Editorial

Look Only at the Ugly Sides, and You Won’t See China

A response to a Dutch debate on China, and why nuance matters in an age of geopolitical polarization.

Published

5 months ago

June 2, 2026

The following is an English translation of a Dutch opinion piece I wrote in response to a recent essay in FD (Het Financieele Dagblad, the Dutch Financial Daily). It reflects on how China is discussed in Europe and why nuance matters in debates about freedom, safety, and public perceptions of China.

Anyone who says something positive about China nowadays quickly runs the risk of being dismissed as a propagandist. This became apparent again this week…

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, and public speaker specializing in China’s social trends, digital culture, and online media ecosystems. She founded What’s on Weibo in 2013 and now runs the Eye on Digital China newsletter. Learn more at manyakoetse.com or follow her on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

2 Comments

rhmaliangkay@gmail.com

June 2, 2026 at 1:08 pm

An excellent response, Manya.

Reply
dianarthemis@gmail.com

June 2, 2026 at 3:55 pm

Hi Manya,

Great piece! Netherlands is a country with much freedom, and a lot more things to be proud of. That is definitely true. On the other hand, having lived here for a decade now, I start to realise how this perception of freedom and openness can become traps. It becomes extremely difficult to reflect on your own viewpoint, or even realise that you may want to reflect on that.
I do believe strongly in people-to-people exchange. Only when we see each other as individuals, will we really connect with each other.

Reply

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