Thanks. Yes I agree with much of what you wrote. As you know, my point is that Parfitt could have written a much better book and made the same overall point without giving such a flawed and one-sided account of China, which by the way, is not new either given some Westerners in the past had made similar criticism of China (another good example of this would be Parfitt’s criticism of Confucianism, which is clichéd and flawed, and it really just shows that Parfitt is biased and not very well-informed).

On a personal note, I think too much attention has been given to the concept of “face” in China. While it is important, I believe different Chinese have different definitions of “face” and also that not everything in China has to do with it (these were true in the past and are still true in the present). Different individuals have different motivations behind their action and behavior and it’s inaccurate to say that everyone is always concerned about “face” when they do things (again, true in the past as well as in the present) Just to note, I know you didn’t express your opinion about “face”, I am just expressing my own view here.

As I said, if I want to bet, I don’t think I would bet on China becoming the next superpower either. The fact that these days a very large number of well-off Chinese want to emigrate abroad should tell you something. The staggering amount of criticism and complaint that the Chinese people, net citizens or not, have of their country is another telling sign (this also suggests that many Chinese have not been and still are not exactly subservient to authority, which is more or less true throughout China’s history, including the modern times and the present-day). All in all, I doubt any knowledgeable and fair observer, both Chinese and non-Chinese, would say China is a great place these days. Many Chinese I personally know are also skeptical about China’s future. Of course there is always the hope for things to improve, but we shall see.

As for your prediction of 2050, don’t forget about Europe. Despite its current problems, the European Union is nonetheless a major player in world affairs. As long as it keeps itself together, the European Union has great potential to become even stronger in the future.

P.S Regarding what you said about the concept of “city center” in your review, I know the Chinese definitely understand this idea as there is a word for it in Chinese (shizhongxin). However, in my experience at least, when it comes to taxi drivers, they usually want to know a more exact location, and people tend to say the exact place they want to go. So this might be one of the reasons why the taxi driver was confused when you said that you just want to go to the city center. I think the driver was looking for a specific building, street, place…etc. And finally, like you, I am not sure about this claim that the Chinese like noise. Many Chinese like to have a lot of people around, but that doesn’t mean they like noise. In addition, I also know many Chinese who prefer to have a quite environment with less people. After all, being a hermit is also a part of the Chinese tradition, and a pretty well-respected one throughout Chinese history. So, no, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that the Chinese in general like noise.

Generally, with China, I think the analyses tend to be too much gloom or bliss, too general. Back in 1997 I kept hearing how the state-owned companies were the rusting backbone on the country and how they would come crashing down. It didn’t happen. Then in 2006-2008, high growth would be forever. It weren’t. Now, at least in the American press, I keep seeing predictions of the “crash” type again. I guess the size of the country makes everything stand out more and this clouds the vision of many.

I also don’t think China will dominate the world but it might be one of the most powerful countries towards the end of the century. The idea that one country can lead the whole planet is outdated. Throughout history the usual situation has been that there have been a number of large countries dominating their spheres of influence, and we’re slowly coming back towards that. My guess is the major players in 2050 or will be the US, China, Russia, India and Brazil, perhaps as two major blocs. The US will still be the most powerful country but it will have been relatively weakened as compared to what it is today.

Another point: I find Parfitt’s knowledge and analysis of Chinese history to be lacking. I recall one of the authors Parfitt relies on for China’s history is Sterling Seagrave. However, I don’t think any serious academic would use Seagrave as a source of information. Seagrave is primarily a journalist and a popular writer, not a well-trained historian, and his work is seriously flawed. So one of major problems for Parfitt is the sources he uses (Seagrave is not the only bad source, there are many other writers who have an inadequate understanding of China that Parfitt relies on in his book). This hurts his interpretation of Chinese history and also many other things related to Chinese culture (both traditional and modern). Parfitt’s flawed view that Chinese culture is bad and immutable, Chinese tradition is horrible and stifles creativity, Chinese history has been and still is a mess, and that these things are holding China back is influenced by the bad sources he is using.

It is true that many Chinese know their culture and history well. These people also know about the problems in their country and are working to solve these problems (these good, well-intentioned, self-reflective, knowledgeable people who were working to make China a better place have existed throughout China’s history, which also includes the modern period. They are still here in China in the present-day). Having said that, I don’t think China will be dominating the world either. Having read many Chinese books, articles, websites, and having watched various Chinese TV shows and interacted with the people in the Chinese speaking world, I can confidently say that many Chinese also agree with me on this. China just has way too many issues it needs to deal with. China does have a rich history and a glorious past, however, that is not necessarily going to help the present. In my judgment, America is still more than likely going to be the most powerful country by the end of this century. In the end, I think one can certainly make the point about China not going to dominate the world much better than the way Parfitt does in his book.

I think Mr.Parfitt’s knowledge and understanding of Chinese people, their culture (both traditional and modern) and Chinese history are inadequate (his analysis of China’s culture and history are both very one-sided and superficial). His attitude towards anything Chinese also doesn’t help. China has been constantly changing throughout its history, and is still changing as we speak. The country has also been influenced by foreign forces throughout its history (e.g. importation of Buddhism). Foreign influences in China have been tremendous since the 19th century, and the same is still true today. With all of these things in mind, it is not easy to really understand China and anything
related to it. So a better analysis is needed in order to really understand China.