2011 was a roller coaster ride. For China and its people, the year was punctuated with events that begged the question, “Who are we now, and where are we headed?” Here’s a look at five of the biggest stories that defined Chinese identity last year.
1. The Wenzhou high-speed rail collision
Speedy and innovative, China’s high-speed rail system had been a source of much pride for the country. The 300 km/hour bullet trains were remarkably built from scratch in less than a decade, and were a symbol of the country’s economic and technological prowess.
But on July 23, that feeling came to a screeching halt after one of these shiny new trains collided with another on a viaduct in Wenzhou. Forty people were killed, 172 were injured in the crash.
The accident highlighted an important point: What is the true cost of China’s breakneck pace of change and economic development? Is China prioritizing growth over its people’s safety? Qin Fang, a news anchor on CCTV, put it this way: ”As a mother, faced with the tears of Yiyi, I, nor anyone else, is unable to accept any hasty conclusion. We look forward to a review of the meaning of ‘development.’ We don’t want any more children to become orphans, nor any more parents to lose their children. That is the real ‘miracle’ we’re all looking for.”
2. Chinese ‘tiger moms’
A while ago I wrote about reactions to Amy Chua’s book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother among Asian diaspora. The story about a “tiger mom’s” journey through parenthood as an ethnic Chinese mother raising two daughters in the US sparked global headlines like, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” and “Tiger Mom: Amy Chua Parenting Memoir Raises American Fears.”
Many issues were brought to light: Is this no mercy parenting style putting Asia ahead of the Western world? And if so, should the West feel threatened? Then again, are Chinese parents putting too much pressure on their children to excel? And does this, in some way, lead to Chinese children being servile, test-taking slaves?
3. China: The world’s economic saviour?
In China, it’s a well-known historic fact that the country was defeated by Western powers in the late 19th century, known as the “Century of Humiliation.” Two centuries later, the tables have turned significantly: European powers aren’t coming to Chinese shores on gunboats; they’re arriving with begging bowls in hand, asking cash-rich China to back their bailout plan.
In 2011, the global balance of power shifted east significantly. China was looked upon as “banker to the world,” and now it’s Europe’s turn to feel humiliation.
4. China gets (even more) social
2011 was the year Chinese microbloggers found their voice. In several instances, Chinese people flocked to social media to hold the government accountable for things like the July 23 train crash and controversy over air quality measurements. Although Chinese social media hasn’t had the same impact as in Tunisia, the US or Moscow – where the online platform has been used to organize public demonstrations – it has become an important tool for Chinese people to voice their concerns and force the government to answer to them. And this is significant in a land of censorship.
5. Little Yueyue
I don’t think anyone can forget the tragic story of Little Yueyue — a two-year-old child in the southern city of Foshan who was hit by a delivery van and then a truck, and left lying in the street for seven minutes as 18 people walked past her.
The video footage ignited a period of soul-searching in China, in which many wondered how society had become so cold and apathetic. Chinese netizens and the media cited a slew of possible explanations: lingering trauma of the Cultural Revolution, fears of legal action, the country’s pursuit of economic growth at all costs, and Chinese culture itself.
* What do you think? What other stories were important to Chinese identity in 2011?
Thanks for sharing!
