By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Whys do locals complain foreigners don't like chinese?
Locals spit everywhere, are pretty dirty, don't respect the basic human rights, also don't understand what ethics and values mean, etc etc. why should I like chinese??. Why are locals very shocked when foreigners says that don't like chinese ?
Well, they'd probably wonder why on earth you came to China if you don't like Chinese. And a lot of locals don't have a clue how people live outside of China so they wouldn't understand your disgust with their behavior seeing as they've never been anywhere else! Though I often find it a no-win situation when asked if I like China or America more. If I say America, they get pissed and China loses face. If I say China, they think I'm a loser who couldn't make it in America and came to China to take their money. So I go with the benevolent, neutral and vague "Zhong guo hao, mei guo ye hao" (China is good, America is good too). Can't go wrong there.
jetfire9000:
You could choose to answer things in more vague ways. “无感” "利弊都有“ "凑合“
if you say short, neutral things and don't make any kind of follow up, they will get the real message that China sucks... (IE, you aren't saying much because you want to avoid the topic, but on the face of it, you expressed the opinion in a neutral way, which is good.) They'll probably press for a more exact answer, which point in case, you stay with the flow and avoid more. That's the acceptable way of producing an answer that would otherwise hurt people's feelings.
Obviously your message gets the job done too, even though it makes you seem impartial and indifferent between the two.
Why should I like Chinese? => Nobody told you that you *should* like Chinese 
Why are locals very shocked when foreigners says that don't like Chinese ? => You will observe the same thing everywhere with people who did not travel much out of their native place. They only know their place, came to accept it as it is. They can't wrap their mind that anybody would think differently, since all the people they relate to think as they do. Thus, shock. You are not bothered by spitting if everybody around you do it and is fine with it, without any idea of why it's a problem (ie. public health).
As dongbeiren says, when faced with the good old "Do you like China ?", I say without much enthusiasm, that there are a couple of things I like about it : the food, the wilderness, and historical places. The answer never shocked anybody and it stops there. Actually, without me saying anything, some people made a few sarcasm about life habits here, and I tell them "it's alright", I don't want to be too cold to them.
When I first read this thread, I thought it said "Why do locals think foreigners don't like cheese"....
Anyway, you'll also find that when some Chinese go and live overseas, and then return, they don't like Chinese either. H
owever, I do need to clarify.. the problem isn't "Chinese", it's "mainlander Chinese"... and in particular, uneducated/uncivilised Chinese. Once they see a different way of living, they take a liking to it, and then get somewhat disappointed by what they see back here .
Everyone's answer is correct in my opinion. In short, the grass is always greener outside of China (I'll take credit for this one). Once they see outside of China, most Chinese become disappointed with their country.
ScotsAlan:
Not so sure about this hi2u. I know Chinese who have been to the west, and I would say a very small proportion of them would want to live there. My sample size is about 25-35 people. Mostly men. From that group I only came across one person (male) who wanted to live there. And he did for a while.
On the other hand, I know loads of people who are desperate (mostly women) to set out and start a new life in the west without them ever having been there. This seems to be either a parent's pressure thing or a "streets paved in gold" mentality. It becomes the overwhelming justification for their existence.
Strangely, the group who have been and don't want to go back tend to be much more politically aware than the latter group.
But this is just my own personal observation. I am probably biased and/or judgmental.
DrMonkey:
@scotalan *all* the Chinese women I know who studied in France, settled down in France. That's about 20 people. The guys had a girlfriend in a China, or failed at university. I would be curious to know if the gender is a factor.
laowaigentleman:
@scotsalan
I think it might be because so few of them could make it in a western country. Most of the Chinese people I know all want to start businesses and most of these businesses are just selling tat to vain and simple-minded people.
Western people are better educated and don't engage in conspicuous consumption so these people I've described have no hope of becoming entrepreneurs there.
Still, there are those guys who have good English and a good education who might want to settle in a place that pays well, but the cost of living is high but who don't need to feel validated by making frivolous purchases all of the time.
They are definitely a minority.
expatlife26:
@Scots.
I agree there is probably a big gender difference in the practical allure of a western country. Comes down to personal competitiveness.
For tons of chinese women, a western guy who is not competitive (for whatever reason, economic or otherwise) for the most desirable western women is a better option than her alternatives.
For chinese men though their competitiveness in the west is quite poor. Unless they have a ton of connections or are just top-tier talent (and thus probably sexually competitive here anyway) they aren't likely to really have much luck career wise in the west and there is no sexual arbitrage opportunity for them with western women.
Totally different situation.
Chinese people show all of the characteristics associated with the "always the victim" syndrome and believe everybody and everything else in the world is against them. When asked the question "Do I like China", I just sit on the fence and say it is no different from other countries. It has good points and it has bad points. If asked what I do not like about China, I say things like crowded public transportation and long queues in banks because Chinese people don't like such things either.
sorrel:
i notice that i can not post an answer to this question now.
in the many countries i have traveled to, China is the only one where the locals ask if I like their country.
