Reason Number 42 - Sino-spite

Fault Lines On The Face Of China: 50 Reasons Why China May Never Be Great’ - Excerpt 81

"Spite is a petty emotion, often driven by a sense of trivial revenge and a feeling of being both wronged and powerless. 

Sino-spite, however, is an act of Chinese political bluster. It is an expression of self-righteousness and strident belief that, for any given problem, someone else must be the cause, the originator of the trouble. Sino-spite currently shapes China’s relations with the world. 

For China, the solution to a problem rarely invokes an official apology, and if it does come, it is seldom conciliatory. China never says ‘We were wrong,’ but instead adopts a more aggressive hectoring and lecturing tone. 

Sino-spite exists most frequently on a government level, though sometimes on a corporate level too. In the political and corporate world of Sino-spite, no criticism of China is justified. Ever. 

Sino-spite is a way of ignoring China’s problems and negating the concerns of other nations. Sino-spite is a black and white world view. There are no shades of gray, no soothing words of understanding as China promises to investigate a problem. In the Sino-spite view of things, the equation is simple: The world is against China. And China’s going to let you know it knows it.

Fault Lines On The Face Of China: 50 Reasons Why China May Never Be Great’ - Excerpt 82

"Sino-spite is even applied to matters outside China’s borders. At a Foreign Ministry press conference, spokeswoman Jiang Yu was asked a question about political reform in Myanmar (the former Burma). 'China has been insisting the issue should be resolved by the Myanmar government and its people through consultations,' she said. 'The international community should adopt an active and constructive attitude to help Myanmar promote the process of national reconciliation without damaging the nation’s sovereignty and national dignity.' Dignity and national pride come above human suffering. Sino-spite is also self-serving as political policy.

In the us-versus-them world view of Sino-spite, the basic level of care and concern for human suffering is missing. Toys containing poisons that might harm a child? ‘Alarmism.’ Food that does not meet basic hygiene regulations? ‘Scaremongering.’ Concern over human rights in China? ‘Politicization.’ Rejection of China-made technology that does not meet demanding standards? ‘Anti-China prejudice.’

Stiff, inflexible and unyielding, Sino-spite grows out of a government view that is used to demanding, not persuading."