I think you are right that the Chinese image is not as good as it might be but you are not going to dispel that when dealing with the West. They have a century headstart in creating an image about themselves in people's heads, not always an accurate image, but people tend to believe them because that is how they are indoctrinated and they therefore allow their perceptions rather than reality to inform their thinking.China is actually not practicing effective diplomacy. Its global image is atrocious. Sure, it is misrepresented but China's actions often exacerbate the problem.
Effective diplomacy involves effective communication and "framing" of the situation to the public. China is absolutely incompetent when it comes to this. If what you were saying is the case, China could've easily issued a statement saying that it regrets that deaths and casualties were suffered by both sides. That the conflict was not planned and it had transpired because India had transgressed on its LAC. Instead just staying silent makes you appear guilty.
I see the same type of mentality among many Chinese fobs and immigrants. They despise having to explain themselves, reveal information and communicate with other people. Sometimes they are unfairly treated but they stay quiet just because they despise having to communicate with others. It is a form of social retardation and autism that really hurts you. Although at the same time, many of these Chinese fobs also do things illegally so they in fact do have something to hide. So as you can see, by staying quiet only proves your guilt.
Yep, you're right, I did grow up in the US and that gives me another perspective. It gives me a perspective that is impossible for Chinese people in China to understand, how deep social autism, the inability to communicate, the absolute lack of care for image building, ends up damaging your interests severely. American society is a master at image crafting and this is why the American media has been very successful at making the world over hate China. Of course, China often shoots itself in the foot and their socially retarded and autistic citizens are their worst ambassadors. Literally most non-Chinese who come across large numbers of Mainland citizens come to despise them because they are so unlikeable and have terrible social skills. So it's no wonder that the Chinese government is a reflection of the culture of their own citizens.
An example of this is the Afghan Mujahideen who were feted as freedom fighters when it suited the West and terrorists also when it suited the West. Saddam Hussein was the same transformation and so was Pakistan. We were their allies when we were towing the line and the mothership of terrorism when we started looking after our own interests.
It's something China is going to have to live with until it breaks out of the dominance of the West through economic, technological, and geostrategic progress, and if anyone has had a chance to do this in the last century, it is China.
The alternative is to knuckle down and be a rich but subservient slave to the interests of the West, which I don't think any nation with the history, culture and dignity of the Chinese could ever be expected to do.
Whatever path you take, the Americans will try to malign you and cut you down, not because of who you are but because you are threat to their economic and military dominance.
That's just how it is, China is going to have to learn to live with it.
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