The U.S. Through China’s Eyes

With the every passing era, the United States changes continuously in the eyes of the Chinese people.

Before the 80’s, the U.S. was, of course, the corrupt imperialist. The bulk of the population had no real feelings towards the U.S. Everything they knew was government propaganda.

After the 80’s, with Deng’s policies to reform and open up to the world, more and more people found out that America is not as awful as they thought. America has Harvard, has Disney, has high paying jobs, has cars and mansions. Thus, going overseas, especially to the U.S., became the future to which many students aspired. In China, people were sure that the U.S. was flourishing. Because of the existence of the Soviet Union, the U.S. was very friendly towards China. Even then Taiwan was asking for independence, yet back then the U.S. was relatively placid towards the issue. In general, people of Mainland China had a good impression of the U.S.: developed, democratic, and with streets paved with gold.

After events like June 4th and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, American attitudes towards the Chinese changed a lot. American media published many articles attacking China, and the issue of Taiwan’s independence resurfaced. China’s economy was developing and progressing quickly, and people’s incomes were increasing exponentially. At this stage, the U.S. in the eyes of the Chinese people also went through many subtle changes. At that moment, people still harbored many positive sentiments, but these were changing slowly with the unfriendliness of American media.

The Iraq War marked the beginning of another era. As American troops entered the Middle East, China got to see the real United States. People no longer idolized American democracy, no longer chased after the idea of the United States of America. Even though the real beneficiary of the Iraq War was China, giving it an excellent environment for development, many Chinese people are not aware of this. If you were to tell a Chinese person that you are from the U.S., a serious of complicated opinions begins to form in his mind. On one hand, the U.S. is still strong. On the other, the U.S. is tyrannical in its ways and is slowly weakening. Your listener’s views toward you and your country are far from the favorable impressions that were so widespread in the 80’s.

Today, China’s views on the U.S. are relatively realistic. The Iraq War is no longer a common discussion topic, there’s nothing more to say on democracy and development, and people are now fully focused on the economic situation in the U.S. At an age where the global economy is moving towards becoming one body of commerce, a country’s economy determines its prominence and place. Right now you will find many Chinese people discussing the bail-out plan that the American government has implemented or will implement, and what the market needs right now. These problems have become an important part of their survival. The American economy directly influences China’s manufacturers and workers in the export industry, the prices of raw materials, including steel, the jobs people hold and the money in their wallets.

A relative of mine who is an owner of several warehouses is currently most concerned about the American economy recently. He will determine the rates and business methods of renting out his warehouses based on the American economy.

Several of my friends in the export industry are even more aware of every stir in the American market. With too many canceled orders and returned goods, they have lost almost everything they have made this year. If the American economy continues to worsen, they are potentially bankrupt. If the United States goes down, they go down with it.

The only America that the Chinese people hope to see right now is one that throws aside political differences and gets through the economic crisis together.