Quote"China is itching to regain its place in the world. How should America respond?" asks a special edition of this week's Economist. There is also discussion of Chinese motives and ambitions in the Oldie magazine, where the new media columnist Stephen Glover poses an intriguing question: do the Chinese have it in for our royal family? Chinese websites accessed by millions have circulated claims that the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla is on the rocks, even though, Glover says, they are "pretty much the happiest married couple alive". So why are the websites pumping this story out? "A Chinese source tells me it is unlikely they would have done so without the sanction of the Communist party leadership," Glover says. "One theory is that Prime Minister Li Keqiang and his officials have been smarting after what they regarded as ungracious treatment by the British media during his June visit to London." Stories about the red carpets; questions on human rights. "Of course this is all speculation," he cautions. Indeed it is. But if the Chinese are generally rubbishing the royals, there's Andrew, the Middletons ... plenty of scope.
More: Hugh Muir?s diary: Is China really bad-mouthing Charles and Camilla? | Politics | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/26/hugh-muirs-diary-prince-charles-china)
Cindy
That's actually really interesting. Thanks for posting! :vday4:
You're welcome, Canuck. :flower: This was the first I'd heard of it.
Cindy
there is a story that when the Chinese premiere visited the UK he insisted on a private lunch with the Queen - don't know all the details - maybe they are annoyed because they did not get a state dinner?
How absurd though to attack PC and Camilla's marriage - what does that gain them?
Spreading rumours of that sort about Charles and Camilla sounds a bit too subtle for the Chinese leadership. If they were going to try something that absurd why not spread some story like the Queen's health being really bad. A Head of State's likely death would be more the sort of thing that would cause temporary instability on the Stock Exchange as an aim (weird as that seems) than some nonsense about the Prince of Wales and his wife, unless Charles inadvertently insulted the Chinese nation in some way when the leader was in London.
The Chinese didn't like this sort of article. They thought the British press would be more low key
QuoteAll Li Keqiang wants to do while here is meet Her Majesty. Elizabeth II has become a pawn in a secret diplomatic game being played by the FO and the Chinese Government. That's one in the eye for the Republicans. While the rabid sans-culottes of Britain agitate against the Crown as an expensive anachronism, the most important nation of the future (and ironically one raised on Communist principles) reveres the monarchy.
Here is proof that, the world over, people love the royals. Not any royal, mind you: I don't see the Chinese queuing up to curtsey before the flashy Grimaldis of Monaco, or the cycling Margrethe II of Denmark. No, only the Windsors have that magical appeal that makes even the toughest dictator bend his knee.
No wonder the Chinese want to pay homage to our great Queen ? Telegraph Blogs (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/cristinaodone/100276091/no-wonder-the-chinese-want-to-pay-homage-to-our-great-queen/)
Having lived in South Korea for two-and-a-half years after college and traveling a bit while living there, I can tell you that Asian culture differs from the West in that, they do not believe everyone is entitled to respect, it is earned. That's probably a quality that western countries should adopt.
I thought it was pretty strange, but then I remembered that they are not very nice to their own people sometimes, and I find that even more strange.
I'm going to let you on in a little secret that is contrary to the idea of western superiority, neither are we. I have apprehensions over who as a culture is more meritocratic.
Quote from: DaisyMeRollin on August 28, 2014, 11:44:34 PM
Having lived in South Korea for two-and-a-half years after college and traveling a bit while living there, I can tell you that Asian culture differs from the West in that, they do not believe everyone is entitled to respect, it is earned. That's probably a quality that western countries should adopt.
Quite true, there are a few things about Asian cultures that the west should adopt.
Scuh as?