{"id":55740,"date":"2019-03-21T17:20:47","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T09:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/?p=55740"},"modified":"2019-05-07T18:46:15","modified_gmt":"2019-05-07T10:46:15","slug":"why-i-still-love-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/why-i-still-love-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Still Love China, Even if It Hates Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: this is a guest post authored by Josh Summers, an American expat who spent over ten years living in China’s northwest Xinjiang region. Although it’s not about Chengdu specifically it’s a relevant topic for all expats in China, and an instructive story. Enjoy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Historically, China has never been an extremely foreigner-friendly country. A quick look at the headlines this year and you\u2019ll see how this isn\u2019t just a growing trend in China, it\u2019s a growing trend globally. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the Chinese people are amazing and the culture is often very friendly, but the government policies are quite the opposite.<\/p>\n

These policies seem to have been designed to discourage foreigners from doing anything other than short-term travel around the country. If you\u2019re reading this and you\u2019ve lived for more than 6 months in China, you\u2019re nodding your head because you know exactly what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n

This may sound like the beginning of a disgruntled foreigner \u201crant\u201d but I promise you it\u2019s not. I still love China despite the fact that I was kicked out of my home last year. I still help hundreds of thousands of people travel to China each year despite the fact that China has never once recognized my contribution to tourism. I even recently published a first-timers travel guide to China<\/a> even though I know it will never be allowed to be sold in China.<\/p>\n

\"Police<\/p>\n

No, this isn\u2019t a rant, even though I feel a rant could be justified.<\/p>\n

I want to explain why I continue to write positively about China even though the country \u2013 or at least the government \u2013 hates me.<\/p>\n

Hate is a Strong Word<\/h2>\n

It feels like hyperbole when I tell you that China hates me. It probably would be except for the fact that I\u2019ve had an official literally say that to my face.<\/p>\n

You see, for the past ten years I\u2019ve lived in the western region of Xinjiang, a part of China that has been socially\/politically unstable and home to some terrible events. The presence of me as a foreigner to witness these events obviously made the government uncomfortable. Additionally, the fact that I was always walking around with a camera and publishing content about the region, well, they really didn\u2019t like that at all.<\/p>\n

But truthfully, they never really got around to knowing me or my work. I love Xinjiang, the Uyghur people and yes, the Han Chinese people as well. It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that I\u2019ve helped over 100,000 people travel to Xinjiang. Yet they told me they hated me and kicked me out the door.<\/p>\n

\"China<\/p>\n

I feel like the same thing happens with many foreigners who move to China or even those back in their own country who sit back and form opinions based on the headlines they read. They come to hate China. I know because I see these people post on Reddit or leave comments on my website and social media.<\/p>\n

I consider it a form of hate when you loathe a person or group of people based on little personal understanding and a lack of verifiable facts.<\/p>\n

China Sucks, But So Does Every Other Country<\/h2>\n

China\u2019s bureaucracy and visa policies suck, there\u2019s no denying that. Then again, so do the same policies from the United States, my passport country.<\/p>\n

This past year, I\u2019ve come to realize that I make too many personal snap judgements based on politics. All it takes is one sad but true story of an act committed by police, a group of people, or a political figure and my previously positive relationships with associated people mysteriously disappears and is replaced by a rising feeling of distrust and hatred.<\/p>\n

Han Chinese people do it toward the Muslim Uyghur and Hui ethnic groups. Members of one political party do it to those of another political party. We all tend to do it toward China if we live here long enough.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so hard to separate individuals from their associated groups. It\u2019s difficult to see a country apart from its politics. However, failing to do so could mean we miss out on some incredible relationships and amazing travel experiences.<\/p>\n

Why Still Write About China?<\/h2>\n

\"JoshPersonal feelings of hurt aside, China is a fascinating country to visit. The local street food is still amazing and there\u2019s still a long, rich history to explore. The culture is unique and the natural beauty outside the big cities can be stunning.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been criticized many times for writing positively about Xinjiang, a region known for fighting, oppression, and mistreatment of minorities. I understand the reason for the disapproval, but I\u2019ve always held the belief that if I can just convince a traveler to see the place and people themselves, they can develop personal relationships and stories that result in a more accurate picture of the situation.<\/p>\n

The same goes for China as a whole. There\u2019s plenty that I don\u2019t like about China and the way that they\u2019ve treated me, but I also know the friends I\u2019ve come to love and the experiences that have enriched my life by traveling around China. I want other people to experience that.<\/p>\n

No matter how foreigner-unfriendly China becomes, unless personal safety becomes an issue, I plan to continue to write about China and encourage people to visit.<\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s a long shot, but hopefully, China will even begin to change its stance toward foreigners.<\/p>\n

About the Author: Josh Summers first moved to China in 2006 with his wife where he has worked as a teacher, studied Mandarin as a student and run his own business. For more than a decade, he has traveled and written about China for the BBC, Lonely Planet, DK and others. His primary writing can be found on Far West China<\/a> and Travel China Cheaper<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read the guest post authored by Josh Summers, an American expat who spent over ten years living in China’s northwest Xinjiang region. Although it’s not about Chengdu specifically it’s a relevant topic for all expats in China, and an instructive story. Enjoy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":55745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,26],"tags":[96382],"yoast_head":"\nWhy I Still Love China, Even if It Hates Me - Chengdu Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/why-i-still-love-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I Still Love China, Even if It Hates Me - Chengdu Living\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read the guest post authored by Josh Summers, an American expat who spent over ten years living in China's northwest Xinjiang region. 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