Cadence of Conflict: Asia, September 28, 2015

The unstated reason Chinese Pres. Xi snubbed Zuckerberg is probably for his age. Chinese think a man can’t do business until he’s at least in his 40’s and “is old enough to grow a mustache”. Whatever the reason, China having a Facebook page that Chinese can’t see, arriving in America with CEO’s fawning over him, it’s clear that China’s culture hasn’t changed and Xi is deeply entrenched in it. That should scare Americans because Chinese friendships can easily be used as fronts to get what they want, with unapologetic and total deception.

Zuckerberg’s Mandarin has terrible pronunciation. The crowd that applauds him is not giving a warm affirmation of quality and appreciation as an American audience would, but are “being polite”, giving the response they “should” when someone displays even the smallest attempt at their mother language. The more “happy” the crowd seems, actually, the worse his performance. If Zuck’s Mandarin was really good, the crowd would have been silent and wide-eyed. They view it as entertaining. After all, “foreigners” could never perfect their great and superior language—that’s the Chinese worldview. Anyone half-familiar with Mandarin and Chinese culture could see it. Not to his discredit, and cheers for trying, but Zuck didn’t see that, which is the real indicator of his lack of fluency, both in Mandarin and in the culture of the country that blocks and snubs him.

The West has largely misunderstood China in much the same was Zuckerberg has. It’s no fault of their own. East Asian culture is really, truly difficult for Westerners to understand without years of immersion. Xi Jin-ping’s visit to the States seems all to friendly and all too misunderstood.

Just before WWII, the newspapers read, “Peace In Our Time”. In Seattle, Xi talks with eager CEOs in his older generation as a crowd flatters the younger. We have never been at a more dangerous time in history.

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