Even Further on China

Submitted by Noah (United States), Dec 24, 2009 at 21:04

China is not really pro-Arab, they just vote for them in the UN because China wants 1) oil, and most importantly- 2) to be out of the world spotlight. As we know from recent world events, supporting the US and Israel draws more wrath than delegitimization. In general, the Chinese find Arabs frightening due to their religious fanaticism, and especially threatening on their Western and Southern borders. The public opinion poll is indicative of the fact that the Muslim threat to the secular Chinese regime is increasing, while the "Western colonial" one does not appear to be formidable. China is unique in the sense that its one of the few places I know where even the Academics are not afraid to stand up for Israel and call out Hamas. There is a hippish vegan restaurant in the college town that I live in, and it is owned by a Chinese family of human rights activists for the persecuted Falun Gong religious sect in China. One would think that these hippy/activists would be pro-Palestinian, but they told my Israeli friend (he speaks mandarin and goes to the restaurant quite a bit) that "we are with Israel, we know the Palestinians are terrorists". The East is a place with a unique, if unfamiliar, stance towards the polarizing topic of the Middle East. As the East (including India) grows in global importance, and Europe diminishes, it will be interesting to see the debate on Israel vs. terrorism advances, and hopefully, resolves.

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