Hence Western policymakers’ enthusiasm for executing a 180˚ U-turn, and instead of promoting free trade and the beauty of Western liberalism, suddenly imposing tariffs and building walls.
Or to put it less kindly, while Western CEOs focused on virtue-signaling, Chinese companies forged ahead, producing better products for less money— which is what capitalism should be about. Today, we are seeing the results.
This is very well said. It’s all economics really.
The US and western countries, including Japan and SK don’t want competition from China. Hence, the demonization of China in order to justify tariffs, sanctions, and bans.
I’m not trying to say it’s the wrong thing to do for the west. I’m trying to say that let’s just call it what it is: economics, and not that the west is morally superior to the Chinese.
Over the past few years, I have argued at length that the relentlessly negative coverage of China by the Western media was doing its readers a disservice. This is not to say that China does not have serious problems to confront and major challenges to overcome. But by disproportionately focusing on these, Western media helped their readers to develop a massive blind spot when it came to China’s global economic and geopolitical impact.
Also agreed. Anti china propaganda in mainstream western media has really put a blind spot on China’s progress. I’ve repeatedly encouraged HN news readers to book a ticket to China themselves and draw their own conclusion. I was absolutely shocked at how modern and futuristic China became when I landed in Shenzhen in 2023. It didn’t feel like the hell hole that western media consistently portrays.
The narrative around China is shifting—regardless of the US$325mn that the US Congress is looking to spend each year to fund negative stories about China in the “independent” media.
There was a meme circulating that North Koreans are forced to watch propaganda. Meanwhile, the US voluntarily watch propaganda. How could it be that every single mainstream US media company is 100% “China bad”?
> It didn’t feel like the hell hole that western media consistently portrays.
Tourism is not a reliable way to draw such conclusions. You don't really "know" a person or place until you navigate conflict with them. Feelings are easy to manipulate-- doing so is the premise of all advertising and propaganda.
China has modernized with meteoric speed but it is within our lifetimes that the country was ravaged by famine and poverty. It's too soon to tell whether this is a Potemkin village financed by Evergrande or if they legitimately have their shit together.
The US and western countries, including Japan and SK don’t want competition from China. Hence, the demonization of China in order to justify tariffs, sanctions, and bans.
I’m not trying to say it’s the wrong thing to do for the west. I’m trying to say that let’s just call it what it is: economics, and not that the west is morally superior to the Chinese.
Also agreed. Anti china propaganda in mainstream western media has really put a blind spot on China’s progress. I’ve repeatedly encouraged HN news readers to book a ticket to China themselves and draw their own conclusion. I was absolutely shocked at how modern and futuristic China became when I landed in Shenzhen in 2023. It didn’t feel like the hell hole that western media consistently portrays. There was a meme circulating that North Koreans are forced to watch propaganda. Meanwhile, the US voluntarily watch propaganda. How could it be that every single mainstream US media company is 100% “China bad”?