In the midst of rumors of a closing China, expats should learn how even hated influences can be tolerated in the Chinese quest for riches

In the northern Chinese province of Jilin, it is not uncommon to come across signs for local chapters of the “Resist Japan Club”. More than sixty years have passed since the Imperial Army was driven out of China, but for the people of the old puppet state of Manchukuo, the duty to fight against Japanese aggression continues.

Even at a national level, television programs frequently remind the Chinese populace of the “unforgivable,” rallying public sentiment against anything and everything that Japan might “do to China.” As recently as at last week’s national CPPCC congress, a university president warned, “Chinese youth need to be more fit, in case of a war with Japan.”

An interesting contradiction, however, is the prominent place of honor that a Japanese citizen receives in local shops and markets. No, we are not talking about the Japanese travelers who are courted for their tourism dollars – in fact, there are still areas of northern China where it is dangerous to be identified as Japanese. Rather, I’m referring to the waving golden puss that sits on the shelves and counters of so many Chinese stores. Read the rest of this entry »