One of the less nice aspects (beside many, many nice ones) of Chinese people I have learned in my one year staying in China so far is that there are many among them who obviously lack the ability of discussing certain things objectively and logically.
As a Chinese, I perfectly agree with you about your this observation.
As soon as their country is concerned in the slightest way of criticism, their view gets way too biased and they can only retreat on childish arguments like this "western supremacy" stuff or refer to their own countries' greatness. Perhaps, one can hardly blame them for that, because they grow up with this patriotic rubbish starting in the kindergarten.
Although I agree to your observations, I can not agree with your reasoning. I am afraid that you are onlying seeing the surface of this. Let me try to elaborate, and correctly me if I am wrong.
The CPP's way of educating its people, although may look a bit too patriotic and sometimes childish to you, is not a characteristic of communism itself. This way of education is the result of the invasions, robberies, murders and rapes committed by the western countries, Japan, England and France alike, during the 1840s up until the 1950s. This is the deep root as why it is always difficult for some Chinese to react logically facing criticisms, because they doubt about your intensions, in a word, the westerners are not to be trust. They learnt this from history, not from the CPP. Back in the 18 and 19 centuries, we used to be very friendly witht the west, and trust its people, but what we got in the end is a poor, splitted China, which in nowadays, we certainly don't want.
Even my girlfriend and future wife ( also Chinese ) is like that. A reasonable discussion about the Taiwan matter with her is simply impossible, although she is an intelligent and educated person.
Again, the Chinese has learned this from history that we should never give up even one square inch of our land, we gave up so many of them to Russia (which is now Russia's territory) in the 19th centuries, not to say Hongkong, Macao etc. When the westerners talk about Taiwan, if they say Taiwan should be independent (which I don't care much about), the Chinese tend to think that you do not have good intentions, not that you are about the Taiwanese, but rather you want to split China and to make us weak so that you can come and attack again. And also, we Chinese always stick to one principle, as wigo's signature shows, only mind your own country's matters, and let others sort out theirs, so we of course don't want others to judge us, I am not saying that this is good, but this has been the Chinese way of thinking for thousand years. Said that, it may well be your future wife's problem, my future wife (Chinese 100%) may not act like that.
just kidding
The same here about that tech theft stuff: Why can, for example u, Yello Perilo or even my high appreciated fellow-forumer HKskyline, not admit that there are certain things happening in China which are just NOT OK in this way?
I admit that some no-OK things are happening in China.
With joining the WTO, China has also accepted to follow and execute its' laws and rules. And there is some point about them, which cannot only be in securing western interests, as Taiwan, Japan or Singapore are also keeping them in high regards.
But then, I think you have to notice that China, with comparison of the four you have listed, are much more less developed. Its people, much more less educated, its laws, much more less specified. So you really shouldn't compare China to those. India is always a good comparison to China, see how India does things.
But I am starting to discuss again although I know it's a waste of time as long as the smell of national pride is in the air... So, I better take my leave again (what I would also recommend to Monkey and others...)
I beg you not to leave. Because although the Chinese people and China itself may not seem very ok, I think you still lack of come understanding about the Chinese, its culture, and history. And since your wife-to-be is Chinese, I guess it is also your interests to know more about this country.