为什么你变成了亲中国派？

天蓝蓝

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-you-become-pro-China


为什么你变成了亲中国派？
我来中国的时候，和普通的西方人一样，对中国持反对态度，对西藏问题和污染问题有着强烈的看法。

起初，我并不打算在中国工作，但那里是我找到的第一份工作。相比其他地方，我在中国的技能和经验得到了更高的薪水，所以机会就这样来了。但我本打算只是临时工作一下，想要积累一些经验，然后找一个更好的国家。

我在赤道几内亚的时候找到这份工作，我在一所军校教书。那是一个独裁国家，状况很糟糕。每个人都警告我不要去中国，因为那里没有自由等等，但没有人警告我赤道几内亚的情况。在几内亚，我的同事们简直不敢相信我会接受去中国的机会。所以我真的预料到中国至少和几内亚一样糟糕。

但当我到达天津时，我很惊讶。我是自由的，比在非洲的时候更加自由。最重要的是，我感到安全。在中国没有犯罪，尤其是暴力犯罪。我遇到的所有警察和军人都非常欢迎和乐于助人！我甚至和几个人约会过。是的，在非洲我从未敢和男人约会，因为我担心自己的生命安全，但在中国没有问题。他们有我见过的最好的同性恋酒吧，巨大的酒吧有几层楼，里面有KTV、明亮的咖啡厅、休息室、餐厅等等。对于这一点，我觉得比在法国都自由！

中国人民真的非常热情友好。我不懂中文，他们不懂英语，但他们都渴望互动。除了自由、安全和友好之外，中国还便宜和现代化。基础设施令人惊叹，而且几乎所有事物都是数字化的。只需要一个像微信或支付宝这样的应用，你就可以在线支付水电费（并实时监控用量）、预订电影票、订餐等等。

物流系统也非常出色。送货通常是免费的，或者只需支付3元人民币，而服务非常高效。如果你想快速送达，可以使用京东物流，你可以在购买任何东西后当天收到。

我已经在这里待了将近10年了。虽然我还没有流利地掌握中文，但我学了一些，并且在我的职业生涯中取得了不断进步。我开始时每月只有1000欧元（当时不算多，但有了在校园里的公寓，购买力就很大），现在我每月大约有5000欧元，还有国际医疗保险和3个月的带薪假期。这仍然是一个机遇之地。中国梦是真实的。如果你愿意努力工作，就能赚到钱。

唯一的不利因素是真的很难移民。我希望我能够移民，但是获得绿卡的要求非常高...我希望未来会更容易，因为我真的希望能够在中国度过余生。

这也是为什么我对西方媒体感到愤怒。他们对中国的描绘是不公平的。我只是陈述事实，就被称为五毛。每个人都对中国有偏见，没有人愿意听真相。中国超越了我们，不断前进。我们有很多东西可以向他们学习。

编辑于2023年3月2日

首先，我没想到我的回答会得到这么多的浏览和点赞。谢谢！

最近，我收到了很多类似观点的评论，我想回应一下。

“你是一个西方人，你是特权阶层，你不了解中国人民的生活”

我是一个西方人，在某些方面是特权阶层（行政和服务的耐心），在其他方面是二等公民（不能使用某些需要中国身份证的服务、应用或产品）。

但你认为我在中国生活了10年，没有和中国人交往过吗？我教过来自中国各地不同经济背景的数百名学生。我有很多中国同事、邻居和朋友。我在中国的男朋友们大多来自普通家庭，我知道他们住在哪里，他们赚多少钱，他们的工作是什么样子。

“你挣很多钱，在任何地方都会过得很好”

现在确实很好。前七年并不如此。我的父母在1.5年后加入了我，所以我们有三个人，其中一个人有健康问题，没有医疗保险（糖尿病，最终发展为癌症），我不得不自己支付医疗费用。我们并不富裕。现在我们挣得更多，但由于我父亲的癌症和他最近去世，我们还没有存下任何钱。

“你住在大城市，农村的生活不一样”

是的，我住在北京，我也住在天津。我还住在了不算大城市的珠海。但我并没有只待在这些城市！

我去过朋友的家乡，那些贫穷的小村庄，那里的房屋倾斜且年代久远。我旅行过，见过很多地方。我不能声称我见过所有的地方，但在10年的时间里，我搬家这么多次，认识了这么多人，去过这么多地方，我认为我有足够的经验来感受一些东西。

天蓝蓝

Why did you become pro-China?
I came to China as anti-China as any average Westerner, with strong opinions about Tibet and pollution.

Originally, I didn't mean to work in China, but that's where I found my first job. The pay was higher than anywhere else for my skills and experience, so, opportunity led to there. But I meant for it to be temporary. I wanted to get some experience and then to find a better country.

I lived in Equatorial Guinea when I found this job, teaching in a military school. It was a dictatorship, a bad one. Everyone warned me about going to China because of freedom and stuff, but nobody warned me about Equatorial Guinea. My co-workers in Guinea couldn't believe I would accept going to China. So I really expected at least as bad as Guinea.

But when I arrived in Tianjin, I was surprised. I was free. A lot more than in Africa. And most of all, I felt safe. There is no crime, especially violent crime, in China. All the policemen and military men I met were welcoming and helpful! I even dated a few. Yes, in Africa I never dared dating a man, I feared for my life, but in China no problem. They have the best gay bars I've ever seen, huge with several floors with KTV, bright light cafe, lounge, restaurant etc all in one. I felt freer than even in France for that!

The people were really welcoming, really friendly. I didn't know Chinese, they didn't know English, but they were eager to interact. In addition to being free, safe and welcoming, it was also cheap and modern. The infrastructure is amazing but also everything is digital. With a single app like wechat or alipay, you can pay your utility bills online (and monitor your usage in real time), book Cinema tickets, order meals…

The logistics are amazing too. Delivery is usually free, or like 3 rmb, for a really efficient service. If you want things fast, use JD logistics, you get same day delivery of anything you buy online.

I've been here almost 10 years now. I've learnt Chinese, although I'm not fluent yet, and I have progressed regularly in my career. I started at 1000 Euros a month (not much back then but with a flat on campus, it's a lot of purchasing power) and now I'm around 5000 Euros a month with international health-care and 3 months paid vacation. It's still a land of opportunity. The Chinese dream is real. If you are willing and hard working, there is money to be made.

The only downside is that it's very hard to actually immigrate. I wish I could, but the requirements to get a green card are really high… I'm hopeful that in the future, it can become easier, because I really wish to stay in China until the end of my life.

And that's also why I'm mad at the Western media. The way they depict China is unfair. I get called a wumao a lot for just stating facts. Everyone is prejudiced against China and nobody wants to hear the truth. China is ahead of us and moving forward. We have so much to learn from them.

EDIT March 2 2023

First, I didn't expect my answer to get that many views or upvotes. Thanks!

Lately, I'm getting a lot of comments with similar points that I would like to address.

“You are a Westerner, you are privileged, you don't know the life Chinese have"

I am a Westerner, privileged in some regards (the patience of administration and services), second class citizen in others (cannot use certain services, apps or products that require a Chinese ID).

But do you think I've lived 10 years with no interactions with Chinese people? I've taught hundreds of students from all over China and with all economic backgrounds. I've had lots of Chinese co-workers, neighbors and friends. All the boyfriends I've had in China were Chinese and most were from humble origins. I know where they live, how much they make, what their job is like.

“You earn a lot, life would be good anywhere with that salary"

It is good NOW. The first seven years, it wasn't. My parents joined me after 1.5 years so we were three people, one of us with health issues and no health insurance (diabetes and eventually cancer) that I had to pay out of pocket. We were far from rich. Now we earn more, but with my dad's cancer and his recent passing, we have yet to save anything.

“you live in big cities, life is different in the countryside"

Yes, I live in Beijing and I've lived in Tianjin. I've also lived in Zhuhai, which isn't considered big. But I've not remained in those cities!

I've visited friends' hometowns, poorer, small villages with slanted, old homes. I've traveled, seen a lot. I can't claim that I've seen it all, but in 10 years and moving so much, meeting so many people, going to so many places, I think I have enough experience to get a sense.