Happy Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake!
China-bashing sells in America. So, most, if not all, of American news stories about China are negative. Many are lies (The Real Reason Western Media Lies about China).
So, on this day, let me help you better and truly understand China …
Misconception 1: China is a communist country
China is no longer a communist country, per se! China was indeed a purely communist country from 1949 to 1976. However, over the past few decades, China has peacefully transformed itself from communism to state capitalism.
China has a one-party political system. The ruling party is named the “Communist Party of China” (CPC). This inconvenient name has given the American MPC (Media-Political Complex) a good excuse to keep referring to China as “communist China.” But it is purposefully done to mislead Americans while demonizing China. The image below highlights the difference between American propaganda and reality.
Misconception 2: Xi is bad
The image below offers another example of American propaganda vs. the reality.
Misconception 3: China is a threat to America
China is neither a threat nor an enemy to America.
Economically and ideologically, China is a competitor.
China has never been a threat to America militarily. For example, in 2023, China’s military budget was $224 billion (China to increase defense spending 7.2%), while America’s was $820 billion (How much does the US spend on the military?).
Read The U.S. Spends More on Its Military Than the Next 10 Countries Combined. Note: America is the only country that has been spending like that for decades. As a result, America has been a major source of instability around the world over the past few decades, from the Middle East to Ukraine.
Bottom line: How many military bases does China have overseas? One! How many does America have? About 750!
For more, read America’s evil MIC.
Misconception 4: China steals America’s jobs
Capitalism is, by definition, global, from the resources (e.g., oil and natural gas) to the markets. So, compete or get out of the way! Two facts:
- Over the past three decades, America has lost more jobs to automation than to outsourcing. (Most US manufacturing jobs have been lost to technology, not trade).
- The primary reason behind America’s outsourcing is that America’s cost structure was, and still is, too high. The jobs that America “lost to China” would have gone to other places, such as India, had China not developed over the past few decades.
Misconception 5: China steals America’s IP (Intellectual Property)
Many countries have succeeded by first copying and then using their success for innovation. This applies to America 200 years ago (The Spies Who Launched America’s Industrial Revolution), as well as to China today.
Now, let me seek an “understanding” as follows: China invented many things (e.g., paper-making, and gunpowder). What if the Chinese had set up a patent system 2,000 years ago that required that, for the next 5,000 years, every foreigner pay China 1% for every piece of paper and every bullet?
A personal perspective: Japan copied a lot from China for thousands of years, from the language to the culture. I knew that before moving to Japan in 1982. However, it was not until I started writing my first academic paper in English that I realized the depth of Japan’s “copy culture.” As I was struggling with English (and Japanese), my Japanese professor advised me to “借文,” which means “to copy text in the name of borrowing.” 借文 are two Chinese characters in Japanese, but they are not Chinese.
Bottom line: Copying is a means of human civilization advancing. People look up to successful people by “copying” them. Mimicking is the sincerest form of flattery.
As China leaps forward in 5G and AI, America may soon have to copy from China (Trump Says DeepSeek AI Should Be ‘Wake Up Call’ For US Tech Industry)!
Misconception 6: China has no “free press”
“Free press” is a good idea, but the American version is a lie. Two informative readings:
Misconception 7: China does not have a free market economy
“Free market” is a good idea, but the American version is a lie (American “free market” is a lie). China has the best combination of free market and central planning.
Misconception 8: China has issues with Taiwan
Yes, China does have issues with Taiwan, but not as most Americans understand it!
Simply put, America’s evil MIC wants to destroy Taiwan, Ukrainian style!
In other words, America wants to use Taiwan as a pawn in its proxy war against China, just like it has been using Ukraine as a pawn in its proxy war against Russia. Hopefully, Taiwan will not fall into this trap like Ukraine did! Watch the video below.
Misconception 9: China is repressive at home
As the image below highlights, the Chinese government is truly for the people, while the American government is not.
Visit China to see her with your own eyes: the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Here is an interesting saying: There are two types of Americans:
- Those who love China.
- Those who have never been to China (at least over the past 15 years).
Which type are you?
Misconception 10: China is rising, not coming back from anywhere!
China was the #1 economy in the world for the first 1,800 years of our two-millennium-old calendar. Now, China is merely coming back to reclaim her rightful place in history over the past 2,000 years, with the century of humiliation being just an aberration.
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America, stop China-bashing! Instead, reform our failing political system, as I have suggested (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline), or become a fiddle, second to China!
