From One is always nearer by not keeping still blog:
One significant thought has been rolling around my head lately. As I read more about the tragedies, poor governance, security threat, poverty, and failed states of Africa and the Middle East, I cannot help but notice the imbalance of criticism of Africa (and Middle East governments, until recently) compared to China.
Now I’ve long since come to accept that in the major Western media, along with most policy papers and books, 9 out of 10 focus steady animadversion to China, usually in a contradictory, bipolar critique. Although as an American I’ve become desensitized to this discrepancy, I know that for most Chinese citizens would feel outraged by these attacks, symbolically no different than the usurping of its territories through foreign “concessions” in the 19th century. Here is a break-down of common US themes on China:
Attacks on its weaknesses
1) Human Rights abuses
2) Corruption
3) Expanding income gap
4) No Democracy
5) Pollution and deteriorating environmental/health issuesAttacks on its “strengths”
1) Military buildup-Threatening peaceful neighbors like Japan, Taiwan
2) Economic strength-Threatening American jobs, buying Multinational companies
3) Power Politics-negotiating new alliances (SCO, Korea), cutting energy deals (Venezuela)
