由Josh ・ Gartner

和移居國外近年來充斥了進入中國，國家的口袋開發了一種分明地殖民地感受。 在上海的最時髦的部分nightlife由外國人控制居住半中國經驗，和有些英國在非洲和印度做了在順道訪問的幾年期間。 真實，殖民主義帶來介意軍事稅收，斷然錯過從現代中國的某事，但是，但有是簡單的看的難受的現實。

在北京被拆毀讓路給上流上升的被做了傳統住房巨大的一刈幅的草(和在別處)，但多少那被市場駕駛為高級`西部樣式』住房？ 大金錢是由中國投資者(許多誰得到遮蔭貸款)，但經常外國人是支付元為他們的那个。 我的大廈在北京的Dongzhimen地區大概是10-15%外國，而鄰居(和有些更新的)複合體是離50或60%較近。 外部我的第15個樓窗口是什麼的殘餘曾經是一更大，更加充滿活力的hutong (傳統鄰里)。 單一故事房子整潔的列坐到東部，意味由中午他們在我們的陰影逐字地被安置。 正義的在他們之外是共產主義樣式7層大廈塊亂丟與字符拆，因為大家這裡知道，表示大廈為爆破被採摘了。

Even in some second tier cities foreign domination is setting in for better or worse. In Dalian dozens of Japanese companies have established call centers taking advantage of the foreign language skills of local Chinese there as well as the city’s proximity to Japan. Certain neighborhoods are lined with Japanese restaurants that do not even have Chinese menus. Call it economic colonialism if you will.

And that’s just what you could argue is happening in the western half of Sichuan Province’s Chengdu. There are estimated to be more than 100 Fortune 500 companies with offices in the city, including Intel which invested nearly 400 million dollars there in its last round of China-binging (the deal now pales in comparison to its Dalian project). With that increased foreign presence, so too has the selection of bars, restaurants and hotels serving the re-located employees. Once one of the most traditional cities in the country, it now has one of the larger expat communities.

You may well argue that the good coming out of all of these developments far outweighs the negatives. And you would almost certainly be correct. Noted economists like Joseph Stiglitz have been extremely impressed with China’s ability to tweak the free market model to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Yet I am not arguing that FDI is bad, but rather using it to point out a broader overall trend. The inflow of investment, even as it reaches the point of irrational exuberance is undoubtedly a good thing.

The real question I am trying to look at is how well foreigners have integrated into a generally homogenized society (although one that is not nearly as much so as people generally believe). Think about the immigration debates in England, Germany, France and the US. Xenophobes have often cited the reluctance to learn the local language and customs to justify anti-immigrant sentiment.

In China efforts to ‘sinofy’ the foreign population is rarely given a second though. There is little push on either the side of locals or Westerners. Instead, most expat life in China takes place within the confines of familiarity. Even those who have made the effort to learn about the country and its culture often retreat to their own world of comfort, with western DVDs and bars, their Chinese ayis cleaning up after them, and local waiters and waitresses bringing them food.

Does that make us bad people? Certainly not. However the comfortable expat lifestyle in China still clearly hints of colonialism. Certainly it is less overt than what we have seen in years past around the world, and cultural hegemony has still not set in the way some might believe. And yet despite everything that rationally tells me nothing is wrong, there is nonetheless a lingering feeling in my mind that something is not quite right either. Perhaps the real problem is that I am apt to mistake liberal guilt for colonialism.

Josh Gartner, China Expat’s Daily Tea Leaves
ChinaExpat.com, ChinaExpat.com/blog/josh