Comments on: China and humiliation http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/08/01/china-and-humiliation/ Global risks and how to respond to them, edited by Alex Evans and David Steven Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:49:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Steven http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/08/01/china-and-humiliation/comment-page-1/#comment-1670 David Steven Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:59:28 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=1320#comment-1670 I was at a conference recently when a British academic spoke passionately and angrily about the terrible humiliations that China was suffering. She put up an image of Goliath tied down by Lilliputians and suggested that Western governments should act to quieten China's critics (presumably through persuasion and not coercion). It was such an odd speech, but seemed to be warmly welcomed by delegates from China, and to be approved off by many non-Chinese in the audience. I can't think of another country that (i) puts such a premium on avoiding humiliation; (ii) is treated so deferentially by many foreigners; (iii) still ends up being humiliated on a regular basis. I was at a conference recently when a British academic spoke passionately and angrily about the terrible humiliations that China was suffering. She put up an image of Goliath tied down by Lilliputians and suggested that Western governments should act to quieten China’s critics (presumably through persuasion and not coercion).

It was such an odd speech, but seemed to be warmly welcomed by delegates from China, and to be approved off by many non-Chinese in the audience.

I can’t think of another country that (i) puts such a premium on avoiding humiliation; (ii) is treated so deferentially by many foreigners; (iii) still ends up being humiliated on a regular basis.

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