For anti-imperialists in the West, you might look to China as the 'savior' but for us Asians in Asia who have more recent histories of CCP due to our proximity to China, the Chinese government is the imperialist threat we are facing today.
China (the government) is taking over land in Nepal and Bhutan, China is propping up authoritarian leaders in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, and China is oppressing Asian minorities within China (Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, Koreans).
To anti-imperialists in the West, you might be unhappy with your governments due to economic inequality or unhappiness due to the discrimination happening in your country, but when you turn to China as a counter-resistance to your governments, you undermine the rights of us ...
... in Asia, where our citizens face constant threats from our authoritarian governments emboldened by the Chinese authoritarian regime. If you want to believe in a more equal and fair society, there are the Nordic countries—the most equal in the world where there's ...
... free healthcare and education, and the highest wages in the world. If you do not want to look to the Nordic countries, there is Japan in Asia which is a democracy, and also offer the highest freedoms, wages, and social protection. If Japan is not Asian enough for you, ...
... or if you consider it imperialist, there is Taiwan. But if you choose to buy into Chinese propaganda that Taiwan is part of China (which it isn't because Taiwan is independent and believing otherwise is believing in China's imperialist claims to take over Taiwan), then ...
... there is still South Korea, which also offers the highest wages and social protection in Asia, and also is a democracy, and has the highest freedoms and labor union strength in Asia. Even if you are unhappy with your government in the West and therefore decide that you ...
... want to adopt the notion of anti-imperialism, why sacrifice your ideal of democracy and freedom (precisely why you want to believe in anti-imperialism, isn't it?)? There are democracies and free Asian countries which you can support and turn to, if you are looking for ...
... Asian alternatives to "imperialism", or Asian identities you want to turn to as your 'savior' or to 'save'. Or is South Korea too small because it is not as big an empire as China? Or is Taiwan too small because it is not as big a Chinese country as China?
That's the thing about democracies, isn't it? Like in the Nordic countries, or in Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, they simply do not thump their chests loud enough, so you forget about them or they are not attractive enough to turn to for "hope".
In the end, we look to China because of the amount of propaganda it puts out there. But is this really what you want, Xi Jinping's chest thumping about how he will bash the heads of people against steel walls? Surely, surely, this is quite the imperialism you disagree with?
Us Asians in Asia live with the daily reality and threats from the CCP regime, even Chinese and other ethnic minorities within China face threats from the CCP and do not dare speak up. Our governments are hardened in their authoritarianism because they have the backing of CCP.
If you so believe in democracy and freedom, find solidarity with us Asian citizens in Asia, as you citizens in the West, help us achieve democracy as you want. Support democracies like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and help other Asian countries democratize like them as well.
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