Above is a mock/humorous edition of the overseas edition of the People’s Daily currently circulating on the net. Every country has its nationalist nutters of course. But there’s something particularly scary to non-Chinese about this sort of thing, which seems to reflect a combination of patriotic pride and lingering resentment over past wrongs (Opium War etc) that makes for a very volatile brew in a nation whose power and influence are growing so strongly. Historians sometimes cite similar mix as being prevalent in Germany between the wars. That’s not to say China will turn into Nazi Germany. Just that it will be fascinating to watch attitudes change in coming years. I’d guess that as the country’s self-confidence grows there’ll be less of this sort of thing, which speaks more of insecurity than anything else.
Here are the headlines (thanks to David Cowhig for permission to use his translation):
— Chinese Test Atomic Bomb in San Francisco
— UN Headquarters Moves to Beijing
— Premier Wen Jiaobao is accompanied by Gov. Ma Yingjiu on a visit to Taipei
— Yao Ming recovers, leads Rockets to NBA championship
— China Apologizes to U.S. for mistaken bomb attack on the Pentagon
— Giant Earthquake in the Japanese islands; Chinese government sends
assistance; no survivors found thus far
— Chinese Aircraft Carrier returns to Hawaii base to replenish food
and ammunition
— Chinese Military Destroys East TurkmenistanTurkestan organization
— Dalai Lama assassinated
— Cross Taiwan Straits Bridge completed
— China Establishes second patriotic military base on the Moon.