Thu, June 02, 2011
As China had just opened its door to the outside world, foreign visitors started to come to China in the early 1980s. Newspapers issued guidelines to Chinese on how to treat their foreign friends while authorities worried about "corrosive" ideas from the West. Now, about 1 million expats live on China's mainland and more than 90,000 are in Beijing.
Reports from the West
Because many Chinese have never seen a foreign visitor before, they gather around the tourist to see, to learn, and to listen. Some even try out the English that many are studying in local schools.
. . . This was my second trip to China, and everywhere I went - in the cities and in the countryside - faces were always warm and friendly and filled with great curiosity. Regardless of age, they reflect a sense of dignity and self-respect. And the faces of the children sparkle with excitement.
"The people of China"
Christian Science Monitor (Boston)
Jan 21, 1981
The official Workers Daily on Saturday cautioned Chinese who deal with foreigners to mind their manners and not leave their pants unbuttoned, eat with a knife or laugh when someone has an accident.
The column on "things to bear in mind when meeting foreign guests" was published as part of China's current campaign to promote good manners and widen relations with foreign countries.
Perhaps the most important piece of advice was, "when chatting with foreign guests, avoid political arguments at all costs."
"Tell Chinese to mind their manners with foreigners"
United Press International
March 14, 1981
The lifting of the Bamboo Curtain has caused new problems for China, including the necessity of immunizing hotel staff against seductive foreign women and imported pornography, the Peking Daily said Tuesday.
The official newspaper told of an unsuspecting attendant cleaning up a room in the Peking Hotel when a foreign woman pulled the drapes and started to "tempt and corrupt him."
It said the young man left the room right away and told his bosses about the attempted seduction.
Indoctrination had once again triumphed over the evil foreigner.
"Beware of Western women and girlie magazines"
United Press International
May 26, 1981
Current comments
Xia Xueluan, professor in sociology at Peking University: "China's national pride has been growing to treat foreigners as equal to native people when the country achieves great success in economic and social development. However, a trend still exists that western China has to follow Beijing's step to know more about foreign people and their countries."
