to PRC interests.
- croes 5y ago
  Hong Kong was returned 1997, not so long ago.
- croes 5y ago
  BTW Germany is still paying compensation to the churches for expropriation under Napoleon, and that was also some time ago. They are not so willing to pay for the forced labourers of the 3rd Reich.
- FooBarWidget 5y ago
  Who gets to decide when to get over it? Imagine telling Africans to get over their resentment for 19th century slavery because it was so long ago. Or from a more positive viewpoint, imagine telling Americans that they should not be proud of the identity they've built up as a result of the Civil War. That's not how it works. In Chinese history, 150 years is recent. As a Chinese, I'm offended at how you can so casually brush aside an important historic period just to suit your political preferences. You're brushing it aside and painting it as merely a tool for blaming foreigners. And yet if you actually read Chinese media you will see very little foreign-bashing. Go ahead, read Xinhua with Google Translate, read CGTN. Now compare that with BBC, CNN. Go visit some Chinese schools and learn how they teach history or about the west. Chinese people have much, much more favorable views of foreign countries than westerners tend to have about China. Heck, not few Chinese become disappointed at the west after they've traveled, because the image of the west that they built up in China was too rose-colored. How does all that possibly fit in the idea that the Chinese government uses opium wars to stir up anti-foreign sentiment? It doesn't. What is taught about the opium wars isn't "foreigners are the cause of our suffering", but "we must not be weak".