We must confess. We find the Chinese to be an acquired taste.
Since
the death of Mao and the emergence of a market driven society, while it is
true that it is an extremely tightly controlled country, it is equally clear
that the Chinese have taken to entrepreneurialism with a vengeance that borders
on the frightening. We meet people
on our travels who confirm that the average Chinese person does not give a
hoot as to who controls them or about the environment or anything else other
than making money and improving their own standard of living. The Cultural
Revolution destroyed most remnants of Confuciusism and Buddhism.
Mao became the God figure and now that he is gone, people have adopted a
new God – money!
Those Chinese we
meet are well educated but for the most part with a distinctly superior attitude
about China's place in the world. Reading Chinese history, we learn that
the Chinese have suffered almost unspeakable horrors from the excesses of
various megalomaniac emperors to those of Mao and his Cultural Revolution.
The Chinese are a lot less formal than the Japanese. They are also a lot more curious and far less concerned about such trivial issues as respect for personal space. Never have we come across people less concerned about pushing their way to the front of a line. In personal dealings, saving face is paramount. Never show someone up, never admit you are wrong and lie to protect yourself and others if necessary. Truth is definitely whatever you want it to be in China.
People in China at all levels are very proud to be Chinese. Without doubt, the Chinese look westward with longing for economic success but not for our way of life. As one of the largest, oldest and most self-contained civilizations in history, the people of China have a strong belief that their way is the right way and that their time will come. We would not bet against it!