@Helen Maher

But you can see how the Government and people (even the race) of a country is related - when the US invaded Iraq, despite 50% of the country against the invasion, the moral fallout and hatred was primarily focused on the American people - and like with the US administration the Chinese Govt. don't have to face the backlash, it's the people - indeed, I would imagine the CCP are having a field day with the obvious signs of unity and patriotism, courtesy of the West.

Howard, Manchester,

I was accused of being a Chinese government employee on a forum like this one recently; my crime was to be rational.
As a westerner I see fashionable hatreds change with the wind, and many shallow people in the west will jump on board with this china bashing until something else comes along for them to 'believe in'.
I am concerned that the Chinese have a long memory and a big army, and our fashionable disrespect of them will have serious long term consequences.
Grow up westerners.

Yes the western media is horribly distorted just like the Chinese media, but westerners are so stupid they think they see the truth on TV, at least the Chinese know they watch propaganda.

Daniel K888 (white male westerner), Melbourne , Australia

Is it racist to criticize a communist dictatorship? Is it China bashing to support unarmed buddhist monks who are forced to recant their beliefs? Whatever the means and motives of those speaking out against China, there exists a deep suspicion of ideologies that would suppress dissent, prevent peaceful assembly, and seek to control religious belief. As an american, I've heard a lot of garbage and I've heard a lot of scathing attacks, and some of it we deserved. But either we all hold ourselves to a higher standard, and debate the issues of the day, or we don't. China is no exception, and their double standards and clever use of totalitarian tools to control events should be aired. Most people have no problem with Taiwan, which is chinese to the core. But they have a democracy, imperfect as the rest of us, so spare us the argument that this is about race. This is about what kind of future the rise of China portends, will we become like them, or will they become like us.

ingo , los angeles,

For a very long time, I have seen no differences on British main stream media from tabloids on Chinese affair reporting. China Bashing is now so popular that it become politically incorrect without doing so. I lost most of my respects to the self-claimed independent journalism. This article is among a very few that can reminds me the difference between a courageous insight and the populism brain-washing cliche.

Eric, Oxford, UK

Ian from London: great point! "Living in Britain, I would just say that I enjoy very few Human rights: for example..."

May I just add another example:

I'm a hard-working young professional in London. Yet, it seems that the only place I can afford to buy is in some ghetto full of yobs and those who are on benefits. It makes me wonder what the point of work is when my neighbours are just as well-housed as me, but do very little by way of production (although plenty of reproduction at a very young age).

Plenty of young people like me feel pretty deprived despite our apparently above average gross earnings!

ed, london,

@Rick Seth, NY, US

What, compared to the American Empire that has influence on every continent on the globe? What irony.

Howard, Manchester,

I am an ethnic Chinese from Thailand. I would like to thank the author of this article in his courage to present a different view. In Thailand, people mostly receive information through western media, which are very negative about China. Although we are no longer a PRC national and a big fan of the CCP, we feel much hurt by such negative, distorted, and selective reporting. While there are many 'anecdotal' reports about Tibetans killed, where are the pictures? Everybody tend to glorify the rioters and vilify us Chinese. Totally unfair!

Vichai, Bangkok, Thailand

This article explains truthfully why the Western politicians and media are spilling so much vile and prejudices against China.

During the last 200 years or so, China has gone through a horrific period of internal turmoil, wars, famines and foreign colonization. During that period she was always treated as inferior. The underdog who the West and Japan would bully, colonize and plunder with impunity.

She has now developed to such an extent that it is a distinct possibility of overtaking the mighty US in the very near future.

She is taking her place in the world by engaging herself further afield. She no longer builds walls to fence herself in.
As a result she is becoming influential in the affairs of the world and this rattles the West and they become almost fearful due in large part of their ignorance of China's intention.

Like it or not, China is here. She has arrived. No amount of lies or
smearing is going to stop her now.
Napolean's 'sleeping giant' has awoken at last.

Leng Chong, Sydney, Australia

Thank you Mr. Mick Hume! Your article shows to us that not all westners are supporting racism against Chinese. You let us feel that western civilization and tridition of western intellectual has not been totally lost. There are still hope for common understanding and communication between the western culture and a non-western culture. For the oppoiste of Mr. Mick Hume, please consider how you should treat a different civilization and difference culture, such the Muslim culture, Chinese culture, some southeast Asia countries cultures? Just bashing them?

a civilian, Xi'an,

In the emerging world order, Australia & New Zealand are very much seen as Eastern Asian. For now, from a trade perspective. Unlike India and Japan, China has a clear agenda - supporting expansionism goals through trade. It is a threat to the stability of the entire region. On the surface China will dismiss it as absurd but CCP's expansionism goals include not only Southeast but Australia, New Zealand, and the entire Pacific.

China bashing is a necessary sport unless you'd simply like to surrender to evil rogue regime of China.

Rick Seth, NY, US

Before we resort to bashing China on Human Rights, Tibet, IPR, Food Quality, Trade Protectionism, etc.....we should first question why the West has pumped in > US400b for the past 20 years in FI and why they continue to send in trade delegations there, with the most recent from the French government. The huge FI has brought about lots of changes to China. This includes Human Rights, IPR, etc....and not to forget that it aslo has enable the US to has much cheaper goods.

My point is we are sending a very bad message to people in China about the West. Yes its government needs improvement and pressure but there are ways to it. Let think a bit more on how rather than doing like what we did so wrong with Iraq !

Granted we are much more versatile and expressive in our language abilities ( English to be precise ! ) does not mean those who are not are not as equal as us or what they are planning to do is not right.

d.kean, hongkong,

Mick, before you equate anti-Chinese feeling with the racial prejudices of Hitler, Churchill and the 'Yellow Peril' scare, maybe ask the average man in the Beijing street how he'd feel if his daughter were to marry an African. The explicit, unabashed racism I've seen and heard in Asia would make your everyday BNP thug look like Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

Or is it racist of me to say this? I get so confused...

Tim Footman, London/Bangkok,

China bashing is indeed a sport nowadays becausethe West cannot comprehend nor accept the success of another Country. Living in Britain, I would just say that I enjoy very few Human rights: for example, the freedom to walk without fear of having my head kicked in, the fear of not being able to enjoy an innocent evening out at the pub, of being insulted & attacked on a bus, of gratuitious violence, etc, etc. How dare we complain about human rights in China when we cannot guarranttee the very basic minimum at home. And as for those Tibetans who ran riot & committed arson & murder, what do they expect? Will we tolerate that here in the UK. or the US. or indeed any other country? So how dare we accuse China of human rights abuses. Charity begins at home.

Ian, London, UK

Wow, Philip. You don't have to resort to ad hominem attacks against any one who tries to defend China by calling them government employees?

Sure, there is a human rights problem in China, but then again, no countries are perfect. No fault should be greater than other faults. This is why many call the Westerners hypocrites.

Western countries have their own problems, but they are neither more severe or less of a problem with China's human rights issues.

Alasdair, London,

Well said. And Thank you.
As a Chinese, I just have one simply request for those yelling out about China's human right and etc. Before you express you view on China, please do some research about the past and the present. Before you make comments about the governement open fire on the street, please ask yourself if you knew the 'truth'.
One more important message, before you start critising China, look at what your own government is doing first. How about try to learn Chinese, and try to understand the country before you practice your freedom of speech based on one side of information?

Lei, Chicago, USA

"I carry no torch for the Beijing authorities, but..."

...but you've massively exaggerated and distorted criticism of them, equated their critics with racists, and made ridiculous claims on their behalf that even Mao would blush at. In an aside, you've managed to equate Churchill with Hitler.

Still, it's no surprise; when someone rants about imperialism, you can bet that they hate the countries that gave up their empires, or never had them, and love the rulers of the countries that have retained theirs.

Tim Jones, Maidenhead, UK

Let's bash China, yet the US/UK/Europe/Israel alliance ignores atrocities committed by dictators in a variety of "independent" countries. Burma, Palestine, Darfur, Congo, South America,etc,etc peoples' struggles have been wilfully ignored/distorted/manipulated by the "West" in their attempts to gain democracy and a measured way of life.
As regards the polluting Chinese and global ecology, the technologies were put in place by the "West" , rather than develop better systems in their own countries, to exploit the Chinese populace, at the expense of workers in the "West". Newer, cleaner technology developments have not been "shared" with the Chinese or Indians for fear of greater global "economic impact", leading to increased use of scarce resources by the Chinese and Indian people seeking to live in the same "modern" lifestyle as the "West". The idea of the "West" reverting to China/India's pre-industrial lifestyle would never be considered as a solution, why so for China/India?

Paul Ford, Melbourne, Australia

To Philip, from Osaka, Japan
Chinese government employees on these pages posing as pro-China individuals.

who told you every pro-china post was left by some Chiense gove employee, we are ppl too, don't simply call us "brainwashed", just because we have different opinions, it makes me thing who has been really "brainwashed"

There are many human rights issue in China, but we can make it better, no one likes those pointing fingers. Somehow, i feel i have much more freedom on choose what i read, in every chinese book shop, you can find all the books of English, French, American, Indian, Japaness Writers,but here in the UK, , in Waterstone, i found excepet certain Classics, and few pop literature, you hardly can find a book written by non-english writer. What i'm trying to say is that "brainwash" may not necessarly be imposed by any governments, before accusing anyone else brainwashed, look into u own mindset first.

Zhang chi, Swindon, UK

"there are worse things than a dearth of human rights" - tell that to the people who don't have them, Tom Welsh.

Sarah, London,

And the ship waiting off the coast of South Africa full of ammunition for Zimbabwe???
Admittedly there needs to be more balance in the Western media towards China, but there is no doubt their human rights record is atrocious. Citing racism and hypocrisy just sounds like the all too obvious comments from the Chinese government employees on these pages posing as pro-China individuals.

Philip, Osaka, Japan

Agrees with the analysis of this new "sport".

US is out to perserve it's dominance even though they conceded the Rise of China is inevitable. Europe is out to make sure they are still "superior" by keeping the old "yellow" racism close to their hearts to make them feels better though hardly changes the harsh realities of their future.

As for the comment of China sending weapons to Zimb, US send chemical weapons to Iraq against Iran and the 2007 report 2007 in which China is not in the top 5 of the global arms exporters list, but US, Russia, UK, France, and Germany are, should quiet some self-righteous ramblings.

thrawn, USA,

So china's booming and we're all bitter? Surely those who moan about it are worried that every government, including China's, is so obsessed with trade and profits that they're ignoring the agreed demands for it to improve its human rights after agreeing to host the Olympics. If China gets more democratic as they become richer/major players on the international stage/infected by the West then wouldn't that be a good thing? Moaning about US and UK foreign policy doesn't change that (apart from the actual Chinese, China defenders predictably fall into the same camps: lefty/anti-American/moral relativists). Don't think our military has been overtly shooting anyone in the streets lately. Like Zimbabwe, the criticism is about the government, not an attack on the people. And playing the racist card here is really low.

Helen Maher, West Hampstead,

Plus, you're pretty well one hundred per cent sure that if you criticize the Chinese, you won't get your head cut off.

Which in part explains the moral courage of China critics.

David, Amsterdam, Netherlands

but its the arrogance....as with india - money comes ahead of minor things like being nice - an example is India which wouldn't follow the climate targets because the west had gained affluence through polluting, so why not they ? And china can "have" Tibet because it placates them - they need tibets uranium,oil and gas and we - their trade - so they can claim what they want ?? .....

paul, aus,

Clearly it is the dynamic rise of China towards becoming a superpower to rival and probably overtake the United States in the foreseeable future that is the cause of much Western antipathy. America wants to protect its own pre-eminence, while using Chinese money to do so without compunction.The rest of us fear US excesses being replaced by Chinese ones over which we will have even less influence, if such an outcome is even possible!

Tony Wilson, London,

Mick,

You missed out Zimbabwe. Here's details of a huge aid package for them from China. Bless the Chinese for doing their bit for world peace, contrary to all the reports

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5of857

Jeremy Poynton, Frome, Somerset

China-bashing is the new sport of the 21st Century. It is rapidly becoming an Olympic sport. It replaces America-bashing (so 20th Century) and Britain-bashing (how 19th Century).
When you're top dog and the king of the playground everybody fears you and nobody likes you. So it will be with China.

Dave, Slough,

I couldn't agree more with Mick Hume, KC, and trendy. The Chinese regime certainly is repressive and undemocratic, but as we have seen in Iraq, there are worse things than a dearth of human rights. I have never understood why Tony Blair wrote a long article for The Times some years back, explaining why the right to safety was far more important than trivia like habeas corpus and democracy - for British people - while his actions clearly showed that his order of priorities for Iraqis was precisely the opposite. No matter how many of them die; it's well worth it for all the wonderful human rights they are getting. No objective person can possibly doubt that the atrocities committed in Iraq are at least two orders of magnitude worse than those in Tibet, and very possibly three or four orders worse.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Well-said! Totally agree with you on this! I think many people in the West (note: not the world, of which the West is only a small portion) should have the decency of not coating their racist, "Yellow-Peril" remarks with excuses of "human rights" and "democracy" etc.. I am from Malaysia and I think in many parts of the developing world China's rise is welcome.

KC, Penang, Malaysia,

This is something I don't see in the British press that often: a journalist who dares to speak out and not afraid to be hounded as a "China apologist". It takes courage to be a contrarian. I noticed most journalists in the British media are very negative about China, very self-righteous and invariably always fail to see their own society's double standards.

trendy, malacca, malaysia