Beijing's new harmonious society

Hmmmm ...

People have likely heard about the British guy (foreigner) who is charged with sexual assault on a Chinese girl, in Beijing. There was a video that has become viral in China. Enough said about that. Beijing, it seems, is now at the epicenter of some serious "anti-foreigner" sentiment.

Beijing TV (BTV) seems to be carrying the ball, and has had a number of "news reports" of foreigners behaving badly. Most recently, a Russian Cellist (with the Beijing Symphony) was video'd getting into an altercation on a train with what is described as a "sweet little old lady." Here is a news story. You can find the video on many other sites.

The tone of these reports is "less than flattering" to the foreign guests, and have sparked quite a bit of "kick the foreign devils out" comments from Chinese netizens. What has surprised me, somewhat, is that this very negative attitude is pervading many areas ... including the HOG website forum (Chinese). Remember, most HOG members in Beijing are rich & powerful (300K toys). I kinda doubt that the HOG site in the USA would permit any "kick the SBs out" comments.

Well, within a week, the Beijing city government announced a 100 day "clean-up campaign" on foreigners. OK, some say this is overdue. No doubt there are several clowns in town. But it seems that the authorities are making this a highly publicized campaign ... kinda throwing fuel on the fire. I'd argue that this should be done 365 days/year, much like it is in other countries. Whatever.

In addition, there was another campaign announced about the same time concerning motorcycles. The traffic police said they will be operating several (and increasing) roadblocks over the riding season, looking for "illegal activities" by motorcyclists (e.g., no driving license, no plates, drunk driving, etc). Here is a recent Youku video of one recent road block in Beijing (by the way, those sad-looking saps on the "bus" are on their way to jail):



OK, so add together anti-foreigner & anti-motorcycle, and you end up with BTV's top story (May 16) of a foreign guy riding an illegal R9, while drunk, and having an accident. Oh, and he didn't have a MC license. Sigh. Here is the Youku clip.



I've had a few Chinese friends "advise" me to keep a low profile and to be on my best behavior (which, of course, I always am!), and to make sure I am 100% legal. Hmmmm ... but those 47nnn plate on my motorcycles kinda identifies me as a foreigner (despite my full face helmet). Hope I don't encounter any "vehicular kung fu". Obviously, I'd lose in any challenge from a car/bus/truck driven by an angry guy.

What's the tone in other cities? I read on motorfans and HOG that Shanghai netizens are yelling "yeah, do it here too ... kick those bastards out!"

Oh ... try to keep comments somewhat civilized, perhaps as an example.

It's classic unite and rule.

1. Identify common 'enemy'.
2. Spread propaganda against that enemy.
3. Unite those that would otherwise be at each others' throats over religious/land.resources/ethnic squabbles.

It used to be and still is a bit 'anti-Japanese'. This is worse because you are not Asian and cannot do anything about it. At least Japanese and Koreans when hated on can mix in with the crowd.

Also there is a another insidious 50 mao scheme. The theory states that foreigners get some privileged status in China and are specially treated. There was some truth to this maybe pre 2004, but generally it is not the case. Where are these privileges?? Anyhow it's a deception to get people riled against foreigners and hopefully forget about the rich 'princelings' in their castles driving fast cars and drinking champagne with money daddy stole from the country he loves so much.

I was stopped at Yonghegong bridge and received a 100rmb ticket for driving with a jing-b inside 4th ring rd. Happened yesterday, but the cop was not overly angry. He had just finished giving a ticket to an suv driving in the emergency lane, so I don't think he was targeting my laowai-ness.

Interesting thread, Lao Jia Huo. Thanks for posting.

I arrived last night in Beijing after a month in the US and went through customs. Because several of us were transiting to Shanghai, an Air China guy asked us to line up in the "Chinese Citizens" customs queue. When we arrived at the front of the line, the young agent very politely asked us to go again to the back of the line because there were other Chinese behind us. Ten or 20 years ago I might have protested, but I too can sense the environment is changing here, and I did as I was told. When I again reached the front of the line the same agent told me very matter of factly that the policy now is Chinese first, but she then politely cleared my entry. Again, I was in the Chinese citizens line, not the foreigners line, so I just filed this away for future reference.

Once on the connecting flight, which of course was delayed by more than an hour for unexplained reasons, the only guy rudely berating the flight attendants for the poor service was a middle-aged Chinese gentleman, and he really let it rip.

We're having wonderful weather here in the endless city so I'm looking forward to lots of riding; I'll be on my best behavior (as ever) and will report any noteworthy changes as I see them. But I'm with you about these periodic crackdowns; if only they'd enforce the law all the time, day in and day out, the scofflaw behavior would disappear and there would be no need for crackdowns.

cheers

Hate & racism has been around this lovely country for 5000+ years, its part of the 5000+ year culture, will only get worse in the future, mark my words.... Have a nice weekend.......

Classic email today: Party people in the house! Less than 24 hours to go till the Beijinger's 9th Annual Reader Bar & Club Awards!
We can't wait to see your outrageous beach attire -- the action begins in the sun at 2:30pm at Sanlitun Soho. RMB 100 all you can drink and there will be plenty of entertainment between the announcements of the winners of our annual readers' poll of Beijing's finest bars and clubs.
Laowai: As you know we're on Day 4 of the crackdown on illegal foreigners so along with advising those without proper papers to go get that done before you attend, we advise you to bring your passport, visa and household registration (or copies of them) as Sanlitun is one area that is the focus of the crackdown.

But, but, this guy's been riding for three years and he says he's "had no problems" riding without reg or plates. It's gotta be true!

Seriously, looking over the local classifieds and 58.com is waaaaaaay too frigging tempting sometimes.

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

But, but, this guy's been riding for three years and he says he's "had no problems" riding without reg or plates. It's gotta be true!

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hahahaha! Yeah ... if it is on the net, gotta be true!

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Seriously, looking over the local classifieds and 58.com is waaaaaaay too frigging tempting sometimes.

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Earlier this week, I was at a dealer I have bought bikes from. This dealer is one of Beijing's largest sellers of legal bikes. Dealer told me it was visited by the police and told to get rid of any unplated bikes a.s.a.p. (probably end up in Tianjin)

Yesterday, another news story hit ... unclear facts, but apparently someone on a large motorcycle hit a pedestrian on/near the 4th ring road. Well, according to the Chinese forums, the "facts" have morphed into ... "It was a foreigner riding a Harley, killed an old man (or young girl, depending on story), and took off" ... followed by several "find em and kill em" comments.

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Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou

Yesterday, another news story hit ... unclear facts, but apparently someone on a large motorcycle hit a pedestrian on/near the 4th ring road. Well, according to the Chinese forums, the "facts" have morphed into ... "It was a foreigner riding a Harley, killed an old man (or young girl, depending on story), and took off" ... followed by several "find em and kill em" comments.

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Can you provide a source for that story?

I recall that when the "Foreigner Raping Girl on Street in Beijing" story hit last week, my Chinese friends at first said "that looks like bullshit" after watching the video. Now, a few of them are telling me "I heard from a friend that there are pictures of him molesting other girls on the subway". I haven't seen any pictures other than the one of him with the girl he is accused of raping. It seems that these stories take on a life of their own once they've made it into local discourse, actual access to facts is entirely beside the point.

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Can you provide a source for that story?

I recall that when the "Foreigner Raping Girl on Street in Beijing" story hit last week, my Chinese friends at first said "that looks like bullshit" after watching the video. Now, a few of them are telling me "I heard from a friend that there are pictures of him molesting other girls on the subway". I haven't seen any pictures other than the one of him with the girl he is accused of raping. It seems that these stories take on a life of their own once they've made it into local discourse, actual access to facts is entirely beside the point.

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It is on motorfans (Beijing), and I will look for it when I am back home.

Yeah, these stories definitely take on a life of their own. Probably what REALLY happened was some guy brushed a pedestrian ... the pedestrian yelled. An onlooker posted some "news", then it became a big bike hits pedestrian ... then big bike hits old/young pedestrian ... then Harley hits old man/young girl ... then foreigner on Harley kills man/girl ... then foreigner runs away.

I agree with ZMC888 divert attention away from Bo , Cheng and Co.I just don't get how Chinese people don't see this oh wait yes I do:rolleyes1:

The atmosphere/tone in my neck of the woods certainly has changed noticed it straight after getting off the plane nine months ago.Has got worse lately but alot of people have come here from all across China seeking riches since the powers that be announced "develop North western China"Basically their attitude sucks it is look at me I'm better than you I have a BMW , rolex Gucci and a Iphone 4s( don't know what an app is though and don't know they have to sign up to apple to get the most out of said phone)

I haven't had any comment directly aimed at me but some interesting questions have been asked.

This whole Pillipines thing is getting out of hand too.Hearing quite abit of "We are going to wipe the Phiillipine's off the map."

Can't say I like the way things are developing.:uhoh:

You can add Hohhot,Inner Mongolia to the "clean-up campaign" on foreigners.

Actually I don't really think that this time, this "foreigner" thing is something orchestrated from the upper echelons.
It is something lingering in every society, and is in general just under the surface, coming out every now and then.
Don't need to remind anyone here about historic cases of racism surfacing in their own country, right?

Frankly speaking, I can even understand the public reaction on cases like this guy in BJ, harassing girls in the subway and later on the street.
And the totally unacceptable behavior like that idiot in the train, or riding a motorbike in flip-flops, does all not help, and only acts as fuel to the fire if it happens at the wrong time.
Be honest, if foreigners do that in our home, the world is also too small for the storm of protest.

Just my 2 cents on the "other side" of the story.

I find that mostly I am treated as I treat others. There are of course times I am irritated by rudeness whether intentional or just not realized but I have no problem finding plenty of asshats in Los Angeles or any large city in the USA or for that matter, Europe or Australia. I think it is a statistical thing related to the fact that if you have 1000 people anywhere in the world 10 of them are not worth the effort of walking across the street and pissing down their throat if their stomachs were on fire. When in a population of say 100,000, it is not too difficult to avoid those 100 people but when in a population of 25 million........

Anyway, I am still finding a smile and laugh will usually get the same returned.

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Originally Posted by 998S

Actually I don't really think that this time, this "foreigner" thing is something orchestrated from the upper echelons.
It is something lingering in every society, and is in general just under the surface, coming out every now and then.
Don't need to remind anyone here about historic cases of racism surfacing in their own country, right?

Frankly speaking, I can even understand the public reaction on cases like this guy in BJ, harassing girls in the subway and later on the street.
And the totally unacceptable behavior like that idiot in the train, or riding a motorbike in flip-flops, does all not help, and only acts as fuel to the fire if it happens at the wrong time.
Be honest, if foreigners do that in our home, the world is also too small for the storm of protest.

Just my 2 cents on the "other side" of the story.

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Oh I don't remember a storm of protest when the Chinese student raped a Irish women in Dublin.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/c...#ixzz1v31s43nV

Don't remember a storm of protest when the Chinese student raped his landlord in America and then his parents flew to America and promptly started offering everyone involved money to drop the case.Although I am glad to see said spoilt little emperor and parents in jail
http://articles.businessinsider.com/...ree-kidnapping

You should see the text message I and everyone else in Xin jiang just received from the "Autonomous Region Party Committee Propaganda Department" Interesting reading.

Much interested to see what they sent you, if u want to share.

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Originally Posted by 998S

Much interested to see what they sent you, if u want to share.

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Not to keen to plaster it on the web.It's not that bad not that good either.

Does anyone else get text messages from the powers that be from time to time?

This is the first one I have received pushing Nationalistic spirit/regional spirit.I do get other texts from the powers that be informing of things happening.

I will post this link very interesting reading http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2...&mod=chinablog

Ok Yang Rui is an Idiot at the best of times but still interesting mindset.

Here's my translation of what he posted maybe someone can do better.

"Ministry of Public Security of foreign garbage to clean: grasping ocean rogue to protect the ignorant girl, Wudaokou and Sanlitun is the hardest hit; beheaded ocean snakeheads, the United States and Europe unemployed China misappropriating, trafficking in human beings, seducing encourage immigration; identify ocean spy to find a Chinese woman living together, the job is to gather intelligence, the name of tourists to Japan, South Korea and the United States and Europe of Surveying and Mapping map, improve GPS; get rid of Yang bitch, close the Beijing Office of the al-Jazeera, so shut up and get out to demonize China"

Don't see many American,English,Canadian,Australian etc etc Tv hosts/ journalists spewing this kind of crap .

988S Yeah every thing normal here nothing unusual happening here nothing to see move on.

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Originally Posted by bigdamo

I will post this link very interesting reading http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2...&mod=chinablog

Ok Yang Rui is an Idiot at the best of times but still interesting mindset.

Here's my translation of what he posted maybe someone can do better.

"Ministry of Public Security of foreign garbage to clean: grasping ocean rogue to protect the ignorant girl, Wudaokou and Sanlitun is the hardest hit; beheaded ocean snakeheads, the United States and Europe unemployed China misappropriating, trafficking in human beings, seducing encourage immigration; identify ocean spy to find a Chinese woman living together, the job is to gather intelligence, the name of tourists to Japan, South Korea and the United States and Europe of Surveying and Mapping map, improve GPS; get rid of Yang bitch, close the Beijing Office of the al-Jazeera, so shut up and get out to demonize China"

Don't see many American,English,Canadian,Australian etc etc Tv hosts/ journalists spewing this kind of crap .

988S Yeah every thing normal here nothing unusual happening here nothing to see move on.

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I read that, there is a translation on the WSJ blog.

I have not noticed any specific animosity against me in the last days. We probably all remember the days when the Chinese embassy was bombed in former Yugoslavia, or when the torch rely was disturbed in London and the wave of anti-foreign sentiment that came to the surface then.

It is probably always like that. People have nothing against the foreigners they know but they might be afraid of too many foreigners in general. I bet that most societies are like that and I know for sure that there is a strong anti-foreign sentiment in large parts of the german society...

They very rarely mention the good things foreigners do here in China just pick the negatives.

Last Xmas eve i went out to dinner with a group of Chinese. We were on the baijou big time. I got a lift home with a few of them and one young guy (23 / 24 years old) who I just met that night at the dinner.He was extremely drunk and we gave him a lift home he was so drunk he would only speak English and extremely poor English at that.In the car all we could get from him was that he lived near the picture show so that is where we took him.When we got there he got out of the car for a piss and promptly passed out in the snow full rag doll.I could not get him to come round no matter how hard I tried man I slapped his face.Bear in mind it was -25c at this time he was wearing a light jacket no gloves no beane and somehow had taken off his shoes.I knew we could not leave him out there for long.Would my Chinese friends help me eventually after I dragged him to the car by myself.

There was a heated discussion about putting him in their car they didn't want to there was no way i was going to leave the guy passed out in the snow -25c I told them he would die there that night if we didn't get him in the car and home.They eventually begrudgingly helped me and made some phone calls and his friend came and got him I helped his friend drag/carry the rag doll 300 mtrs home.

Did I get a thank you no wasn't look for one but it would of been nice.

I since found out that quite a few people died this last winter in this small town when hitting the baijou to hard and collapsing on the way home only to be found the next morning dead as a door nail. i'm sure some Chinese would of seen these people passed out and just kept walking.

Will we hear the good things that we foreigners do here. No probably not to much loss of face if a foreigner saves a Chinese person.Lets just focus on the bad things that a small minority of foreigners do.

ur PB is full.

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Originally Posted by 998S

ur PB is full.

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cleared it

Fair & reasonable comments thus far.

I also have not personally experienced any hostility or animosity. But I lead a boring and sheltered life, rarely venturing into the SLT or WDK areas of Beijing (I'm too old for that stuff). Yeah, I also remember the prior incidents mentioned and you're right ... there was an outcry, then, as well.

Coming from Canada, which is considered a tolerant multicultural society, I can nevertheless recall several examples of hostility/aggression towards minorities. First, southern Asians from India & Pakistan, then Hong Kong'rs, then Africans, and most recently ML Chinese. You're right, I guess, it is simply a function of the vocal minority within the majority.

I try to keep one eye on the Chinese motorcycle forums (damn, Chinese is hard to learn!), and have certainly noticed the anti-foreigner tone escalating ... but it seems to come and go. Most recently, there was a new thread of some foreigner on a Harley eliciting comments like:

1) He's breaking the law by being ahead of the line (debatable);
2) That's not a real Harley (actually, it is);
3) Those are fake plates because they are not black (actually, they are real 47nnn - black plates are no longer issued);
and,
4) I'd kill him and steal his bike.

But about every 30th post, some rational guy pops in and straightens out the nonsense.

I found the thread about the 4th ring road incident, but it is mumble-jumble, so the entire incident was probably fabricated, or grossly exaggerated. Who knows.

Having seen first hand(Cronulla riots) how this racist mentality can get out of hand.I am concerned how this can quite clearly end up a bad thing for some foreigners here.

Same thing happened in my home town a slow build up of a web based hate campaign followed by when the shock jocks got hold of it and wiped up more rage followed by a get together of a few people(a few thousand) organized over the web and texts.

Throw in alcohol and you had a lethal mix.

So yeah it just doesn't happen in China it happens around the world but when it does happen it ain't pretty where ever you are.

I sure hope it don't happen here but from what I am seeing it ain't looking good.

Yeah you can say we/you have seen it before Olympic torch,embassy etc but hey the internet ,texts and smart phones have progressed to a whole new level in China now.So has the attitude of the kids.

Lets have a little review of the events of the last week or so

China and Philippines escalate war of words over fishing territory. Threats of war are heard, and anti-foreign rhetoric in Chinese media is heated up.

- Chinese government expels foreign journalist working for Al-Jazera for the first time in 14 years and the international media world is shocked.

- Heavily edited video of unnamed so-called "Englishman" abusing a woman he was seen with earlier on the subway getting heroically beat up. One of the "heroes" in question said: "When I saw he was a foreigner, I was even more determined to help this girl"... This video with strong sexual content somehow survives the Chinese anti-vice censors. Man remains unnamed. Racist comments galore from even well-known Chinese media leaders such as Yang Rui. ("we kicked that foreign bitch out!")

- Crackdown on illegal foreigners "coincidentally" begins in Beijing. Beijing police now not denying it is in response to above incident.

- North Koreans kidnap Chinese fishermen and the media does not hide it this time. The Chinese media laments foreign nations picking on China all the time.

- Video of award-winning Beijing Symphony cello player Oleg Vedernikov getting physically assaulted by Chinese woman for having his feet up on the back of a chair and then responding with vulgar language. Calls for apology by the public, then apology not forgiven. Racist comments galore against foreigners all over the Chinese net.

- Video of two Asian men beating a Chinese girl in Chengdu over a dispute on who is in a queue first. The men are assumed to have been speaking Korean and accused of being South Korean. Racist comments galore against Koreans and foreigners in general all over the Chinese net.

just to get a bit of perspective here

ok lots of yap yap on the net

nothing bad actually happening

just relax folks revolution never breeds on full bellies

and all i see is a lot of fat cats

Just as we all hope and wish for uniform, consistent law enforcement to create a safer living environment for all of us, whether Chinese or expatriate, we too have a responsibility to do our best to be good citizens. The stakes already are high for foreigners because we stand out in a crowd and and are easily taken as representatives of "all foreigners" or "all people from Country X or Country Y". The stakes then rise even higher for us as motorcyclists in China because of the chronically negative stereotypes we face.

So we motorcycle-riding foreigners, like it or not, bear a special dual responsibility: to live to the highest standards of decency as people, since we are, fairly or not, seen as representatives of all foreign people, and to ride to the highest standards of safety and responsibility, since our behaviors can strongly affect perceptions of all motorcyclists.

There's always a risk that some hothead out there will observe something about us, whether the way we treat people or the way we ride, and decide to engage in reprisals. All the more reason to be model citizens and model riders. All the Gear All the Time, and All the Courtesy All The Time. Keep your middle finger tucked away, bite your tongue when you feel like cursing, smile when you feel like sneering.

I'm not trying to sound like a saint; these are ideals for me, but I'm human and sometimes a hothead, and I often fail to live up to my own ideals. I hereby resolve to work harder at it.

And let's hope this thing passes before someone gets hurt.

cheers

Is this a copy of the self-reflection you wrote when you were caught for speeding last time? :icon10:

But seriously, I agree with you on this matter (and that from an other hothead), well written.

I agree with euphonius well written.Might not want to eye the fairer sex to much in these times too.Drat there goes another favorite past time.:naughty:

Better watch your back i mean buttocks http://www.echinacities.com/beijing/...r-qianmen.html

It's all very well trying to be good, but sometimes it's hard, especially when you get some sudden policy change that effects your lifestyle or income without any consultation, or you get people running you off the road. Where I live I haven't seen any anti-foreigner sentiment more than usual, even more people wearing overseas football and other T-shirts, meaning a lot of people aren't buying into this crap.

Zhu, I'm grateful for your calming words, but I think we are all feeling China is becoming more hostile. A lot of this media frenzy seems to be connecting into some ancient tribal 'hands off our women' mentality.

"

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

It's all very well trying to be good, but sometimes it's hard, especially when you get some sudden policy change that effects your lifestyle or income without any consultation, or you get people running you off the road. Where I live I haven't seen any anti-foreigner sentiment more than usual, even more people wearing overseas football and other T-shirts, meaning a lot of people aren't buying into this crap.

Zhu, I'm grateful for your calming words, but I think we are all feeling China is becoming more hostile. A lot of this media frenzy seems to be connecting into some ancient tribal 'hands off our women' mentality.

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"Hands off our chinese women" we all need a chinese wife to translate for us so play the safe bet and marry a not so good looking chinese lady like i did works for me as the chinese men all love me and think i am brave ??? heheh