Loyalty to China - time for a rethink

sp · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 218

Does being Chinese mean you must be 'loyal to China'?

I don't think so. Often I've heard people say that, as a Chinese person, you should always stick up for China when the country gets bad press, e.g. over Tianenmen Square, killing orphans, AIDS etc. Some say that to criticise China is being disloyal. But I don't agree with this.

You can be loyal to the country of China without having to support the policies of the Communist Party. Let's remember that the Communists are just the people who happen to be in charge of China right now. China was around before the Communists came to power and it will still be there after they've gone. To criticse the actions of the government does not mean you have anything against China, the nation. And those who constantly defend the Chinese governemnt should not claim to be 'loyal to China' in my opinion - in reality they are being loyal to the Communist Party, the ruling party. China is a nation and a culture that extends well beyond the Communist Party and its policies.

OceanLee · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 85

Good post.

Admittedly I'm a little blind when it comes to China, trying to justify all sorts with weak arguments, despite never even setting foot their (not even HK post '97). And I still think that the communist party could also do a lot of good if it changed its thinking and stopped its persecution complex (its never done america any good). Um...not much else to say, I'm optimistic that China will get better and thats it

HengYu · Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Posts: 1

Interesting. In Frank Wu's book entitled 'Yellow; America Beyond Black & White.', this subject forms the premise. According to a survey carried out by the 'Committee 100', a group of promient American born Chinese, 90% of all ABC's asked, said that they were loyal to the country of their birth. In a similar survey carried-out by the same group, Black and White people were asked what they thought about Chinese people in the US. A staggering 90% said that they did not trust ABC's at all, because they felt that they were not loyal to the US. This was not the case according to the surveys. Also, during the recent US Spy Plane incident, the mainland took the view that foreign born Chinese working in China, were a security threat, and many were detained.
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sp · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 218

GweiLo · Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Posts: 149

SP,
I think I have mentioned before that my other half thinks or herself as Malaysian first and Chinese second. China as a country has no particular significance to her, although the "Chinese" as an enthnic group do. It is her culture that matters, not a piece of land she has never been to and in which none of her family have resided for 5-6 generations.

When she does receive pressure to "support" the "Chinese" she is normally just annoyed at the assumption that others have the right to determine what she should think and feel as a Chinese person.

softhands · Joined: 27 Feb 2004 Posts: 5 Location: London

I think there are shades to loyalty . For e.g. if I see a Chinese person or another Asian person I see them hwoever tenous my link as somewhat part of my family . Being Chinese does not mean I support the COmmunist party or the MIng Jing Dang as even in China there are so many different schools of thought.

malnoh · Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 42

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