China's Emergence as a Superpower (till 2014)

[Ray]

Ray, if I've read your comments correctly, you seem to feel that the West behaves somewhat 'arrogantly' towards the so-called third world. Do you think a democratic, Christian mainland China (Taiwan is predominantly Chinese Folk Religion/Buddhist/Taoist) would conduct itself in a less 'arrogant' manner than they do at present, or than the West in general for that matter? Personally, from a simplified historical perspective, I don't think the West behaves any more arrogantly than any other culture that might find itself standing on top of the corpse heap when the hurlyburly's done. A case could probably be made that the US is by comparison one of the least arrogant in a long line of such 'victors'.

Also, since we're talking hypotheticals, if internecine religious conflict broke out between mainland Chinese Catholics and Protestants, who would the US support? Or would they just bomb all of them and let God sort them out?

Do my posts appear that I find the West 'arrogant'? If that is the impression, then I apologise since that was not the intention.

My posts were merely to indicate the events as seen from the non Western perspective since most of the views here are from the western perspective. The non western perspective is important since the 'hot spots' of the world are in areas having different cultures than what is there in the West.

Even my views may not entirely be the same as what the reality is since I am looking at issues through the subcontinental lens. But hopefully it would be closer than the western view.

Further, most of us are keen that the US does not lose out in this race. Not that there is some serious dislike for China, it is just that China's imperialist past does make one uncomfortable, more so, as they tend to twist history to suit their ends as in Tibet or even Shaksgam, the area in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which was ceded by Pakistan to China.

US is not 'arrogant'. It is just that the US wants to impose its will forgetting the sensitivity to local realities. In the long run, it puts those in government in a tight spot as they are seen to be always giving way to the US perspectives at the cost of the local requirements.

I don't think that even in the middle future the control by the CCP will be lost. Since not much is known about the actual situation in China, I would not like to second guess beyond that. There are troubles brewing, but it could be mere local discontent and more on the lines of the discontent because of the economic divides.

The rapid growth of Christianity has got China worried and of that there is no doubt. They are afraid that it would pollute the Han culture and the Theory of Legalism, which has held China in good stead so far.

[Backwards Observer]

Does my post appear that I find the West 'arrogant'? If that is the impression, then I apologise since that was not the intention.

[...]

US is not 'arrogant'. It is just that the US wants to impose its will forgetting the sensitivity to local realities. In the long run, it puts those in government in a tight spot as they are seen to be always giving way to the US perspectives at the cost of the local requirements.

Ray, thanks. Sorry if I misunderstood your original comments about the West. What you say makes sense. Do you think China is arrogant? If my questions are becoming wearisome, please don't hesitate to not reply.

[Ray]

Ray, thanks. Sorry if I misunderstood your original comments about the West. What you say makes sense. Do you think China is arrogant? If my questions are becoming wearisome, please don't hesitate to not reply.

Are you a Chinese or a Tibetan?

Your earlier avatar was Tara as is portrayed by Tibetans.

Hans have always been historically arrogant.

Han Chinese culturalism arose to distinguish between the culture of the Han, or inner people (nei ren) and the ‘barbarians’, the outer people (wei ren).......

The Chinese distinguished between ‘raw barbarians’ (shengfan) or the unassimilated people and the ‘cooked barbarians’ (shufan) or assimilated taxpayers who enjoyed the fruits of Chinese culture. For example, Han Chinese officials separated the ‘cooked’ Li of the coast of Hainan, who enjoyed the benefits of Chinese civilisation, from the wild ‘uncooked’ Li of the central forests, far from the influences of Han culture.......

Barbarians were given generic names in the Chinese classics and histories: the Yi barbarians to the east, the Man to the South, the Rong to the west and Di to the north (when westerners arrived by sea, they were officially designated until the late 19th century as Yi). Until the 1930s, the names of outgroups (wai ren) were commonly written with an animal radical: the Di, the northern tribe, were linked to the Dog; the Man and the Min of the south were characterised with reptiles; the Qiang was written with a sheep radical. This reflected the Han Chinese conviction that civilisation and culture were linked with humanity; alien groups living outside the pale of Chinese society were regarded as inhuman savages. To be labelled a barbarian was a cultural rather than racial distinction.......

Han Culturism

And therefore, is it a surprise that China claims that it has 92% of its population as Hans?

Most of the so called Hans are assimilated people by coercion, humiliation, inter marriage and so on that occurred when the people of the Middle Kingdom (zhong guo), which began by ruling the Central Plain (zhongyang) invaded the South, West and so on and converted them as Hanhua.

[Backwards Observer]

Are you a Chinese or a Tibetan?

Your earlier avatar was Tara as is portrayed by Tibetans.

Hans have always been historically arrogant.

Check this out:

Han Culturism

My ethnic background is Hakka Chinese and Anglo-Australian. Both are known throughout the world for their superlative humility. As a so-called 'half-breed', my personal humility is of the most profound order.

My experience with the Han people suggests that what may be construed as arrogance is perhaps a woefully misinterpreted joie de vivre.

My use of the avatar function may be charitably described as loosely contextual.

Thanks for asking.

[Ray]

Hakka means 'guest'!

But great cuisine!

Not half breed, since that is not polite. Mixed parentage would be appropriate.

Actually, the people of mixed parentage (like the Anglo Indians and there are many in Australia) are tougher and go getters. And have no hang ups.

Good chaps actually.

My school days were with these chaps and I miss them.

[Backwards Observer]

Hakka means 'guest'!

Tell me about it. 'Always the bridesmaid, never the bride'...or something.

[Ray]

Tell me about it. 'Always the bridesmaid, never the bride'...or something.

The Chinese invasion, migrations, assimilations are too complex to know exactly.

The case, as some would say, the bridesmaid demanding that they are the real brides!!

Some claim that Hakka origin is from the Xiongnu nomadic people.