The double-standards incident involving a certain auto brand has completely dominated the headlines these past few days — and everyone has seen the full story play out.
Honestly, I think this is a good thing. On one hand, it proves that our self-confidence and self-respect are gradually taking root. On the other hand, it shows that our sense of equality is slowly awakening.
Think about it: if this had happened ten years ago, it most likely would have barely caused a ripple. Back then, most people still tended to see preferential treatment for high-nosed, Western-looking foreigners as “not particularly strange.”
So when I see this kind of unity today, it’s genuinely heartening.
Since we’re on this topic, and it happens to be Friday, let me write something a bit lighter — but distinctly different. The subject: “In foreigners’ eyes, what kind of people are we really?”
Now, I do have quite a few foreign friends, which gives me a relatively objective window into their views. But this is still just my personal perspective — take it as a reference, nothing more.
1
I personally divide foreigners into two groups: ordinary people and the elite. They tend to hold vastly different views. Ordinary people better represent the social perspective; the elite tend to represent their country’s national interests.
This is a basic distinction. So don’t assume that what one foreigner thinks about us is what all foreigners think.
2
Here’s something truly counterintuitive — you might not believe it.
The fact is, Japanese and Korean people who have actually visited China almost universally feel a deep sense of respect for us. Note: respect, not approval. Meaning they genuinely think to themselves: “Thirty years ago, people were sneaking into our country just to survive — and now you’ve become this powerful and prosperous? That’s extraordinary.”
And on top of that — you actually dare to go head-to-head with the Americans?
That’s bold to a mind-boggling degree.
Interestingly, highly educated Japanese and Koreans are quite aware that their own countries have long been under American control. They’ve simply made their peace with it, and see it as perfectly natural for smaller powers to find a bigger protector.
3
Similarly, many people from economically less developed countries — Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations, as well as various Middle Eastern countries — also see us as an enormously powerful force. And they deeply envy us for having such an efficient, professionally run team at the helm.
They can’t wrap their heads around how we managed to build such remarkable cohesion and execution capacity. In their own countries, everything requires endless discussion, every problem drowns in debates that consume enormous amounts of time — and when things finally get moving, they usually fall apart anyway.
There was once a very prominent Thai-Chinese businessman who came to China and said plainly: among all the systems in the world, nothing operates with efficiency like China’s — it’s truly one of a kind. I was young at the time and somewhat skeptical. Seeing my reaction, he added: “At this scale, this level of efficiency is a miracle.”
4
Then there’s a somewhat less admiring perspective — India.
I’ve interacted with quite a few Indians over the past several years, and their attitude toward us is decidedly peculiar. On one hand, they genuinely admire and respect what we’ve achieved. On the other hand, they believe the only reason India lags behind is that their leadership is incompetent. Otherwise, with the intelligence and work ethic of the Indian people, they could surpass China in five or six years, no problem.
In my observation, Indians consistently carry a certain air of looking down on the world. Their verbal and rhetorical skills are impressive, and their confidence is off the charts — but genuine professional diligence and accountability are rare. Whatever the task, Indians excel at talking a big game and falter at execution.
This view is shared almost universally around the world, and has become something of a defining reputation for India.
5
I love asking the friends around me for their overall impressions of us. And I’ve noticed something interesting: there’s a nearly universal consensus among foreigners that China presents an extremely tough external posture.
Almost every time something has offended or wronged us, we’ve issued firm responses almost immediately and followed through with concrete actions to defend national interests. This stands in stark contrast to how we perceive ourselves.
Countries like Japan and Korea, when pushed around by the Americans, habitually swallow their pride without making a sound — let alone smaller countries. So when they see our willingness to go directly head-to-head, they find it genuinely formidable.
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As for the predominantly white Western nations — the UK, France, Germany, the Nordic countries and their ilk — they see us as a people who are incredibly driven. From an interests standpoint, we have indeed begun competing with them across the international stage.
But broadly speaking, aside from the United States, most mainstream Western countries don’t view us as pure adversaries. There’s more of a rival-partner dynamic at play. On one hand, much of their capital and industry operates within China and generates enormous returns. On the other hand, they genuinely feel competitive pressure from us in virtually every high-end technology sector.
7
Now for the most down-to-earth part: how ordinary people from different countries actually see us.
In the eyes of mainstream Western countries, we’re generally seen as law-abiding, hardworking, exceptional at math — but prone to deference toward white people in everyday social situations.
Even a certain declining northern bear thinks it’s above us, viewing us as mere nouveau riche while fancying itself the genuine article among great nations. So beneath the politeness, contempt and arrogance often simmer quietly below the surface. Don’t be fooled by someone with blond hair and a high-bridged nose exclaiming “Wo ai Zhongguo!” — inwardly, they often have very little regard for us. Can’t really blame them, though. Too many people have spent too long fawning at their feet.
In Southeast Asia, the dynamic is more level — there’s no strong sense of hierarchy, and people don’t tend to think in those terms. But there’s a widespread perception that we’re incredibly soft. Especially when traveling abroad, we tend to operate in a conflict-avoidant mode: willing to pay extra just to avoid trouble, always keeping a smile plastered on. Over time, a consensus has formed: “Chinese tourists are easy marks.”
The result? Getting ripped off is something that happens almost exclusively to us. At some tourist destinations, you’ll notice vendors treat Western visitors one way, Japanese and Korean visitors another — and reserve the worst treatment for us.
Who’s to blame? Often, it traces back to some of our own people. Why do some airports wave everyone else through but hold up Chinese travelers? Because some tour guides actually trained tourists to tip immigration officials upon entry. At first, the locals were baffled — who does that? But once they realized it seemed to be standard practice for us, well, they happily took the money.
And as for certain regions with darker-skinned populations, their view of us can be summed up in one sentence: “Rich, agreeable, no backbone.”
I think that’s a clear enough picture of where we stand — seen from different angles, by different groups.
I’ll leave some things unsaid. I’ll just say this: to those brothers and sisters whose knees bend a little too easily, who spend their time fawning over the West — please find some backbone. Don’t walk around with a fawning smile and excessive, over-the-top hospitality, thinking you’re showing goodwill.
What people actually think is: where did this pushover come from? It would be a shame not to squeeze.
Tell me — isn’t that just pathetic?