To many of his detractors, President George W. Bush represents the quintessential ugly American”unrefined, uncurious, and unafraid to use American power. Interestingly, when he visits China this weekend, he will actually encounter someone far uglier than he: the modern Chinese.
Chinese leaders will no doubt emphasize to Bush the peaceful nature of China’s rising power, but the ugliness of the modern Chinese unmistakably indicates otherwise.