China: The Big Taboo Word
Breaking Stereotypes
Written by: Noel Wong (Y3 Political Science)
Let’s talk about the big taboo word: China. China, China, China. It is a word that President Trump brings up all the time in many of his speeches. It is a country glittered with stereotypes. When you mention China, people identify them as the country that is well known for producing fake products and copying intellectual property. China has been in the limelight in recent years, for all the wrong reasons. With Trump waging a trade war against China and the bad reputation of Chinese overseas, it does not help to dispute that Chinese people are rude, uncultured and unhygienic. Over the years, having many bad perceptions about it has led to China being a “taboo word”. But is it really that taboo after all? Is China really that bad as people make it out to be? After spending some time here in China, I’ve acknowledged that while these stereotypes hold some truth in them, but in reality, they have been over-exaggerated.
The most common stereotype that gets around about China is that Chinese people are uncivilised and unhygienic. While there is some truth to that stereotype, it is not entirely true that all of the Chinese population is uncultured. Before I came to China, I expected to see spit marks everywhere, and people that push and shove. It still happens from time to time but over the years, China has been working hard to improve its image. In Shanghai, as I walk on the pavements, I see cleaners cleaning up the roads. From time to time, there will be vehicles that douse the pavements with water. While not entirely clean, there is a clear effort to improve the general cleanliness of the streets. As I take the metro, I have met many kind people along the way that have extended their hospitality to me. It then dawned upon me that a few bad apples will always ruin the perceptions of the rest. That made me see that while as much as there are many uncultured people out there, there are also many that are civilised and respectful out there. I have always perceived Shanghai citizens as rude people who couldn’t care less but my interactions with the locals so far has debunked that stereotype. They have turned out to be some of the politest people I have ever met.
From time to time, when I go to China, I get concerned remarks from family and friends asking me to be careful. To them, they think of China as a Communist country with uncouth people. Many perceive China as the dangerous land of the great unknown, but Shanghai is very much a sprawling, developed metropolis that is comparable to the likes of Tokyo and New York. Like any other major city in the world, it is safe. I’ve also felt free to do whatever I like in Shanghai. In fact, it is much safer than cities like London and New York where you do not have to worry about muggings in the middle of the night. I could walk the streets of Shanghai at midnight and not be paranoid about what will happen to be next. Contrary to popular misperceptions about China, living in China has been a nothing short of a pleasant experience. It has been easy assimilating into life in Shanghai, given how well-connected and liveable it is.
Another major stereotype that have been articulated is that everything in China is built on fake products. It is no doubt that China has imitated Western technology to get ahead but to suggest that the building of Chinese infrastructure is a sham is a gross over-generalisation. This is not to dismiss that there is no shoddy infrastructure built but the ability for China to sustain the rise of large unicorns that are comparable to the tech giants of the Western economy shows that there is substance in its technology. Shanghai and Beijing are emerging as leading tech hubs in the world. The successes of big companies such as Xiaomi, Huawei and Alibaba are testaments to the innovative and entrepreneurial spirits of the Chinese. Gone are the days where China is seen as the backward brother of the East that imitates everything. The hunger and adaptability of the Chinese to come up with substantial innovative products of their own have led to rapid development in a matter of one or two decades. The path to development hasn’t always been perfect but the fact that they can compete with the Western tech giants shows that their technology isn’t built on a shaky foundation.
In the eyes of many, China is still a taboo word. The mere mention of the word elicits rolling eyes and reactions of disgust and condescension. Many still think of China as uptight, unliveable and uncultured. But perceptions are changing, ground sentiment is shifting as China is shaping up to be a major economic vehicle in the world. China is desperate to prove itself to be more than the stereotypes it is being portrayed as. China is a place where you have to untangle all the mysticism that surrounds it and experience it all in for yourself. China is not that taboo as you think it is. As a country that is in flux, it is on its way to fulfilling the fullest potential.
