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Fear of China all too evident in US culture
* Source: Global Times
* [01:45 June 01 2010]
* Comments
By Wu Meng
Making a movie that plays on people's fears is nothing new in Hollywood. From the decades-old The Last Man on Earth to the recent hit 2012, horror and disaster movies have always been a center of attention among the Hollywood audience.
Red Dawn, expected to be released this November, will likely be the next big flick that plays on public anxieties. The original Red Dawn, released in 1984, centered on a group of Midwest teenagers who came together to defend their town and their country from invading Soviet forces.
The storyline of the remake is basically the same, but this time the invading force is from China.
Concerns over foreign invasion have never ceased in the US. It is intriguing that China has replaced the Soviet Union to become the top potential enemy causing fear in the US.
The role change reflects the concern among ordinary Americans that China's growing global influence is a disconcerting, alarming matter.
China is regarded as a rising power in the eyes of most Western observers. Naturally, rising powers are often thought of as potential enemies and strong opponents.
If one takes a quick glance at the China-oriented books in the US market in the last few decades, the most influential ones are those that describe China as a coming or already existing threat to the US.
From the frequently-discussed article How Do We Fight China: The Next Cold War by Robert Kapman to Bill Gertz's famous The China Threat: How the People's Republic of China Targets America, most mainstream discussions about Sino-US relations show a touch of anxiety.
It is obvious that the growing interest in the US toward China's economic and social development is a mirror reflecting some sort of curiosity and confusion between the two countries.
Generally speaking, communication between the US and China concerns several aspects of relations between the two sides. What people usually see are the strategic and economic dialogues, meetings between high-level government officials, and other official communications.
Nevertheless, a sense of misunderstanding, distrust and even fear can still be seen, especially between the two peoples at a non-governmental level.
There is a generally believed rule when it comes to international relations: If you imagine a country as an enemy, soon it will become one in reality.
The same rule applies to Sino-US relations, which are always complicated.
A movie about the possibility of China invading the US should not cause much concern. What really deserves attention is Americans' lack of understanding of Chinese.
* Source: Global Times
* [01:45 June 01 2010]
* Comments
By Wu Meng
Making a movie that plays on people's fears is nothing new in Hollywood. From the decades-old The Last Man on Earth to the recent hit 2012, horror and disaster movies have always been a center of attention among the Hollywood audience.
Red Dawn, expected to be released this November, will likely be the next big flick that plays on public anxieties. The original Red Dawn, released in 1984, centered on a group of Midwest teenagers who came together to defend their town and their country from invading Soviet forces.
The storyline of the remake is basically the same, but this time the invading force is from China.
Concerns over foreign invasion have never ceased in the US. It is intriguing that China has replaced the Soviet Union to become the top potential enemy causing fear in the US.
The role change reflects the concern among ordinary Americans that China's growing global influence is a disconcerting, alarming matter.
China is regarded as a rising power in the eyes of most Western observers. Naturally, rising powers are often thought of as potential enemies and strong opponents.
If one takes a quick glance at the China-oriented books in the US market in the last few decades, the most influential ones are those that describe China as a coming or already existing threat to the US.
From the frequently-discussed article How Do We Fight China: The Next Cold War by Robert Kapman to Bill Gertz's famous The China Threat: How the People's Republic of China Targets America, most mainstream discussions about Sino-US relations show a touch of anxiety.
It is obvious that the growing interest in the US toward China's economic and social development is a mirror reflecting some sort of curiosity and confusion between the two countries.
Generally speaking, communication between the US and China concerns several aspects of relations between the two sides. What people usually see are the strategic and economic dialogues, meetings between high-level government officials, and other official communications.
Nevertheless, a sense of misunderstanding, distrust and even fear can still be seen, especially between the two peoples at a non-governmental level.
There is a generally believed rule when it comes to international relations: If you imagine a country as an enemy, soon it will become one in reality.
The same rule applies to Sino-US relations, which are always complicated.
A movie about the possibility of China invading the US should not cause much concern. What really deserves attention is Americans' lack of understanding of Chinese.
