(Dongfang Report)
Analysis of Some Chinese Anti-American Sentiments
After the American space shuttle Columbia crashed, some rejoicing
speeches appeared on Chinese websites. The noted Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo
analyzed in an article published on an overseas website these unhealthy
sentiments from some Chinese Internet users. Through the VOA hotline, some
Chinese audiences also commented on the anti-American sentiments existing
among some Chinese.
Comments on Rejoicing Speech
After the U.S. space shuttle Columbia crashed, many state leaders and
people around the world expressed sympathy and condolences. They also
expressed admiration for the U.S. scientists who committed themselves to
the exploration of space for [the benefit of] mankind. However, on
several major Chinese websites, rejoicing speeches appeared. In his
article addressed to the U.S. website “Observe,” writer Liu Xiaobo
[residing in China] conducted a basic research on the statistics of
such speeches. The results show that, although some Chinese people are
taking pleasure in this disaster, their number is far less than the time
following “September 11.” However, at least 50% of the speeches posted on
Sina.com.cn, NetEase (http://www.163.com/) were relishing the disaster.
For example, some Chinese Internet chat room users said, “Thank Allah for
blessing Iraq.” Some think, “This is heaven’s punishment for Americans who
are trying to dominate the whole world.” Others predicted, “the U.S. will
decline while China will rise and defeat it.” Some even claimed, “The
Columbia disaster is the most beautiful fireworks in the New Year of the
ram!”
Poisoning of Nationalism
Regarding the outpouring of extreme anti-American sentiments, writer
Liu Xiaobo came to the analysis in his article written at his home in
Beijing, “These sentiments are the exact results of vehement and
narrow-minded nationalism that has been poisoning people’s minds. Such
nationalism murders human common values, eliminates people’s basic sense
of justice and sympathy; it confuses the fundamental difference between
freedom and autocracy, humanity and anti-humanity, goodness and evil,
truth and lies, civilization and brutality. Its only sentiment is
cold-blooded hatred; its only verbal expression is cursing and irrational
outpours, and its only facial expression is obscene and base.”
Government Misleading Media
A participant/listener with last name Liu from Shandong Province, China
analyzed the anti-American sentiments among Chinese people through the VOA
hotline. He thinks it is the result of the misleading media, controlled by
the government. Liu said, “Right now, anti-American sentiments exist among
the Chinese people. I think this is the result of the country and
government fooling people. For example, people in China don’t know what
benefit and harm the relationship between the U.S. and China would bring
upon China, so they developed anti-American sentiments. The Chinese
government reports only one side of the story and distorts the truth. This
is what that creates anti-American sentiments.”
We should Not Rejoice Over Others’ Misfortunes
A net user named MBOY6 at the Qiangguo Forum on People’s Daily
had a different opinion on this issue. He said, “A large part of the
fellow net users who rejoiced over Columbia’s explosion are absolutely not
cold-blooded. They are not happy because lives were lost; they were happy
because U.S. space exploration suffered setbacks and because the infinite
expansion of the U.S. superpower suffered a defeat.” A Chinese net user on
Sina.com disagreed with this opinion. He thinks we should not rejoice in
others’ setbacks, even if the U.S. is China’s competitor. This net user
named “Cold Heart” said, “Seven lives were forever lost on their return
home to earth, yet in the eyes of the low-down people who took pleasure in
it, it was only beautiful fireworks that decorated their cruel and
shameless vanity. Jealousy made them lose the most elemental sympathy.
Even if the U.S. is China’s competitor, we should not place our hopes on
the opponent having an accident. If an opponent better than us stumbles,
should we clap our hands and cheer? If all Chinese people think we should,
then the 2008 Olympics would be better held somewhere else.”
February 3, 2003
Posting date: 6/Feb/2003
Original article date: 3/Feb/2003
Category: Media Report
