As an Indian in China, I Can Tell You What’s In Their Hearts

As the Doklam standoff continues, a view from an Indian in China.

Dev Mehra and friends in China.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

As a resident of China for the past three years, which is my karmabhoomi (place of work), and visiting a number of places including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, from metro cities to villages, I have observed China’s people and its culture very closely.

The Doklam standoff is the first time that India and China’s relationship has worsened to this extent that I can remember. Nowadays, news frightens me, and I speculate the situation might start to affect our work conditions here.

Four months ago, a similar hostile situation arose regarding South Korean products and companies, wherein the government and the citizens went against the instalment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and its products. South Korea’s decision in 2017 to accept the deployment of THAAD in the country led the Chinese government to urge its citizens through official media that they must express their displeasure.

In an autocratic country where demonstrations and protests are usually curbed, the citizens were allowed to gather and agitate. The news media reported the boycott of Korean products and goods and tourist and travel companies cancelling trips to South Korea.

South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group became a focus of anger along with Hyundai and its sister brand Kia Motors. Chinese tourism to South Korea also plummeted to 39.4% (as compared to March 2016) in March 2017.

Nothing unusual happened to me, but my family was worried and kept up constant communication. I am running an Indian restaurant which caters to the natives, and I find the Chinese are very helpful and friendly. They love Indian food and culture, but these days some of our guests ask about the strife between both countries.

The youngsters here are unconcerned and uninterested in politics compared to their Indian counterparts. Political scenarios, they feel, shouldn’t hamper relations because they are national issues, not personal ones.

Fearless and United

But I know the Chinese people and its government, they can’t tolerate external pressure, especially when it is against their land – they feel they have been intolerant as far as history is concerned. The period of intervention and imperialism by Western powers and Japan in China between 1839 and 1949 was to them a century of humiliation. After 1950, when China adopted Communism under the leadership of Mao Zedong, a surge of nationalism was inculcated along with a hatred for foreign powers. China has been reclaiming what it lost since then; another reason for India to show its trust deficit.

To talk about my own position here as an Indian; some of my Chinese friends told me if the situation gets any worse and I feel unsafe, then I can head to their homes for protection. Many of them have been to India several times. They love Yoga and Bollywood especially. We are doing a good job promoting the Indian culture, food, tourism and other peculiarities. As for the Chinese, they do not want to fight and are very patriotic, but they do not share the same adoration for the rulers that we do. Still, there’s much to learn.

China is a superpower now and India can expect tough competition.

Like the Chinese, I also have complaints against our government’s decision or its work, but I trust the leaders of the two biggest countries, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping, to keep it from getting out of hand. I love my country so much. Jai Hind!

(Dev Mehra has been working in the hospitality sector in China for the last three years, he is also a Yoga instructor.

The views expressed in this piece are of the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)