The Great Invisible Wall

[AlphaCentauri]

In one generation, 500 million Chinese citizens have been lifted out of poverty and by 2020, moderate prosperity will characterize a more harmonious Chinese society. Despite China's social, economic, political and geopolitical challenges proportionate to its size and diversity, one can not deny the overall progress accomplished by one fifth of mankind over three decades.

After 30 years of revolution under Mao Zedong, and 30 years of evolution (reform and opening-up) inspired by Deng Xiaoping, it has become impossible to conceive of a world order without including Beijing as a stakeholder or as a co-architect. By leaving Italy earlier than scheduled to coordinate the Central Government's response to Xinjiang's tensions, Chinese President Hu Jintao downgraded the G8 summit, although technically China is not a member of the group. To a certain extent, China's difficulties are the world's problems, and vice versa.

Objectively, one should acknowledge Beijing's achievements, welcome a reliable partner and rejoice to expect a promising future. However, one often suspects China's intentions, succumbs to sarcastic China-bashing and even conceives maneuvers to contain China's reemergence.

Some data indicate that China's image in the West is deteriorating. In a 2006 survey realized by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 34 percent of Americans considered China as a minor threat and 47 percent as a major threat. In the 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 72 percent of French and 68 percent of Germans had an unfavorable opinion about China. Just before the Beijing Olympics, the same institute asked the Chinese people whether they were satisfied with their country's evolution: 86 percent of the Chinese said yes, while it was 48 percent in 2002. The contrast between the two dynamics is striking.

Confronting the West's incapacity to give China the credit it deserves and also what is perceived as unfair treatment and, in some instances, as hostile behaviors, some segments of Chinese society are developing anti-Western sentiments. The fenqing, or angry youth, denounce various forms of Western Sinophobia and formulate, for example in Unhappy China, a book published in March, an extreme and dangerous nationalism.

http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/business-in-china/100156778-1-great-invisible-wall.html