The Representation of China as Sick Man of Asia

The Representation of China as Sick Man of Asia
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The Representation of China as Sick Man of Asia
The Sick Man of Asia is a phrase that was developed to refer to a region in Asia when it was experiencing political and economic challenges. China was referred as the Sick Man of Asia during the Qing Dynasty. This was the period when the nation was experiencing numerous divisions and powerful nations took advantage of the situation. There were reports of famine that struck the nation during the era and philanthropic activities were initiated assist the ailing and petrified people in the region. The Sick Man of Asia was a statement developed as a form of prejudice and to show contempt of the situation within China. The westerners utilized numerous initiatives to develop the construct and cement the ideology in the region. There are many philanthropic activities that were initiated as a way of presenting the sick man image. China was perceived as a needy and permeated with a degrading image of the Sick Man of Asia. In this essay, we flesh out ways through which the sick man image was constructed. Moreover, the representation of the physically weak and unhealthy image of Chinese people was used to portray the Sick of China by western doctors. Moreover, there was the representation of China as a nation that experienced famine and hunger.
In 1920, famine struck China and many people in northern regions of China were suffering from the situation. Many humanitarian relief organizations from the west committed themselves to offer support and save the people from their suffering. It was during this period that philanthropy was used to flesh out the sick man image of the Chinese people. There was a drought that persisted for almost a full year that threatened millions of residents. During the drought period, it was reported that about 500000 individuals were exposed to famine and hunger. It was during this period that philanthropic organization such as the American Red Cross and other missionaries to offer support. They played a significant role in coordinating major relief efforts within the area. The relief organizations publicized the conditions well and created the image of the sick man. Most of the local relief organizations were never captured in the historical accounts about the happenings during the period. The western philanthropists and historians shaped the current perception about the sick man of Asia. There is a misreading of the Chinese society where the residents of the region struck by drought were perceived as objects of humanitarian assistance. Therefore, the sick man image was fleshed out through the use of warp...