The hurt feelings of the Chinese (McClatchy Newspapers)

Posted by Tim Johnson Mon Jul 7, 11:28 PM ET One of the circumlocutions that one hears regularly in China is that some event or other has “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.” It implies that somehow the Chinese nation is unified in its outlook and reaction, and prone to the same emotional reaction. We all know that this is a generalization. As time passes, Chinese are ever-more diverse in their opinions, and free to speak them. So the circumlocution is used by anyone – often, but not always, within the government – to suggest that a preferred point of view has massive support. This comes to mind with a story in the China Daily this morning about London Metropolitan University apparently apologizing for bestowing an honorary doctorate on the Dalai Lama in May for his role in “promoting peace globally.” “Angered and... [read full story]