Social Education 74(1), pp 9–11 ©2010 National Council for the Social Studies Panda-Huggers and Dragon-Slayers: How to View Modern China Today Rob Gifford

re you a panda-hugger or a dragon-slayer? In case you are unfamiliar rights are better than ever before. The with the terminology, these are the phrases used to describe two different crazy, maddening thing about modern Akinds of China-watchers, and increasingly, two different types of people China is that both statements are true, and in the general public. A panda-hugger is someone who says that almost everything that’s very confusing. going on in China is good, that China’s progress is a great thing for the world, and But that’s the point. We should be con- that any problems are peripheral. A dragon-slayer is someone who says the situa- fused about China. China is supremely tion in China is terrible, that China is a threat to the world, and that any positive confusing. If we are not confused about developments are just window-dressing. These two extreme positions have long China, then we haven’t been paying atten- characterized those who view China from the outside; and perhaps one of those tion. Confusion is progress—progress from positions describes you. The point about China today, though, is that it has become the one-dimensional view of China that infinitely more complex than it ever was before, and being either a panda-hugger saw everything in black and white. China or a dragon-slayer is becoming increasingly untenable. is no longer black and white. It is every shade of every color, just like America. In the 1960s, it was simple. China The complicating factor, though, is that But if we are trying to sift through all was Communist. Chairman Mao was now there are many hundreds of millions of the information that is out there, it can responsible for the loss of millions of lives people in China who are much happier than be difficult. There are still plenty of within China, and intent on exporting they were before. There is a new Chinese dragon-slayers in the media who want Communism round the world. In the con- middle class, who owns apartments, cars, us to believe everything is bad in China, text of the Cold War, the Western world laptop computers, and who vacation in and still plenty of panda-huggers, espe- was right in analyzing China as a threat Thailand and Europe. Even rural farm- cially in the business community, who and as an enemy. Now the situation is very, ers, whose lives are still desperately poor want us to believe that everything is fine. very different, and we as Western readers, in many parts of the country, have seen The fact that the line has been increas- listeners, and viewers need to be aware of many benefits in the reforms of the last 30 ingly blurred between what is good and how different it is. That doesn’t mean we years. So, while some of the old paradigms what is bad in China makes that even more just roll over on human rights issues, or are still true in many parts of China, they difficult. Does the Internet give Chinese accept Chinese assurances that it won’t be are now untrue in many parts of China too. people more freedom? Or does it just a threat to world peace. Chinese human And that’s the problem. Which is the real make it easier for the Communist Party rights are still being abused, and many China? The answer is: it all is, good and to control people? Should factories pay- Chinese people are angry at the one-party bad, and we have to make sure our views on ing low wages but not practicing Western state that still rules their country. Beijing China reflect the complexity of the reality standards of labor rights be shut down? is also building up its military at what on the ground. Or should they be encouraged because can seem like an alarming rate, and we The latest U.S. State Department report they are helping to lift migrant workers should make sure we continue to investi- on human rights says that China is still a out of poverty? No question is as simple gate, expose, and report on those issues all gross abuser in that area. The Chinese as it seems, and with China, more than the time. I have spent much of my profes- Foreign Ministry’s latest report about most countries, we simply have to look sional life doing exactly that. human rights in China says that human at both sides of the argument.

January / February 2010 9 Finally, we need to question our own they have never been to. 2. If you can’t visit China, make sure you prejudices. As an Englishman, I can say I So here are some suggestions of what read a variety of materials about China. honestly love the United States, but I do to do and what to read: Some of the best reporting on China find it far too divided. So-called conser- is done by American news organiza- vatives on the so-called right see reading 1. Obviously, the best thing you can do tions. I am completely biased, but I anything written by the so-called liberal is get on a plane and go there yourself. think National Public Radio’s cov- media as some kind of moral contamina- My own dear sister, who lives in rural erage is excellent (www.npr.org). And tion. So-called liberals in the so-called England, visited me in Beijing in 2004, the New York Times, the Washington elite view anything reported by anyone and one of the first things she said on Post, and the Wall Street Journal are right of center as being utterly unreliable the way into town from the airport was outstanding. The Times’s archive also and tainted by right-wing propaganda. ‘Wow, they’ve got cars!’ How she had has links to other excellent China links We all need to just get over some of these missed this point over the previous and blogs: prejudices and read the information writ- decade is beyond me, but was also a http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/ ten by people who know what they are sad indictment of Western journalists international/countriesandterritories/ talking about, regardless of whether they who had not managed to show her that, china/index.html work for an organization that we believe yes, China does have plenty of prob- not to be on our own side of the political lems, but it is also making economic 3. Invite some Chinese students round fence. They are usually the people get- progress. I can guarantee that you, too, for holidays like Thanksgiving. There ting dirt under their fingernails covering will be surprised by many things in are usually lots of Chinese students at life on the ground in China, not people modern China (though not necessarily schools and colleges even in the small- in studios pontificating about a country that one). est towns in the U.S. Their viewpoints teaching activity Kickoff: Accessing Prior Knowledge • Then divide the class into groups of panda huggers and groups of dragon slayers. Have each group prepare a presentation This issue of Social Education provides content to enrich student to persuade others of the accuracy of their view. Use texts, understanding of the People’s Republic of China. The goal of supplementary materials, websites, etc. Then have each side this activity, and of those throughout the issue, is to suggest select spokespeople to present their views. lessons that stimulate student thought. A useful beginning is to determine what students already • How accurate can these views be considered given that they know about China. This activity builds upon Rob Gifford’s article may be generalizations about more than a billion people? about “panda-huggers and dragon-slayers” in which he sug- In a class discussion, examine where we obtain information gests ways to view modern China. Although Gifford’s article is about China, how opinions are formed, influences on actions intended for teachers, it can easily be adapted for work with by individuals and nations, and how views change with new students. information.

• Ask the class what they know for sure about China and record • Conclude by having students describe the progress and their results for all to see. When a sufficient number of sug- problems of life in China since 1949. An alternative is to have gestions have been offered, have students classify them into students write a short statement or editorial on one of the categories they establish. If needed, you can suggest such following topics: categories as: leaders, policies, key events, life in cities, life in the countryside. 1. How we view China today and why it matters. 2. What life will be like in a changing China in 2049. • Based on issues they have identified, ask students to list 3. How the U.S. will view China and China will view the U.S. progress and problems of life in China since 1949. in 2049.—Patience Berkman*

• Explain and discuss Gifford’s categorization of panda-huggers * Patience Berkman, who has contributed the teaching suggestions for arti- and dragon-slayers. Have a few students explain or read their cles in this special issue, chairs the History Department at Newton Country views about progress and problems in China. Ask the class to Day School of the Sacred Heart in Newton, Massachusetts. She has written identify these views as representing “pandas” or “dragons.” and developed curricula for Education about Asia and other publications and has presented workshops on East Asia at the local, regional and national level. She can be reached at [email protected].

Social Education 10 will give you an invaluable insight into 5. Read blogs of people who live in China. So, to summarize, I would say try to how China sees the U.S., and how Here are a few places to go to find good get out of your comfort zone on China. Chinese people think. ones. Don’t just read things that back up your own prejudices. If you have a tendency 4. Read recent books about China. I www.danwei.org/blogs/model_workers_ to be a panda-hugger, get out there and can recommend Leslie Chang’s eng_2008.php slay some dragons, and if you are more Factory Girls: From Village to City Danwei is a good website for a funky look of a dragon-slayer, go hug some pandas. in a Changing China which gives a into modern China, and this is their pick If we’re going to have to deal with China great view of life through the eyes of of the blogs from China last year, includ- in the twenty-first century—and we surely China’s migrant workers. Also Peter ing some translated from the Chinese. are—then it is imperative that we know Hessler’s Oracle Bones, which takes a www.panasianbiz.com/2009/01/the-60- what kind of country it really is. more historical view of modern China. best-blogs-on-china-in-english/ James Kynge’s book China Shakes the World is an excellent economic Also: http://rconversation.blogs.com/ Rob Gifford was Beijing Correspondent of introduction to China. Finally, Out This is the website of former journalist National Public Radio from 1999 to 2005. He is of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Rebecca MacKinnon, who is now an aca- author of China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power (Random House, 2007), which Soul of the New China by Philip Pan is demic at the University of Hong Kong. It relates a journey he took along China’s equivalent a good, though quite pessimistic, view will give you some good insights especially of US Route 66, from Shanghai on the east coast to of life on the bottom rung of Chinese on the impact of the Internet in China, and the border with Kazakhstan in the west. He is cur- society, seen through the eyes of those also contains good links to other China- rently NPR’s London Bureau Chief. His website is www.robgifford.com. struggling for better human rights. related sites.

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