Patriotism and tourism don’t travel well
Chinese visitors who angered Vietnam with controversial T-shirts showing disputed South China Sea boundary provide a reminder to stay out of trouble when abroad
That’s generally not a good idea – unless, of course, you want to invite trouble.
Chinese tourists ordered to take off T-shirts at Vietnam airport
They were ordered to change their shirts before being allowed to leave the airport. Photos of the group have since gone viral, inviting widespread criticism across Vietnam and even international news coverage. Some irate Vietnamese netizens have demanded the tourists be deported.
This is precisely the kind of incident China wants its people to avoid when travelling overseas. On the other hand, when you whip up so much nationalist pride, sometimes it’s hard to contain it.
What does Japan have against Chinese tourists?
The Civil Aviation Administration of China instructed 36 international carriers last month to stop listing Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan separately on their websites and mark them as part of China. Some carriers such as United Airlines and Japan Airlines have so far resisted the demand, but Korea’s Asiana Airlines has changed its website by referring to Taiwan under the heading “mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan”.
White House blasts China’s demands on US airlines as ‘Orwellian’
As much as I feel pride in my country, I try to keep as low a profile as possible while travelling. That’s purely for self-preservation because you can never assume the locals like or welcome you as a tourist. You also don’t want to paint yourself as a target for con men, criminals or terrorists.
As China becomes more influential and assertive on the world stage, you can be sure that means stepping on other people’s toes, whether our leaders intend it or not. Defend our national honour if we must, but avoid trouble if we can.