Since the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus in China, the Internet has generated a rich library of memes about Chinese nationals that edges toward xenophobia. While these provocative memes are seemingly harmless, they have transformed into outright prejudice in many Asian countries.
The New York Times published an article, titled “Global xenophobia follows virus,” that documents hypervigilant actions some Asian countries have taken since the outbreak.
Ranging from signs at restaurants denying entry to Chinese tourists to parents demanding that schools keep Chinese students away from campuses, these reactions come across as rational precautions toward preventing the spread of the virus, but they hide something much more dangerous.
The response to isolate Chinese nationals generates unjustified fears that all Chinese carry the virus. This is reminiscent of the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, during which the initial highest affected group was the gay community, which led many to believe that HIV/AIDS was a “gay disease.” This worsened the epidemic, as bisexual and heterosexual communities thought they were immune to contracting the virus.
Similarly, the outbreak of the coronavirus affects Chinese as much as it would any nationality around the world.
Furthermore, this xenophobia plays into the hands of a force that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared as “the central threat of our times” — the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) became the “helmsman” of China and the CCP, he has led a campaign to promote greater patriotism and “love for the motherland” throughout the country. His rhetoric has synthesized Marxism with unbridled capitalism to Confucianism and Chinese nationalism — all under the umbrella of “Xi Jinping Thought.”
Xi’s nationalist crusade has reminded Chinese that China has reversed the “Century of Humiliation” and that no more would it bow down to foreign (particularly Western) countries. His rhetoric survives and is believable so long as he keeps China’s informational borders under tight control.
Chinese who take the opportunity to explore the world beyond the Middle Kingdom are conduits for change. If open to learning, they can see that other countries could be successful and rich in culture without a brutal and dictatorial regime. They might chance upon new ideas and ways at looking at their own nation.
Yet, the fears and anxieties that the coronavirus has created have led many to ostracize Chinese nationals. This gives great space for the CCP to claim that no other country or government will treat Chinese better than China and the CCP.
While the world must fight against this virus, so too must it work against the opportunistic attempts of the CCP to claim moral superiority.
People must realize that anyone could potentially be infected and spread this virus, just as with those who are quickly “isolated” based on ethnicity.
However, there comes a problem. The measures taken to focus primarily on Chinese nationals as potential carriers is grounded in the statistical evidence that they are the most likely to be affected.
The risk is not to let these state measures of barring entry of Chinese nationals to translate into xenophobia and blatant racism. The responsibility rests in governments and policymakers to reassure the public.
If they fail to do so, the responsibility lies with everyone else.
These are trying times, this outbreak is not just a test of CCP leadership or how the international community will handle this with memories of SARS still in the minds of many, it is a test of the human capacity for reason and overcoming unfounded fears more so than a non-visible virus.
Nigel Li is a student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
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