With China's door opened wider to the outside world, more and more foreigners come to the country for work, studies and sightseeing. Out of such a large contingent of foreigners it is quite natural for one or two to behave rudely or even savagely. Upon this we may well show our indignation and treat them according to law. But it seems less necessary if we take easy such a rare case instead of a matter of principle. Besides, we should examine ourselves too. 

With China's door opened wider to the outside world, more and more foreigners come to the country for work, studies and sightseeing. Out of such a large contingent of foreigners it is quite natural for one or two to behave rudely or even savagely. Upon this we may well show our indignation and treat them according to law. But it seems less necessary if we take easy such a rare case instead of a matter of principle. Besides, we should examine ourselves too.

Taking the example of Real Madrid's lately tour to China, reports criticized a few group members accompanying the team for behaving arrogantly and rudely, it is of course a problem of their "quality". However, shouldn't our organizers be partly blamed for their over-enthusiasm that has spoiled those elated football stars?

What's more, sometimes our own behaviors don't turn out satisfactory upon something seeming to be a trivial. On August 4 the Wuhan Evening carried the following report. At 9am of August 3, a sweltering hot day, Mrs. Yan was waiting for a taxi by a taxi stop with her two small children. Many other people were also waiting and when a car was approaching they rushed on. So Mrs. Yan, holding her children, was unable to get her turn when five or six cars passed. At the moment another car arrived a foreign man in his fifties, who had been waiting beside Mrs. Yan, rushed over, opened the door, made a warm gesture to invite Mrs. Yan to enter, and after she and her children seated themselves in the car, he closed the door and walked away. Only by then Mrs. Yan understood that the foreigner, who had been standing under the scorching sun for quite a long time, was only intentionally to get a car for her instead of for himself. Mrs. Yan later wrote specially to the local newspaper to express her thanks.

According to our logic, the foreigner may, through such a thing, look down upon the "quality" of the Chinese nationals, but actually it is we who first bundled the matter up with the "principle", for when people were talking over the matter they didn't forget to praise the foreign man as a "living Lei Feng". But I'd rather believe that the foreigner only did what he considered as what he should do in a civilized society.

The matter reminds us that when we criticize some foreigners' rude behaviors we should also learn from those who behave better than us. After all, basic manners are required at any time and in any civilized country no matter in the past or at present.
(People's Daily   Aug 14, 2003)