Cheerful dialogue turns sour
The dialogue was cheerful at first. But the atmosphere soured when the foreigner added "Welcome to the capital!" as a gesture of good will. For the migrant, Beijing is "our" capital, how dare a foreigner claim it as "his own," as though he were the host?
The cultural exclusion of "others," however well they speak the language, is a puzzle for Rehage. But if he stays long enough to be familiar with such irritating cultural subtlety, he may not find his treatment on weibo so surprising any more.
Western observers of China often cannot avoid sounding West-centric. Still, their accounts are welcome, as they bring new perspectives and broaden our horizons. Rehage, in particular, outdoes his counterparts in objectivity and empathy. It's a pity that his kind is not favored by orthodox Western narrative about China.
Meanwhile, as good hosts, shall we clean up the trash that litters weibo and the Internet? Like Rehage, and my erstwhile German colleague Torsten, I don't wish to be associated with an unfair stereotype.
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