Chapter One　A Real China

I.Who Is China?——Four Scenes about China

As a scholar of international issues,I often have the opportunities to travel abroad and meet people from different countries.On one occasion,when I was travelling in Wyoming,I parked my car by the roadside and wanted to get some food at McDonald's.The grassland was exceptionally beautiful in summer,so I decided to sit on a chair outdoors,enjoying the food and pleasant views in the sun.

Not long after,a huge truck halted outside the shop.The driver jumped off from the high cab.I caught sight of him and decided that he was a typical man living in American Midwest and perhaps,he was among those who are well-informed and knowledgeable.Then he walked over to me and talked with me.

“Are you a tourist? Japanese?”he asked me.

“No,I'm Chinese.”

In America,many people can't differentiate between Japanese and Chinese.However,the driver obviously knew,since I could see sympathy written on his face when he found out that I was Chinese.Then he told me what he thought America should do to assist better with the other countries,including China.

What reveals from the driver's eyes may be their first impression about China.A month later,I went to Washington for the“Youth Leadership”salon held by Center for Strategic and International Studies where I saw a completely different China.A man in the suit,probably in his thirties,came to me with coffee in hand.There was an air of confidence on his face,so I thought he was at a rising stage of his business.He looked excited when he knew that I came from China.With enthusiasm and praise,he said,“The future market is in China.”Then he started to discuss with me the new way of“doing business”in China.He said,“I plan to establish a website like Craiglist in China.How should I do it? You know Craiglist?”

I said I knew Craiglist.It is a city-wide information sharing website and everyone likes it.But as far as I know,there are already several similar websites in China,and they are in a fierce competition.

Then the man showed an expression of disbelief.I therefore wrote down the URL of those Chinese websites and gave it to him.He put it in the pocket carefully and then continued to ask me,

“Is there any website like Facebook in China?”

“Yes.”

“What about Amazon?”

I thought for a second,“Sure.”

I was a little worried that my answer would let him down.But soon I found that there were times when I overlooked the American optimism.He took a sip of the coffee and said,“Well,maybe I still can do something.”

“Maybe you could go to China first,”I said at last.

“Of course,”He firmly shook my hand.

Even in places like Washington,I would try to avoid asking people whether they had been to China or not.A majority of Americans haven't In today's western world,China is a hot topic.But among those who talk about China,few have really been to china.

been to China.They use products made in China every day and they see a lot of people from China.They get accustomed to it or accidentally feel disturbed by it—such as when there are reports on the quality of Chinese products.Now the campaign ads on TV say that the Chinese took away the American job opportunities and the US government owes China a large sum of money.Maybe all these will make Americans realize more about the existence of China,but these only serve to make Americans feel more confused about this country.In today's western world,China is a hot topic.But among those who talk about China,few of them have really been there.

A few years ago in Beijing,I served as the entourage and welcomed Benjamin Gbagbo,a visiting professor from University of Maryland in America.Professor Gbagbo was an outstanding political scientist and that was his second visit to Beijing.The first time was in the 1980s.On the way from the airport to the city,I thought that Professor Gbagbo would feel surprised about the scenes outside the window.You know,when he visited Beijing for the first time,all those gorgeous buildings were only stretches of wastelands.However,he kept silent all the way.In the following days,he remained silent until one day,when our car was passing a dirty courtyard,Benjamin suddenly shouted with excitement,“This is my memory of Beijing.”

Yes,in his eyes,China is old,vicissitudinary and mysterious.It was a pity that I failed to notice it at that time.Before leaving Beijing,Professor Gbagbo wanted to see a“Chinese drama”. Since time was quite limited,I took him directly to the best theater in Beijing and watched a musical.After that,obviously,he felt disappointed.Later I realized that it was a good musical,but in a sense, it was too westernized and modernized.Was I supposed to take him to see a Peking Opera? If so,soon he would find that I myself as a Chinese knew nothing about it.Both the courtyard and the opera may be China's label in the eyes of the westerners,but the fact is that they are disappearing in today's China.

The three stories above show three completely different aspects in which the rest of the world views China.These three stories are related to the concept of mind from westerners.At last,I would like to talk about another story from the non-western world.It is the fourth view point towards China.

Several months ago,I joined a Chinese journalists' delegation to visit Pakistan.In that place,it was difficult to see any westerners on the streets.At that time,Osama bin Laden was just killed by the American Special Forces and the retaliation actions were launched throughout the country.We went to most of the cities in Pakistan amongst various news about attacks,experiencing calmness and friendship at the troubled times.Facing the troubles of dangerous military confrontations with India,obstinate border issues with Afghanistan and Iran,ongoing suicide attacks,large amount of bunkers and barricades on the streets,US military planes and helicopters passing over the territory,high deficits and struggling economy,Pakistan is a typical Third World country.Then,what's China in Pakistanian eyes?

In Pakistan's concept,China is advanced.In Lahore Museum,the relics of ancient Indian civilization about four thousand years ago are on display.Besides,the old palace of the great Mughal Empire is not far from there.A local girl in a black veil told me happily that she was soon preparing to go to China for advance studies.She was going to be placed in a well-acdemic university in science and engineering,not far from the university where I work.She was so excited that she seemed to have forgotten that she shouldn't talk too much to a stranger like me.People there think that China is a friendly country.On the viewing platform on a hillside of Islamabad,all the local people wanted to take a photo with Chinese journalists.They called the Chinese“brothers”. They were so enthusiastic that those nervous security police were constantly stretching them away.In addition,in Pakistan,China stands for future.In the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir,the provincial governor welcomed the Chinese journalists in his tent.It seemed that he couldn't speak English,so he praised that China is a superpower in the local dialect.When I heard this,I looked out of the tent at the Himalayas,thinking about the meaning of superpower to this tribal area.The Kashmir truck drivers who drive and bump on the winding road in the mountains might say the same word.They held exactly opposite views with the truck driver who I met in the central part of America.They drove for Chinese companies and the Chinese were building the world's highest international road there.

In fact,people in the vast Third World,like people in the western world,also hold complicated,contradictory and divisive views on China.Pakistanis may feel that the powerful“brother”is a friendly force to constrain American hegemony.Some Southeast Asian countries would like to seek a pragmatic balance between American hegemony and Chinese wealth.In their view,although China is powerful and important,she may also be unfriendly.Some Africans view China's success as a new mode of development,while some are talking about the“neo-colonialism”propagated by the western media.Generally speaking,non-western people are less influenced by the concept of egocentrism,which is widely spread in the western world.It is easier for them to view China from an objective perspective.On this ground,most people in the non-western world contend that China's development implies a huge amount of energy.The meaning of China's rise is never as simple as a“new emerging market”.

In the four scenes about China,we witnessed four different impressions and attitudes about China.They were held by the white truck driver,the businessman from Washington,the visiting professor and the leader of the Pakistan's tribal area.These four scenes are:

Scene I:China as a Third World country

China is a developing country.Being huge and poor,she possesses all the characteristics of a Third World country.Both politically and economically,China needs the guidance and help from developed countries.

Scene II: China as an emerging market

China is one of the world's largest emerging markets.With the rapidly growing economy,the stable society and the improved infrastructure,China is a paradise for foreign capitals to reap high profits.The engagement with China will bring considerable economic opportunities.

Scene III: China as an old civilization

China is a representation of old,long-lasting and mysterious oriental civilization,which is so charming and totally different from western civilization.

Scene IV: China as a superpower

China may be a superpower in the future.Regardless of the fearful,gratified or anxious feelings of the world,China is establishing her worldwide influence at a rapid speed,which may bring about a significant change for the world history since the Industrial Revolution.

Actually,in the eyes of westerners and non-westerners,China has many different images.Every person has his own feeling towards China,but many of them belong to one of the four scenes above.Then,here comes our questions: What is China really like? Is she underdeveloped or advanced? Is she emerging or ancient? Is she globalized and modernized or mysterious and distinctive? Is China vulnerable and in need of help or so powerful that it deserves to be feared? In all these contradictory features,can we find a kind of unified and coherent answers to these questions?

A village in Shaanxi Province

Unfortunately,as Chinese scholars,though we are writing a book aimed at introducing a“real China”,we do have to admit that we don't have the precise answers.Furthermore,we also have to admit the contradictory impression about China is not completely due to the world's ignorance towards her,since the Chinese themselves also have contradictory,divided and changeable views towards their own country.

Those who live in the vast rural areas of central and western part of China may,to a large extent,agree with the first scene.If you take a train to travel across China,instead of flying from one city to another,you can see their homes.But you need to observe carefully through the window,because their homes are either half buried in the vast loess along the railway track,mixing with the desolate land or located in the mountainside and are easily ignored when the train flashes across the mountain tunnel.My father had once worked in a mountain area like that and he described to me what abject poverty was.In the village where he once worked,the best building belonged to the local government.However,in that three-story building,there were actually no toilets.The officials had to answer their “nature's call” in a semi-opened fence near the building.For many ordinary families,family members had to“share”their clothing when going out.

Standing beside these peasants,I believe that no one would say China is a developed country or a rising superpower.More than half of China's population lives in underdeveloped rural areas.Most of China's urban residents are also from the villages like that.They have enduring memories of the life there.This is why many Chinese people find it hard to fully understand the praises from the western world in recent years.They have a good reason not to accept it.Many Chinese firmly believe China is a Third World country,the per capita GDP of which only ranks about 100 in the world.Even accessed in the developing countries,it is only at a medium level.

Nevertheless,if you ask these Chinese peasants,“How to change the backward situation?Is it democracy?” They will shake their heads because they don't know much about democracy. They will say it is the policy instead.A majority of Chinese will be looking forward to the effective measures from the government when they are stuck in trouble,rather than changing a government.At this point,the ordinary Chinese think differently with those foreigners who also consider China to be a Third World country.

Though what is revealed from the first scene has a broad and solid foundation in China,it has become increasingly clear that China's image in the second scene gradually becomes the mainstream of public opinion.In dozens of large and medium-sized cities in China,hundreds of millions of people are enjoying the modern city life.They are convinced that they live in a modern business world.They believe in personal success and are passionate for the pursuit of wealth.They find happiness in travelling abroad,purchasing luxury goods,surfing the Internet,using a blog and shopping with a credit card.Apple,BMW and Hermès are all trying their best to expand market in China.While talking about democracy,the Chinese young people are also criticizing America on the Internet.However,at the same time,they are planning to go to the US as soon as possible for travelling or further study.Chinese city life is almost the same with all the modern cities in the world,except that it is much fresher,greater,faster and more dynamic.In all these cities,Wenzhou is relatively small.Every year,thousands of enterprises are established there,but as many of them were shut down.This is also true for Dongguan.This is the China in the eyes of the fund managers—a country full of strong vitality and unlimited opportunities.At this point,Chinese fund managers hold the same view with the foreign fund managers.

Pudong， Shanghai

More and more Chinese urban elites have recognized the changes in their own country and they are getting accustomed to the renascent business culture and urban lifestyle.Almost all of the new generation of people who were born in the 1990s and live in the cities grew up in middle-class families.Many people take pride in the country's achievements.Increasingly,they are unable to accept the international provocations against the dignity of China.Many people also utter some fierce criticism on the government and elites,while vehemently criticizing each other.Along with the well-developed urban economy,a diverse and vibrant civil society is also taking shape.

Compared with emerging market,it is not easy to find that China is also an old civilization. China's time-honored culture exists everywhere.The number of courtyards and theaters performing Peking Opera is on the edge of decline,but the characteristics of Chinese people are still very strong.A peasant from Sichuan Province who is considered to be living in a“Third World”obviously shares the same Chinese characteristics with a citizen in Shanghai who is living in the“emerging market”. These characteristics which are deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese culture have lasted for thousands of years.China is neither fully globalized nor fully isolated.The strong power of culture has always united all the Chinese people as a whole,leading to the fact that the gap of values between the Shanghai citizen and the Sichuan peasant is no deeper than the gap between the American democrats and republicans.Today the Chinese are cherishing the memory of“lost tradition”,but to some extent they have been unconsciously moving forward along the traditional path.

In China,compared with the first three scenes,the scene of a superpower may be the least accepted.In the eyes of the Chinese people,China is the combination of a Third World country,emerging market and old civilization. None of these features can be linked to the word“superpower”. Even in big cities,the Chinese people inject most of their energy—I mean the remaining energy besides making money and pursuing success—on the concern for newly generated city diseases,such as traffic jams,high housing prices,social injustice,vulnerable groups,and environmental pollution.All the topics reported by the media have drawn continued and strong attention from the public.In contrast,the launch of the first earth space station and the launch of the first aircraft carrier are just temporary news.Chinese citizens today are like the combination of American citizens in the 1880s,1920s and 1960s.On the one hand,they passionately pursue personal success brought about by the social development; on the other hand,they want to change the ugliness,disorder and misconduct in a society which is flooded with money.At last,they have a feeling of detestation for things around.Superpower? How could that be?

Later we still have the chance to talk about the“conceptual gap”between Chinese and westerners on the impression on China.Nowadays,foreigners are surprised to find that Chinese people are used to turning a blind eye to their outstanding achievements.When China launched its first aircraft carrier,the Chinese were talking about the 12 Carrier Battle Groups of the US.When China surpassed Japan in terms of GDP and became the world's second largest economy,the Chinese media quoted the foreign reports indifferently and went on to talk about the fact that China's per capita GDP keeps pace with the small African countries.Some foreign observers believe that it is closely related to Chinese people's huge ambition and long-term planning.In other words,they may possess a kind of“gold medal culture”.For example,in the Olympic Games,the Chinese are only interested in getting a gold medal,and getting the second place is still considered a failure.

This is an interesting explanation.But those who live in China will definitely feel that this explanation is not convincing.Judging from the chaotic debates on the Internet every day,no one can find any long-term planning.In China,we can witness four scenes,and we can even find forty scenes,but there is no long-term planning,no agreed answer,no simple logic and no full consensus.She is as diverse as Europe,as extensive as America,as ancient as the pyramids,and one thousand times as changeable as Dubai.The problems that China faces are the integration of the problems of the 19th century,the 20th century and the 21st century.The challenges that China has to deal with are the combination of challenges faced by Africa,India,the Wall Street,Brussels and the Kremlin.This is China and the real China.She is a country of nothing and a country of everything.What makes her so fascinating is precisely the coexistence of all these problems and challenges.