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Sinophobia: Anxiety, Violence, and the Making of Mongolian Identity
This is a timely and groundbreaking study of the prevalence of anti-Chinese sentiments in Mongolia. In the last few years, the emergence of neo-Nazi groups in the capital Ulaanbaatar has drawn world attention to this little known northeast Asian country.
255 pages, Hardcover
First published December 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 12, 2024
This is a topic that has vaguely interested since about the time I started getting into Mongolian history. I'm also very interested in languages and it didn't take me long to fall in love with Mongolian. It was then that I began noticing very unpleasant comments on Youtube for music by Mongolian artists from China, whether the songs were in Chinese or Mongolian; things along the lines of that these artists were not 'real' Mongolians but actually Chinese, or Chinese people trying to be Mongolian, or the music wasn't Mongolian at all it was Chinese. Obviously the underlying sentiment here is some sort of negativity associated with China.
So I was very excited to come across Bille's book on Sinophobia in Mongolia. Bille shows that anti-Chinese sentiments seem to be widespread in Mongolia (his research was done in the capital, Ulaanbaatar) and are ultimately accepted. He suggests that where this comes from is the lack of contact between the two countries during Mongolia's communist period (where the anti-Chinese narrative was supported and put forward by the Russians) and even today, and is also used as a way for Mongols to assert their own 'Mongolianness' by framing it against an Other.
Despite decades of Soviet influence on the country, Mongols still tend to view Russia and Russians quite positively. Bille states that anything negative the Soviets did to the country is generally brushed aside as a mistake because they brought in or implemented so many positive things. It is quite the opposite in regards to China. In Mongolian view (again, influenced partly by how the Soviets depicted China), China is gradually trying to take over the country, whether through poisoned food, Chinese men being sent by the government to get Mongolian women pregnant, or through economic means.
Due to the lack of contact between the two countries and the small Chinese population in Ulaanbaatar, the stereotyped image of Chinese people, especially Chinese men (most of this discourse deals with men from China, not women) is allowed to prevail. Many Mongolians believe they are inherently different than the Chinese both physically and in their ways of thinking and doing things. Mongols are strong, fit, live in the moment and are very European. The Chinese are small, scheming, too well thought out. There is also a view that if by chance one does meet a friendly Chinese person (man), they are not to be trusted because it's merely a facade over their scheming nature. It is also interesting to note that pretty much none of this is ever voiced or presented in Chinese, it's pretty much always in Mongolian.
And because of this lack of contact and the way these anti-Chinese sentiments are used to frame Mongolianness (we're like this, not like that), Mongols are usually the ones affected. There is a fascinating chapter focusing on gay men and (straight) women, in how the former does not fit the 'ideal' Mongolian male image and the latter bears the burden of having children (ie, preserving and helping the nation) and may face harsh criticism if by chance she has a Chinese partner.
Going back to my first paragraph, I was also very interested to see if Bille would include anything about Inner Mongolia, which thankfully he did. Apparently, many do not consider Mongols in China Mongolian at all due to their sinicization, which is essentially a 'worst nightmare' kind of thing for those in Mongolia. This autonomous region also acts as a view as to what would happen if China were to take over the country.
With all that being said, however, Bille clearly shows that not all Mongols hold Sinophobic views, and that ones that do generally do not have extreme views, such as wanting to kill Chinese people, nor do they want violence directed at the Chinese. He also shows examples of Mongols that have become friends with Chinese neighbours, coworkers or individuals married into the family.
This book was truly excellent and I could not put it down. Although it of course has to make generalizations, it doesn't come from a bad place, like 'look how awful Mongolian people are because they have these views.' It's a look into and a study of an aspect of modern Mongolian society. Bille uses plenty of interviews with locals, observations and examples from popular media (music, film, newspapers), graffiti and history (including history between Mongolia and China or Russia) to present his information. In the end, it comes across as thought-provoking and convincing in terms of Bille's arguments.
So I was very excited to come across Bille's book on Sinophobia in Mongolia. Bille shows that anti-Chinese sentiments seem to be widespread in Mongolia (his research was done in the capital, Ulaanbaatar) and are ultimately accepted. He suggests that where this comes from is the lack of contact between the two countries during Mongolia's communist period (where the anti-Chinese narrative was supported and put forward by the Russians) and even today, and is also used as a way for Mongols to assert their own 'Mongolianness' by framing it against an Other.
Despite decades of Soviet influence on the country, Mongols still tend to view Russia and Russians quite positively. Bille states that anything negative the Soviets did to the country is generally brushed aside as a mistake because they brought in or implemented so many positive things. It is quite the opposite in regards to China. In Mongolian view (again, influenced partly by how the Soviets depicted China), China is gradually trying to take over the country, whether through poisoned food, Chinese men being sent by the government to get Mongolian women pregnant, or through economic means.
Due to the lack of contact between the two countries and the small Chinese population in Ulaanbaatar, the stereotyped image of Chinese people, especially Chinese men (most of this discourse deals with men from China, not women) is allowed to prevail. Many Mongolians believe they are inherently different than the Chinese both physically and in their ways of thinking and doing things. Mongols are strong, fit, live in the moment and are very European. The Chinese are small, scheming, too well thought out. There is also a view that if by chance one does meet a friendly Chinese person (man), they are not to be trusted because it's merely a facade over their scheming nature. It is also interesting to note that pretty much none of this is ever voiced or presented in Chinese, it's pretty much always in Mongolian.
And because of this lack of contact and the way these anti-Chinese sentiments are used to frame Mongolianness (we're like this, not like that), Mongols are usually the ones affected. There is a fascinating chapter focusing on gay men and (straight) women, in how the former does not fit the 'ideal' Mongolian male image and the latter bears the burden of having children (ie, preserving and helping the nation) and may face harsh criticism if by chance she has a Chinese partner.
Going back to my first paragraph, I was also very interested to see if Bille would include anything about Inner Mongolia, which thankfully he did. Apparently, many do not consider Mongols in China Mongolian at all due to their sinicization, which is essentially a 'worst nightmare' kind of thing for those in Mongolia. This autonomous region also acts as a view as to what would happen if China were to take over the country.
With all that being said, however, Bille clearly shows that not all Mongols hold Sinophobic views, and that ones that do generally do not have extreme views, such as wanting to kill Chinese people, nor do they want violence directed at the Chinese. He also shows examples of Mongols that have become friends with Chinese neighbours, coworkers or individuals married into the family.
This book was truly excellent and I could not put it down. Although it of course has to make generalizations, it doesn't come from a bad place, like 'look how awful Mongolian people are because they have these views.' It's a look into and a study of an aspect of modern Mongolian society. Bille uses plenty of interviews with locals, observations and examples from popular media (music, film, newspapers), graffiti and history (including history between Mongolia and China or Russia) to present his information. In the end, it comes across as thought-provoking and convincing in terms of Bille's arguments.
August 21, 2017
Монгол хүн гэж хэн бэ, Монгол хүн байна гэдэг нь яг юуг хэлэх вэ гэсэн асуултыг Монголчуудын Синофоби өнцгөөс судлаж буй ном. Дэвшүүлж буй санаа нь өнөө үеийн Монгол аидентити нь азиас, тэр дундаа Хятадаас салангид байдаг, салангид байх ёстой гэсэн үзэл дээр тулгуурлаж байдаг гэж үзжээ. Бүх хүн уншаасай гэж рекомендацилаж байна! Маш сонирхолтой.
March 26, 2022
在烏蘭巴托有過被認為是中國人襲擊的經驗後，讀來特別有感。
April 3, 2016
This is a fantastic work, based on field research conducted in the Mongolian capital Ulanbaator as well as on extensive published ethnographic studies and theoretical literature. Bille's writing style is absorbing, accessible, and extremely insightful.
The aim of the book, as the title suggests, is to understand both the fear and hatred of China and Chinese people expressed in contemporary Mongolia. His sources range from personal interviews and news reports to songs, graffiti, and other forms of Mongolian-language communication that are rarely viewed by non-Mongols. Throughout, he hopes to complicate explanations of interethnic violence against the Chinese in Mongolia which often overemphasize political and economic grievances. He also argues that a common explanation in Mongolia--that centuries of conflict have created a genetic antipathy between the two groups--is in fact backwards.
Persuasively, Bille shows that contemporary sinophobia is rooted in a lack of contact between Mongols and China. Isolated by socialist rhetoric that used fear of China to breed support for Soviet involvement, Mongols also perpetuated sinophobic speech as a way to build national cohesiveness. Thus while speaking sinophobia, Mongols most often direct violence against other Mongols (such as women and homosexuals) who do not conform to expectations about purity and loyalty to the nation. As such it will be of interest to scholars of socialism, post-socialist transition, ethnicity and nationalism in North/East Asia, and also to folklorists for its extensive treatment of rumor, humor, and urban legend.
The aim of the book, as the title suggests, is to understand both the fear and hatred of China and Chinese people expressed in contemporary Mongolia. His sources range from personal interviews and news reports to songs, graffiti, and other forms of Mongolian-language communication that are rarely viewed by non-Mongols. Throughout, he hopes to complicate explanations of interethnic violence against the Chinese in Mongolia which often overemphasize political and economic grievances. He also argues that a common explanation in Mongolia--that centuries of conflict have created a genetic antipathy between the two groups--is in fact backwards.
Persuasively, Bille shows that contemporary sinophobia is rooted in a lack of contact between Mongols and China. Isolated by socialist rhetoric that used fear of China to breed support for Soviet involvement, Mongols also perpetuated sinophobic speech as a way to build national cohesiveness. Thus while speaking sinophobia, Mongols most often direct violence against other Mongols (such as women and homosexuals) who do not conform to expectations about purity and loyalty to the nation. As such it will be of interest to scholars of socialism, post-socialist transition, ethnicity and nationalism in North/East Asia, and also to folklorists for its extensive treatment of rumor, humor, and urban legend.
September 1, 2015
A seminal work on the psyche of the contemporary Mongolia.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews