Yes， there is some truth to it， if you look at my experiences in hospitals， for example. Another mark of this is the open curiosity of distant acquaintances， such as an operator in the store who may ask you， “When will your baby -arrive？”
But no， there is a word for something like “privacy” – 隐私， “yin si”， personal secrets. I cannot confirm whether it really means something similar to our definition of the term. I can confirm however that the Chinese do desire to protect and define their privacy. For sure there is a trend among the modern educated young residents of ShenZhen to protect their privacy at least in parts. It is difficult to assess for myself whether this is a new phenomenon or something completely normal which always has been.
My football-playing friend， Wang LanBo， was considerable hesitant on the day (more precisely： evening) I suggested to him in the middle of the week to bring along this evening some of the photos I had taken during the football game at the weekend. I felt after a while on the phone (he did not say it directly) that he would feel uncomfortable if I would visit him at his home. As I said then that I was going to eat anyway in this or that restaurant and that he might come there after work if it was easier for him than receiving me at home， then it was all right， he agreed immediately. A little later， we met at the restaurant.
Friends
“In China， you are quickly called ‘peng you’ (朋友， friend)， but that has no meaning.”
Well， that’s the same thing in the U.S.， for example. Our German word “freund” may have a similar connotation in France (“ami”)， for a “friend” means for us someone to whom we feel closer connected than to “acquaintances”. In the U.S. you can quickly be the “friend” of someone who will not even remember you a few weeks later， neither calling nor answering your emails.
This is no different in China where superficial acquaintances are concerned. Here， “peng you” is used in a similar generous manner as in the U.S.， “friend”. But the closer you get to know people， the more such a superficial acquaintance will turn into a genuine friendship. This takes time， recall 日久见人心 – rì ji. jiàn xīn， with time (only) you get to know a man’s heart.
Ultimately， “peng you” may become “xiong di” (兄弟) – brothers. If you are told： “You are my brother.” Then you know： You have gained a real friend.
Foreigners in China： seven different stereotypes
Mark Turner， an editor for “echinacities.com”， begins his article like this： “Everyone knows that stereotyping is a dangerous game to play and that it can hurt feelings and stir heated debates. Having said that， stereotyping is sometimes great fun， especially if it’s only intended as a light-hearted joke.” He then describes seven types of foreigners you will find in China (his text provoked Homeric laughter for me， the following is only a summary)：
The “hu tong” Sinophiles (hu tong are districts mainly in BeiJing， consisting of small narrow streets with a long-time established neighbourhood)， these sinophilic (i. e.： China-loving) foreigners work part time as a journalist or in creative work and consider BeiJing to be the true China (rather than ShangHai)
The international school teacher is the cream of the crop in China’s education system， working in China because at a comparable salary he is faring significantly better than at home， dwelling in an “expat enclave”；
The expat packager； reason for being in China： “I don’t know； my company sent me here.” He has developed a love/hate relationship with China and lives in an expat enclave characterized by vast complexes of western style villas；
The aspiring screen writer， he enters into a temporary contract at a school and has the rest of the day for creative activities；
The journeyman professional specialist English teacher (who had practised in his home country a different career， such as an engineer) is highly respected as a teacher and can be found wherever there are teaching jobs for 250 RMB per hour；
The international language students are flocking to live in five bedroom apartments and have problems in the morning to appear in time for the class because they have to drink cheap beer till four o’clock in the night；
The ageing world traveller who wanted to travel for a while in China， then stayed a bit longer still and then a little longer still， when asked why they are in China he replies： “I
don’t know man， I just kind of found myself here…. Awesome eh？”
The full article can be found at
http：//www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/expat-stereotyping-7-different-types-offoreigners-in.html
“What are the reasons for anti-American (anti-West) feelings in China？”
In some China related internet forum a broad discussion took place about the question in this subtitle， and I contributed a little bit myself as well. One of my contributions was what I had only recently found in the internet， although it was floating around there already for a few years. It is a poem， originally written in Chinese by an anonymous author， english translation as well by an anonymous. Based on my experience， it describes the reasons for certain “anti-West feelings”， which quite a few Chinese have， very well， and when I asked my Chinese friends， they confirmed it does.
给西方的诗〈你究竟要我们怎样生存？〉
我们是东亚病夫时，我们被说是黄祸；我们被预言是下一个超级大国了，我们被指是主要威胁。那时我们闭关自守，你走私鸦片来强开门户；我们拥抱自由贸易了，你责骂我们抢走你的饭碗。那时我们风雨飘摇，你铁蹄犯境要求机会均等；我们要整合破碎的山河，你说我们“入侵”…… 叫喊“给西藏自由”。我们试行马列救国，你痛恨我们成为共党分子；我们拥抱资本主义了，你又恨我们当了资本家。当我们的人口到达十亿，你说我们在摧毁地球；我们要限制人口了，你说我们践踏人权。那时我们一贫如洗，你视我们贱如狗；我们有钞票借给你了，你怨我们令你国债。我们发展工业了，你说我们是污染者；我们有货品卖给你了，你说我们是地球暖化的因由。我们购买石油，你说我们取兼灭族；你们为石油开战，你说是为了解救生灵。那时我们动乱无序，你说我们没有法治；现在我们要依法平暴，你说我们违反人权。我们静默无声时，你说我们欠缺言论自由；我们不再缄默了，你说我们是被洗了脑的仇外暴民。为甚麽你这样憎恨我们？我们想知道。“不” ，你说，“我不恨你们。”我们也不恨你；只是，你了解我们吗？“当然了解”，你说。“我们消息多的是，有 AFP、CNN、还有BBC……”其实你究竟要我们怎样生存？回答之前，请仔细的想一想…… 因为你的机会不是无限的。已经够多了……这个世界容不下更多的伪善了。我们要的是同一个世界，同一个梦想，靖世太平。这个宽广、辽阔的蓝地球， 容得下你们，容得下我们。