Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
China & Japan: Now there is a scary situation. [Miscellaneous annecdotal tales re: same.]
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For what it's worth, your annecdotal experience is similar to my (much more limited) annecdotal experience; I'd note that the Chinese can also be pretty racist and superior w/r/t other asian ethnicities (and non-asians, for that matter). One little story, just for fun - I have a relative who is Canadian, and she got rather tired while traveling through Japan of being asked where in the States she was from. She took to responding "I'm not American - where in Korea are you from?" After a moment of shocked horror, they generally got the point.
My opinion is that the Chinese/Japanese flare up is being quietly encouraged by both governments to distract from the political and economic problems destabilizing both. People let off some frustration, govs make nasty noises at each other, put stupid huts on useless pieces of rock in the sea to lay claim to waterways they can't really patrol, and all of it means nothing at all for actual relations. Main risk I see is that the Chinese situation could get somewhat out of G control, or somehow become associated with other internal causes & demonstrations (competition, pensions, etc.) that are significantly more serious.
