China and Singapore have exempted visas from New Year's Eve (February 9), attracting many Chinese people to travel to Singapore during the Spring Festival, but recent information about complaining about Singapore's too expensive tourism has become a hot search in China. Many peopleReflect: "Price is outrageous" and "Singapore is too expensive to allow the middle class to go bankrupt."
Remember that recently, there were Chinese people called the topic of Singapore on the Internet, which caused heated discussion among netizens in the two countries.Some people think that this is disrespect for Singapore countries. As an independent sovereign country, Singapore has a strong sense of pride and recognition of the country.The name "Po County", from the perspective of some Singaporeans, seems to be implying that Singapore is just an ordinary local administrative unit, and even reduces the status of the country.This feeling caused strong discomfort in the hearts of Singapore.
So, after Chinese tourists went to Singapore this time, would you still think it was just a small "county town"?In recent years, China's economic development has developed rapidly in recent years, so many middle class feels that their income is quite abundant, and the gap between developed countries has decreased. It is often self -proclaimed to the second largest economy in the United States.After they have been to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries, they feel that local things are cheap and lower than consumption in China.Essence
But Singapore's per capita GDP (GDP) in 2023 (GDP) nearly 90,000 US dollars (about $ 120,000), while China has only $ 13,000, which is seven times the difference, and Singapore is the world's highest price in the world.One of the cities.As soon as Chinese tourists came, they would naturally feel uncomfortable when they saw a bottle of 10.5 yuan (about S $ 2).
For the reason, for a long time, the Chinese people have a strong sandwich and extinction of great powers.Especially in the Internet era, the country that is smaller than its surroundings is always known as a small country, and the surrounding countries are based on the superiority of the "Heavenly Dynasty".Especially for the "miniature countries" such as Singapore, there is a lingering attitude, and it feels worth mentioning.I always feel that a place with a small area and a population can be called the country. At best, it is just a county in China, so it is called "Po County".Moreover, counties in China are generally worse than the economic level of large cities, so they are often called "small counties".Calling Singapore is "SOEI County", which itself has a contempt and disrespect in it, which means that Singapore is not worthy of a big city in China.
But when Chinese tourists really arrived in Singapore and were shocked by local prices, the kind of superiority before came was beaten, and then exclaimed that it was different from what they thought.It is small, and I am not so wealthy. The proud gesture of overlooking is gone in an instant.
In addition, Singapore's law enforcement, various fines, etc. of Chinese tourists said, this is another stigma of Singapore. It seems that Singapore is specifically enforced against foreign tourists and rely on fines to "make money to make money.", Make everyone's self -danger.But the author has been to Singapore, not as rigorous as the legend, and there are not so many police officers or other law enforcement officers outside. Instead, they are much less than police officers on the streets of Hong Kong. They are not the same as cities in other countries.Instead, there are many news that there are many public officials in mainland China that "charges" and "fines of fines".
In fact, as early as 1993, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, a former Prime Minister of Singapore, predicted: "China may become a blindly exclusive and pursuit of sandwichism.It may become a country with civilized civilization, actively participating in world affairs, more world characteristics, more internationalized and export -oriented. The peace and security of the Asia -Pacific region will depend on which direction China's "
Think about it, China is far from reaching the level of developed countries, and the people show a attitude towards all countries, but after they really go out, they find that they are not so advanced and developed.Is alternate similar to the situation in the late Qing Dynasty?Seeking national self -esteem or establishing patriotism is not at the cost of extinct and discrediting other countries, not to cultivate the "Boxer".Treating countries, regardless of size, equally, is the correct way to get along with the modern country, so as to get the respect and support of other countries.
The author is Hong Kong journalist
