France as Enemy, so Japan as Friend
Listen up! France is a villain! And this isn’t about freedom fries. They hate people in wheelchairs. Wheelchairs! Oh, you thought Japan was the evil enemy? Well, I guess you haven’t been reading the newspapers or watching the news. Japan is China’s great friend!
The odd storyline that has emerged in recent weeks and months is both confusing and cynical. With President Hu in Japan as the first Chinese head of state to visit in ten years, suddenly relationships are better than ever. Yesterday CCTV was flooded with documentaries about Japan, and nary a mention of Nanjing or WWII, the two staples of any Chinese story involving Japan.
But perhaps the most telling signs, as they always tends to be, were on the country’s editorial pages. The English language version of China Daily had the headline “Seeds of Friendship,” and gushed:
The two countries have walked a long way to put their relations back in good shape. Along with more contacts between their top leaders, the two countries are working hard on building stronger links among their young people.
Less burdened by history, young generations find it easier to communicate and understand each other. Communication between young people can have a huge impact on bilateral relations.
The words of 《北京日报》mimicked China Daily (and Hu Jintao) nearly verbatim, discussing the parallels between the warming weather and the blossoming Sino-Japan relationship:
在这个春意盎然的季节,国家主席胡锦涛带着中国人民对日本人民的友好情谊,开始了对日本的暖春之旅
So what changed so dramatically in China’s relationship with Japan? I hate to be cynical, but as Forest Whitaker said in “The Crying Game,” it’s in my nature.
It feels more than a little convenient that a time when there is so much outrage across the world about specific Chinese policies, and the Western media is absolutely clobbering the country on a hodgepodge of legitimate and semi-legitimate issues, that suddenly the great pariah Japan has emerged as a budding lover in the lush, grassy fields of a beautiful spring morning.
What better symbol for China moving away from it’s historical image as a poor, confrontational country than to embrace its bitter rival?
Of course all of this requires a certain amount of creative memory. For example, it was only a few years ago that crowds of angry youths tried to turn over the Japanese buses during the the Asia Cup, or that the government actively encouraged “spontaneous” anti-Japanese protests. Are these young people the same as those who make up the Chinese half of the “young generations [who] find it easier to communicate and understand each other” equation? Or has three years created a generational shift?
It is a good storyline and good PR, but how seriously should we take this? Isn’t this a little like having your ex-girlfriend who stalked you for three years, calling you up at 3AM to remind you how badly you treated her suddenly wanting to meet up for coffee the day after she dumps her boyfriend?
So as China adds itself to the list of countries that love to identify the French as hated villains, Japan becomes a friend with a relationship as warm as a midsummer evening.
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Matthew Stinson responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am →
I don’t know if it’s a generational shift, but there’s definitely a maturing process.
I talked with a young woman who works at Carrefour recently, and she wanted to discuss the situation. She noted that the anti-France thing “has happened before,” and by that she meant the anti-Japan protests. She further added that she was one of the young people angry at Japan but isn’t anymore.
On the other hand, I had a high school student in class last week say (this is verbatim) “Chinese people think Japanese are all sons-o-bitches.” Hu Jintao has his work cut out for him.
Windswing responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am →
China’s “historical image as a poor, confrontational country”? Whose history? Up till when? Confrontational with whom?
Josh responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am →
Through at least the 1970s or 80s China was widely seen as a poor country. It also seems fair to say that Mao thrived on confrontation (Japan, Taiwan, class, the Soviet Union, America, inside the party etc.) Since Mao was the public face of China for nearly 30 years, I’ll stand by my statement.
Windswing responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pm →
By the same criteria, are there any country in the world that does not have a “historcial image” as poor and confrontational?
Now I can see why you said you probably have too many opinions for your own good…
H.Y. responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 5:06 pm →
LOL… the first paragraph is classic and summarizes the ridiculousness and fickleness of it all perfectly. By the way, is there any country which doesn’t dislike France? I know here in Europe there aren’t many of them..
Nick responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm →
@windswing, whether a country, company or individual’s image is fair or not is irrelevant to the argument. Perhaps you view the author as an cynical opinionated &%$@ others would beg to differ. It’s these collective images right or wrongly held, that clever P.R seeks to change.
duckoutofwater responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 6:40 pm →
hmmm…canada, switzerland, maybe. neither poor nor confrontational.
Lu responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 7:16 pm →
Windswing, these is a difference between
1) “The US are an evil and belligerent country.”
and
2) “Many people believe that the US are an evil and belligerent country.”
If I would say 1), you could call me on that, and tell me why my views are wrong. If I would say 2), you could ask me who those people are and where I found this information, but it wouldn’t be not useful to explain to me why this view is wrong, because it’s not (necessarily) a view held by me.
Similarly, when Josh here says things like “people think that China is so-and-so”, it is not (necessarily) Josh’s opinion that China is so-and-so, and thus it is not useful for you (or others) to call him on that statement. China has a certain image in the world, and China is not happy with some parts of that image. But if China wants to counter this, the only thing it can do is change the perception others have of it, instead of denying that others have this impression. I hope you get what I mean.
Windswing responds:
Posted: May 8th, 2008 at 11:42 pm →
Lu and Nick,
The difference is noted and granted. However, it is irrelevant to what I have said.
If you read more carefully, you’ll see I was doing exactly what you suggested in the first scenario - calling Josh on HIS stated view that China has a “historical image as a poor, confrontational country” in this blog. Josh himself said clearly in a later post “I’ll stand by my statement”.
Besides, there is a difference between “People think…” and “Some people think…”. The fact that you and a few others share Josh’s view does not provide ground for the claim that “people” or even “most people” think the same way.
And finally, even if the original statement was “People think…”, I suppose I could still challenge that popular perception by explaining why I think that perception is wrong.
Larry responds:
Posted: May 9th, 2008 at 12:10 am →
Japan is probably the first, and the only, country Chinese likes. Is there another one ? North Korea, may be ? Ah, there is also Sudan, Nigeria, Myanmar. Cuba ? No, not Cuba.
nanheyangrouchuan responds:
Posted: May 9th, 2008 at 11:50 am →
China needs a friendly Japan as SK and Vietnam are becoming so blatantly anti-China (and with thousands of years of repeated colonization, who can blame them?).
I wonder how many Chinese, taught their whole lives about how bad the Japanese are, see the CCP as running dog turn coats? Basically Hu just made a mockery out of one of the tenets of modern Chinese education.
But this warming will only last until the Japanese men’s soccer team crushes China in the Olympics.