I have blonde hair and blue eyes, yet while traveling in places from Nicaragua to Kenya, local people have thought I was Chinese.
Why?
One, I wear glasses. And apparently that factors in somehow.
Two, I have light skin.
And three, in many rural areas the only light-skinned bespectacled foreigners they’ve seen are Chinese people building roads and bridges. The state-run corporation is literally called the China Road and Bridge Corporation.
“Need some roads? Give us land for a naval base.” (Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port deal)
“Want a bridge? Give us your mines.”
That’s how this works. It’s a mix of development and mix of debt-trap diplomacy that connects China to the world at a time when the U.S. is turning its back on alliances and reneging on promises through USAID to the poorest people on the planet. Hell, let’s throw in cutting funding to Sesame Street in other languages.
In the last six months, the world sees China as more of a positive force in the world than the United States. (hmm….what’s happened over the last six months?)
Here’s how Chris Jackson of Ipsos put it:
Three months into the second Trump Administration and six months after his election, the reputation of the United States as a force for good in the world has taken a serious hit, particularly among our traditional allies in Europe and Canada. This flies in the face of Donald Trump’s repeated campaign promise to restore respect for America around the world. However, given the inward focus of many Americans, its unlikely the MAGA base will notice our diminished standing on the world stage.
Even, India is ahead of us.
Look, there is a reason a puppet movie titled Team America: World Police. We’ve put our banks, tanks, and Tom Hanks (I couldn’t think of anything else that rhymed but I guess he can stand in for our cultural influence) in other countries often without asking for permission. Yet, I still like to believe that when compared with Chinese national interests and a long history of human rights violations, that the United States is more of a net good. Of course, then I watch the news and I see what banks and tanks are doing in our own country and that belief falters.
I guess that puts me among the 13% of Americans who’ve lost a little hope in our nations goodness since October of 2024.
