In the recent issue of Forbes Magazine, Lee Kuan-yew writes about the continuing perception gap between East and West, citing the recent protests surrounding the torch relay and the angry response by ethnic Chinese both inside and outside the PRC. Lee argues that this is part of the developmental process and that as China becomes stronger and the Chinese middle class becomes larger, richer, and better educated (especially educated abroad) this sense of victimization at the hands of the West will diminish.
Last week, Chinese blogger Xueyong wrote a response to Mr. Lee’s piece. Xueyong asserts that the recent wave of patriotic fervor runs deeper than Lee Kuan-yew suggests, and that the sense of resentment over ‘Western bullying’ and the resulting feelings of victimization also have their roots in the PRC information and educational environment. (h/t Global Voices Online)
I took the liberty of translating Xueyong’s piece in full. I’m not the best translator, so I welcome any suggestions for fixes or more felicitous renderings of the original.
Singaporean Minister Mentor Lee Kuan-yew in the most recent issue of Forbes Magazine, discusses the chasm of understanding between East and West. He criticizes both sides. At the the