The Danger of a New Kind of Bilateral “Cold War" has Emerged

(CM, 2008-07-05 Beijing/Berlin) INTERVIEW WITH FANG WEIGUI, EXPERT FOR CHINA AND GERMANY IN BEIJING

Fang Weigui is professor for comparative literature at Beijing Normal University since 2006.

His focus in teaching and research is on comparative literature, modern Chinese culture and literature, language change (historical semantics), and the Internet in China.

In 2002, Fang habilitated in Erlangen, Germany, with a study on Chinese literature during the times of the republic. In 2004, he published a book with the title “Das Internet in China. Digital sein, digitales Sein im Reich der Mitte” (“The Internet and China. Being digital and digital being in China”).

Sandra Dietmers: Mr. Fang, what has changed between China and Europe over the last thirty years?

Fang Weigui: Many things have changed. 30 years ago, hardly any Chinese went out to study in Europe. When I came to Germany 22 years ago, there was rarely a Chinese face to be seen in the streets. Today, you will find Chinese tourists almost everywhere. And in Beijing, there are also Europeans among my students. That shows that there has been a certain rapprochement during the last 30 years.
Thanks to personal contacts, and also because of the New Media, many Europeans and Chinese people got to know each other quite well. Moreover: 30 years ago, just at the beginning of China’s opening up policy, many Chinese considered Europe not only very fascinating, but virtually admirable. In a sense, this might still be the case. But on the other hand, people have become more critical, and they realized: Europe is not paradise either.
Of course, enormous changes have occurred in economic relations during this period. Almost all the big companies, and also some medium-sized enterprises, have their representative office in China by now.

Sandra Dietmers: Which conflicts have been resolved, which new conflicts have emerged?

Fang Weigui: Cold War is no longer an issue. But the danger of a new kind of bilateral “Cold War” has emerged and has become perceptible on both sides during the last months. It is amazing how strongly people can stick to their ideologies – this applies not only to the political leaders or to common people in China. Some dogmatists in Europe seem to suffer from the same illness.
Two months ago, I went on a short trip to Germany. Watching TV, I realized how self-assured many people are when talking about China. It even made me laugh. Unfortunately. I am a more or less “different-minded” person in China, and I am bound to say: Moral concepts cannot be exported that way. Many Chinese colleagues of mine agree on this.
Most critical Internet users in China suspect the West to have dishonest motives when degrading China at the time. It is certainly true that nationalism is quite strong here. But this is not the only reason for skepticism towards the western media bashing.
The way the West always brings up Human Rights when talking about China seems hypocritical not only to the “common people”, but also to many intellectuals. It is obvious how the West applies two different standards, depending on whom they refer to. This seems to be crucial point. And this is why people believe that the whole conflict is more about interest politics than about anything else. And this harms the democratization process in China.

Sandra Dietmers: What do you think should be changed?

Fang Weigui: Many things should be changed, but maybe many of them cannot be changed. I am quite pessimistic in this respect. Many foreign affairs issues are actually motivated by domestic policies. This can be observed not only in the US election campaign.

Sandra Dietmers: How do the Chinese see Europe?

Fang Weigui: At the moment: very negatively. Because of the Olympic Games, and because of the Tibet question. Young Chinese actually admire the West. But now, unfortunately, they think the West only wants to sabotage.

Sandra Dietmers: Do you think the preparations for the Olympic Games changed the relationships for the better or for the worse? Can you give an example?

Fang Weigui: For the worse. In another context, I talked about a Chinese resentment that is around 150 years old. To some degree, this is perceptible until nowadays, but it is not as strong as it used to be. Everybody knows how much an event like the Olympic Games mean to a country – how much the World Cup meant to Germany. Here, the Torch Relay in Paris and the photo-mountings in the Western media will not be easily forgotten. These pictures hurt a whole nation, and this does not have much to do with reason and calm emotions.
It would be easy to imagine a similar reaction in a Western country that is played pranks on in that way. Apart from that, what could be observed in the media was also a great opportunity to interpret the freedom of press in the West. And the initiative for a boycott in China came mainly from the people. By the way, the most common answer to the news that a Head of State will not attend the Opening Ceremony is: Without him? So much the better!

Sandra Dietmers: Do career politicians in Europe and China contribute effectively to the dialogue, and to what point do you think civic involvement has a chance to account for the overdue understanding between the cultures?

Fang Weigui: I would say that daily politics, or any kind of practical politics, do not know much about intercultural understanding. In this area, geopolitical goals and economic interests are far more important. Human Rights for example is not a topic that is discussed all the time – only at times, that is, when it does not run counter to the own economic interests and when it is required by domestic politics. Many career politicians know this game.
As to civic involvement, I do not believe the Chinese government can be expected to contribute to its fortification. And the masses? I am afraid it will take years until the Chinese get back to seeing the West the way they saw it half a year ago.

Sandra Dietmers: What do you expect from the Autumn Symposium of the Berlin Society for Intercultural Dialog (www.cm-germany.org) in China?

Fang Weigui: It is very important at this point in time – though, of course, not only at this point in time. But an intercultural dialogue as we need it cannot remain limited only to intellectuals whose intention is to enlighten and to inform. It also turns to those who “do not think without a reason”, to plagiarize Benjamin. It should reach and integrate a broader audience.

English translation of the interview conducted by Sandra Dietmers, Civilisations Matter Society, on 01/08/2008.

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