It's strange how most mainland Chinese people have this weird thing about criticism from foreigners. It's like a phobia or something, they just go mad with indignation whenever a foreigner says something potentially negative about China. Marcuschen, I noticed almost all of your posts on this forum are reactions to some perceived insult to your people. And it's obvious that it was you who posted this thread. I don't understand why it bothers you so much, why are you so disturbed by foreigners talking about China? Do you hate us that much?

I am not bothered at all about Chinese people in my country who criticize my country. I am sure there are also Chinese language forums like this one for overseas Chinese and I'm sure people write all kinds of criticisms about their host country, sometimes reasonable sometimes unreasonable, but as far as I'm concerned they are welcome to do this because I know how it is to live in a foreign country. Sometimes you just need to complain about things which you aren't used to. Within certain bounds of course.

Imagine if I went onto a Chinese language expat forum and wrote "You Chinese must respect your host country and not talk about the government otherwise you will be thrown out of the country". How do you think these Chinese people would feel about this? Of course they would feel unwelcome, and they'd probably think (rightly) that I'm an asshole.

What you have written about it being illegal to criticise the government and even (laughingly) Chinese culture is, as you know, a complete load of bull. I hear Chinese people criticise the government and China ALL the time. What bothers you is not the criticism, it's the fact that it's coming from foreigners. I will ask you a genuine question - why does this bother you so much, whereas I am not in the least bit bothered about Chinese people making reasonable criticism about my own government or country? I have my own ideas about why this is the case, but I would really like to hear your opinion about why you and I are so different on this point.

chris8080 it's not "obvious" because I didn't post this thread.

Also, it's not that fireogners just criticize. It's that this forum is mostly whining, complaining foreigners. A complaint sometimes is one thing. Always whining is other thing. It's just annoying.

chris8080 what is your country? And you say "reasonable criticism", most complaining here isn't reasonable. It's insulting, like saying "nasty habits" or "Chinese people have no kindness or etiquettes". That's not reasonable, just insults and racist.

chris8080 it's like this:

1. Reasonable: USA's people do not travel as much as many Europeans.

2. Whining insult: Americans are all fatty fat ugly stupid obnoxious greedy pigs.

See differences?

@chris8080, marcus is not Chinese. He's pretending to be Chinese.

yankee00, you're wrong

In a book, "The Way We Think: Chinese View of Life Philosophy," by LiGang, (ISBN 978-7-808200-411-5) in the first paragraph of the first section, "Mianzi outweighs all else," there is this sentence:

"When with others, Chinese people always take to heart their dignity and superiority, which they hope will earn them due respect."

For me, this sentence is at the core of Chinese attitudes toward those of us not Han Chinese.

Geezer for me it's not that, it's the insulting way people here talk about China, like "nasty habits" and others.

陈先生: if it bothers you that much then maybe you shouldn't come to this forum. It makes no sense to go McDonald's and complain there is no mixian.

Forums are a watering hole, you'll get all types ofpeople. Either hold your own or move on. No point in complaining about other people's complaint

Yes, Chinese dignity is fragile and Chinese feelings easily hurt. I just found it interesting that the Chinese feeling of superiority is second to Chinese sensitivity.