Internet

Do you want to be Chinese?

JDM060911polls.jpg
Last week there was a report released that revealed that 67.8% of 8406 respondents to a Korean online poll answered "No" to the question of whether they'd choose to be Korean in a future life.

Patriotism demanded a similar poll in China. Netease took up the charge, and on 4 September launched a poll that currently has the following results:

In a future life, would you be willing to be Chinese?

38.1%: No, because Chinese people get no respect.
17.4%: No, because you can't afford a house in China, and the good life is too far off.
0.4%: No, because you can't see good cartoons in China.
0.7%: No, because you can't make spoof videos in China.
7.8%: No, no reason.
6.3%: Yes, I want to be a descendant of the dragon.
1.7%: Yes, because China's economy is developing and the future is bright.
6.7%: Yes, because China's long history and vast culture fills me with pride.
2.7%: Yes, because I'm currently pretty happy, and I trust it will be the same in the future.
18.2%: Yes, because I love my homeland, no other reason.

The blog Pro State in Flames noted the existence of this poll, but implied that it had already been closed. In the comments to that blog post, however, was the following chain email:

Some piddly reactionary Netease editor hatched this plan to do a survey asking "Would you choose to be Chinese in your next life?"

Currently, 64% of votes are for "no".

It is clear that this is the result of Netease using voting machines or even altering the data records!

If you receive this email and you are Chinese, immediately go to the following address and vote, "yes"!!!

Quickly - the vote ends tomorrow, and we don't want to become a joke to the Koreans and Japanese!

If you're Chinese, then immediately forward this to ten friends!!!

Top-rated comments to the Netease poll are relatively sober musings on the meaning of patriotism with swipes tossed in at ruthless businessmen and corrupt officials. "Don't ask what I should do for my country - ask what my country has done for me that I should love it" is currently the top comment out of nearly 750. The poll itself may be meaningless, but individual responses and the reactions they receive can be interesting, at least until the whole thing is finally pulled offline.

UPDATE: And it's been pulled offline. Two Netease editors have been let go, possible as a result of this poll. See Shanghaiist for details.

Links and Sources
There are currently 6 Comments for Do you want to be Chinese?.

Comments on Do you want to be Chinese?

The best part about this slow-news-day story?

The Google ad that was attached to it:

"The End is Upon us All
Prepare for it. Revelation reveals how & when. Learn Bible prophecy"

That AdSense engine is just too damn spooky by half...

I do not think "In a future life" is the correct translation for "如果有来生",they are different meanings. in my opionion, "如果有来生" should be translated to "if you have a second life".

i wonder what the results would be if they did this in HK and Taiwan. i think the cultural changes (driven by economics) may be causing lots of growing pains.

This rocks -- I'm reading through the comments on the poll now and positively squealing with glee.

I am a chinese boy. I am 14 ye old.In our country.Many many people are love own country.But a few persons are very bad, because he is break the chinese 名誉, and these :
38.1%: No, because Chinese people get no respect.
17.4%: No, because you can't afford a house in China, and the good life is too far off.
0.4%: No, because you can't see good cartoons in China.
0.7%: No, because you can't make spoof videos in China.
7.8%: No, no reason.
6.3%: Yes, I want to be a descendant of the dragon.
1.7%: Yes, because China's economy is developing and the future is bright.
This was page 's writed making spoof videos ,
6.7%: Yes, because China's long history and vast culture fills me with pride.
2.7%: Yes, because I'm currently pretty happy, and I trust it will be the same in the future.
18.2%: Yes, because I love my homeland, no other reason.

Well, i think it is a Privilege of being a chinese

I am a 17 yr. old Half chinese boy here in the Philippines, There may be many insults, controversies and bad news about Chinese people and Especially the Country itself

but to tell you all the truth

in CHINA
you can see the number of people roaming around
inside the country
exploring
seeing
and
searching more
of what china is all about

1,329,740,000 is the total population in China
and the number of people in the world is estimated to be about 6.77 billion
i think it is 19.66% of the world's population
meaning no matter how many people would try to destroy CHINA'S name they remain calm, "NO BOASTING" of what they have right now

but i would like all the people to have a piece of my mind

and a big example of it is here in the Philippines no business, no projects, no companies, or incorporation could continue without having any help from Chinese People

to tell you all obviously CHINESE PEOPLE OWN ALL OF THE LEADING COMPANIES AND BUSINESS HERE
and i know there are Chinese people who dominate other countries

My mom a Chinese But raised as a FILIPINO do not boast what she had, but Filipinos after succeeding their business is as if they forgot the person who help them

I want to speak for my mom and Internet is one of the greatest place to say it

There may be traditions and customs that looks awkward but through it all this what makes a Chinese a hard-working person.

Post a comment

All comments are moderated and subject to review by Danwei contributors and editors, but well-grounded and articulate comments will be published regardless of which way they lean. Because comments published on any website ultimately contribute to the character of that website, we may decline to publish comments that are irrelevant, redundant, or that do not adhere to generally accepted standards of courtesy; if you are looking for a fight, there are plenty of other venues available online.


Some useful html: <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>,
<a href="http://www.danwei.org">link</a>

Media Partners
Visit these sites for the latest China news
090609guardian2.png 090609CNN3.png
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Danwei Model Workers
laomo2008fpA.jpg
Recommended blogs and new media
Books on China
AXL091030storiesforthcoming.jpg
Princess Der Ling: Two Years in the Forbidden City: Two years in the Forbidden City is largely a reminiscence of the minutiae of life for one of history's most powerful women, by one of her court attendants, a Manchu noble's daughter by the name of Der Ling.
Carl Crow's The Long Road Back to China: In 1939 Carl Crow - an American journalist, advertising executive and author who had lived in Shanghai for 25 years until forced out by the Japanese - travelled up the Burma Road from Rangoon to Chongqing on assignment for Liberty magazine - 'the most interesting assignment I have ever been given'.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ The Dazhai Spirit gets religion (2007.10): In a Window of the South (南风窗) feature on model village Dazhai (大寨), Li Xiangping (李向平) writes about the role religion, in the form of the Pule Temple, plays in the village's changing identity.
+ Will the Boat Sink the Water? a review by Göran Leijonhufvud (2006.11): Göran Leijonhufvud, former China correspondent of several Scandinavian newspapers, is now researching village elections in minority nationalities areas in Yunnan.
+ One Country, Two Versions (2005.02): CEPA eases co-productions between the mainland and Hong Kong, but does it undermine creativity?
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky rsschiclet2.png (on the mainland)
or Feedburner rsschiclet.gif (blocked in China)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Main feed: Main posts (FB has top links)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Top Links: Links from the top bar
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Jobs: Want ads
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Digest: Updated daily, 19:30