Originally Posted by
Taiwaned
Because there still is a VAST population who are not discovered the world outside of China, who have had the ability to visit other parts of the world. Its the masses that the government is trying to block - not the relative few who know that things are not exactly what they hear on the radio or see on the TV.
I am currently living in a provincial level city in China. Most people do not know where Canada is, they have heard of it but have no idea. In fact, most people say, "It's part of Asia right?"
The younger population is aware but it is scary how many people do not know so many basic things we take for granted.
My middle school students in Shenzhen (in 2007) thought that all people from the US had "yellow hair and blue eyes." Perhaps a banality in the China forum, or even amongst travelers to China, but they never know what to say when I ask them about Chinese-Americans. AND then there's the NBA which these days lends its quite non-yellow haired and blue eyed professionals to Chinese basketball teams... further comments about US citizens from my students were much less kind.