
VOX POPULI: Ancient China was more open to foreigners than Trump's U.S.
Both works contain ample references to many ethnic groups, including how their customs differed—such as that some bore tattoos or kept their hair closely cropped, while others did not.
But curiously, according to Chin, no mention is made at all about their physical appearances, including facial features. Why?
'Perhaps the authors felt they could not write about such attributes, even if they wanted to,' Chin surmised, with his characteristic open-mindedness and thorough understanding of Chinese history.
He went on to elaborate that the founders of the Chinese civilization were themselves an aggregation of highly diversified ethnic origins, hailing from many tribes and looking conspicuously different from one another—in short, theirs was a multiracial nation.
And that, according to Chin, must have made it difficult or awkward for them to describe their physical differences among themselves.
Flourishing in the Yellow River basin, they disdained outsiders as 'barbarians.'
According to Sinocentrism, ethnicity is not the factor that differentiates the Chinese from the rest of humanity. Chin stated in his book 'Jukyo Sanzen-nen' ('Three Thousand Years of Confucianism'): 'Their pride lay in their civilization, not in their lineage.'
Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) was a Japanese student who was sent to Tang Dynasty China as an envoy. But he remained in China, where the authorities appointed him to a high office despite his 'despicable' origin.
This decision bespoke openness, diversity and flexibility on the part of the Tang Dynasty, and I imagine such qualities contributed much to pre-modern China's prosperity.
I suppose my readers now see where I am going with this column.
It's about the present-day United States—specifically, Donald Trump's decision to kick foreign students out of Harvard University.
This leaves me speechless. He obviously wants to dry up the source of America's strength with his own hands.
Feeling the deterioration of this superpower, my thoughts turn to Japan, too.
How open are we now? How diverse?
—The Asahi Shimbun, May 25
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Japan Times
19 minutes ago
- Japan Times
DeepSeek, Trump's plan steer agenda at China's premier AI forum
Star founders, Beijing officials and deep-pocketed financiers converge on Shanghai by the thousands this weekend to attend China's most important artificial intelligence summit. At the top of the agenda: how to propel Beijing's ambitions to leapfrog the U.S. in AI — and profit off that drive. The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), which has featured billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jack Ma in years past, was devised to showcase the cutting-edge of Chinese technology. This year's attendance may hit a record as it's taking place at a critical juncture in the U.S.-Chinese tech rivalry. This week, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called AI Action Plan — a sort of call to arms to ensure the country keeps its lead in the post-ChatGPT epoch. At the same time, the emergence of DeepSeek in January galvanized a generation of Chinese developers to ride a nationwide investment and innovation wave. From Alibaba Group Holding to fledgling firms such as Minimax, the country's AI aspirants have since moved aggressively to try and close the gap with the likes of OpenAI and Google. "While many recognize DeepSeek's achievements, this represents just the beginning of China's AI innovation wave,' said Louis Liang, an AI sector investor with Ameba Capital. "We are witnessing the advent of AI mass adoption, this goes beyond national competition.' The Shanghai conference rundown for now remains largely unknown — as it has in years past just days before kickoff. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend, and tech leaders from Tencent Holdings to ByteDance and startups like Zhipu AI and Moonshot are likely to turn out in force. Here's what we can expect from the summit starting Saturday. DeepSeek's aura Neither the startup nor its reclusive founder Liang Wenfeng feature in the advance literature for the event. And yet, the two-year-old firm is likely to be one of the topics du jour. Since its low-cost, high-performance AI model humbled much of Silicon Valley, the industry has watched China closely for another seismic moment. In a field notorious for splashing billions of dollars on Nvidia chips and data centers, DeepSeek's no-frills approach inspired a rethink of traditional models. And it challenged what till then was unquestioned U.S. supremacy in bleeding-edge technology: Chinese President Xi Jinping himself turned out in public in February to congratulate Liang and his fellow tech entrepreneurs. China craves another big breakthrough. Downloads and usage of DeepSeek models have slowed, as has the pace of new model rollouts that peaked over the spring at once every few days. Now, much of the industry talk centers on why DeepSeek's R2 — the followup to its seminal R1 — hasn't yet emerged. Local media have blamed everything from Liang's perfectionist streak to performance glitches. Trump's — and Xi's — ambitions The conference gets underway days after Trump signed executive orders to loosen regulations and expand energy supply for data centers. "From this day forward, it'll be a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence,' Trump told executives and lawmakers at an event in Washington. Among the attendees was Jensen Huang, whose Nvidia is one of the companies at the heart of the global AI movement. Huang waves at the "Winning the AI Race" event in Washington on Wednesday. | Getty Images / via Bloomberg Much has been made in Washington of China's seemingly meteoric ascent in AI, with observers saying the country is now perhaps just months behind the U.S. in terms of AI sophistication. That's a wafer-thin margin compared with sectors such as semiconductors, where America is regarded as many years or even generations ahead. Trump's newly announced action plan is likely to spur Chinese companies into accelerating their own plans to go global, in part by aggressively open-sourcing their AI platforms. Beijing wants AI to become a $100 billion industry by 2030. At the Chinese Communist Party's April Politburo study session, Xi emphasized that China must push for breakthroughs in critical areas such as high-end chips and AI research. Rise of the robots Chinese humanoid makers are expected to showcase their most advanced models. Last week, UBTech posted a video of its Walker S2 humanoid walking to a battery station, removing the pack from its back, placing it on the recharge pad before fitting itself with a new battery. While obviously edited and choreographed, it encapsulated the advances that Chinese firms have made in a wide-open field — and their lofty ambitions. Unitree teased a bargain-basement price of under $10,000 for its androids. It joins the likes of AgiBot and UBTech in collectively driving a promising field in which American companies have so far failed to stake out a clear lead, despite decades of effort. The Chinese companies "are targeting hundreds to thousands of units to be delivered this year, racing to establish the ecosystem,' Morgan Stanley analyst Sheng Wong said in a note this week. Show the money Venture capitalists and dealmakers will be hunting for emerging tech leaders. And not all of them are Chinese. China's largest venture capital houses are tapping the market for at least $2 billion in new funds. At least six of the country's most prominent VC firms — including Lightspeed China Partners and Monolith Management — are creating dollar-denominated funds designed to allow overseas investors to pool bets on Chinese companies. That's a wave of fundraising that hasn't been seen among Chinese VCs for years. It's unfolding as global investors reassess the country's startup landscape and economy, which are showing signs of revival after years of COVID-era stagnation and regulatory headwinds. Organizers promise a breakout event that will feature startup pitches and live demos for dealmakers. Startups by the hundreds are expected to fill a 70,000-square-meter exhibition hall, showing off everything from autonomous delivery drones to machines that dispense toilet paper. Missing global touch Attendees are unlikely to spot U.S. companies — at least not in major fashion. In 2024, Tesla popped up with its Cybertruck and Optimus robot. This year's speaker lineup doesn't (yet) include Musk but does list Yoshua Bengio, the Canadian scientist who pioneered artificial neural networks. With the U.S.-China tech rivalry accelerating, many American companies remain wary of drawing the spotlight. Still, Beijing is likely to take the opportunity to continue pushing its international agenda. One of the conference centerpieces is a "High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance' to discuss the challenges in deploying AI responsibly. To many observers, it's also emblematic of China's overarching goal of setting global standards. "Since 2018, China has used WAIC to stake its claim on global AI technical and political leadership,' said Tom Nunlist, associate director of the Beijing-based consultancy Trivium. "With the race to AI now neck and neck between the U.S. and China, that play is more compelling than ever.'


Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Through the Lens: Japan's upper house election; summer festivals in Kyoto and Fukuoka
In the election for the upper house of Japan's parliament, the ruling coalition failed to win the 50 seats it needed to maintain its majority, leaving Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a precarious position without a majority in either chamber of the Diet. The poor showing may force Ishiba from office. Sohei Kamiya, the leader of Japan's Sanseito party, speaks to supporters at an event on the last day of campaigning for the upper house election, at Shiba Park in Tokyo, on July 19. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters) Sanseito supporters raise their fists during an event on the last day of campaigning for Japan's July 20 upper house election, at Shiba Park in Tokyo, on July 19. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters) Voters walk past a candidate bulletin board at a polling station in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) A voter casts his ballot in Japan's upper house election at a polling station in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Koji Uema) People vote in Japan's upper house election at a polling station in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Koji Uema) Election officials open ballot boxes at a counting center in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Manami Yamada/Reuters) Election officials count votes in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Manami Yamada/Reuters) An election official carries a ballot box during Japan's upper house election, at a counting center in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Manami Yamada/Reuters) Members of the media gather at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya, right, and upper house candidate Saya place a victory flower next to her name in Tokyo, after she won her upper house race on July 20. (Photo by Rie Ishii) Leader of the Democratic Party For the People (DPFP) Yuichiro Tamaki, left, and the party's secretary-general, Shimba Kazuya, stand in front of a board with the names of DPFP candidates in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, listens to a question from a journalist at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo Mayumi Tsumita) Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's prime minister, takes part in an interview at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) Rosettes to indicate election victories go unused at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on July 21. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a news conference at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on July 21, the day after the ruling coalition lost its majority in Japan's upper house. (Photo by Sae Kamae) Two of Japan's most colorful summer festivals were held recently, the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in Fukuoka. On July 17, the Yamahoko procession, the highlight of the Gion Festival in Kyoto, was held. About 20 ornately decorated "Yamahoko," or "moving museums," made their way through the center of the city. In Fukuoka, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival was also a lavish affair, with the event culminating in the "Oishi Yamakasa" race in which men carry seven floats weighing about 1 metric ton each, representing each neighborhood in Fukuoka's Hakata district, along a 5-kilometer course. Children visit Yasaka Shrine to pray for a safe Gion Festival, in Kyoto on July 1. (Photo by Kyodo) People fill the streets as floats with illuminated lanterns are displayed during the annual Gion Festival's Yoiyama event in Kyoto on July 16. (Photo by Kyodo) A "Yamahoko" float is pulled around a corner during the Gion Festival in Kyoto on July 17. The parade is designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. (Photo by Arisa Moriyama) People carry a float at Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka during the annual Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival on July 15, marking the finale of the 15-day event that dates back more than 780 years. (Photo by Kyodo) People carry - while others ride on - a float at Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka during the annual Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival on July 15. (Photo by Kyodo) (Photo by Kyodo)


Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Europe and China agree to take action on climate change and nothing else in tense Beijing summit
Left to right, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas walk at the Great Hall of the People before the European Union-China Summit in Beijing, China, July 24, 2025. (Pool Photo via AP) BEIJING--China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during an otherwise tense bilateral summit in Beijing on Thursday riven with major disagreements over trade and the war in Ukraine. The two economic juggernauts issued a joint statement on climate change, urging more emission cuts and greater use of green technology and affirming their support for the Paris Climate Agreement as well as calling for strong action at the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil. 'In the fluid and turbulent international situation today, it is crucial that all countries, notably the major economies, maintain policy continuity and stability and step up efforts to address climate change,' the joint statement said. Their climate agreement was a silver lining on a stormy day where European leaders demanded a more balanced relationship with China in talks with President Xi Jinping. They highlighted trade in their opening remarks, calling for concrete progress to address Europe's yawning trade deficit with China. 'As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. 'We have reached an inflection point. Rebalancing our bilateral relation is essential. Because to be sustainable, relations need to be mutually beneficial.' Expectations were low ahead of the talks, initially supposed to last two days but scaled back to one. They come amid financial uncertainty around the world, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the threat of U.S. tariffs. Neither the EU nor China is likely to budge on key issues. European Council President António Costa called on China to use its influence over Russia to bring an end to the war in Ukraine — a long-running plea from European leaders that is likely to fall again on deaf ears. Xi called for deeper cooperation between China and Europe to provide stability in an increasingly complex world. Both sides should set aside differences and seek common ground, he said, a phrase he often uses in relationships like the one with the EU. China is willing to strengthen coordination on climate and make greater contributions to addressing climate change, he said, but he pushed back against EU restrictions on Chinese exports. 'We hope the EU will keep its trade and investment markets open, refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools and provide a good business environment for Chinese companies to invest and develop in Europe,' he said, according to a readout posted online by state broadcaster CCTV. Besides trade and the Ukraine war, von der Leyen and Costa were expected to raise concerns about Chinese cyberattacks and espionage, its restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals and its human rights record in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The EU, meanwhile, has concerns about a looming trade battle with the United States. 'Europe is being very careful not to antagonize President Trump even further by looking maybe too close to China, so all of that doesn't make this summit easier,' said Fabian Zuleeg, chief economist of the European Policy Center. 'It will be very hard to achieve something concrete.' China's stance has hardened on the EU, despite a few olive branches, like the suspension of sanctions on European lawmakers who criticized Beijing's human rights record in Xinjiang province, where it is accused of a widespread campaign of repression against the Uyghurs. The summit ended with almost no movement on the major issues of trade, electric vehicles, or Russia, said Noah Barkin, an analyst at the Rhodium Group think tank. Rather, frustration from the EU was glaringly obvious 'after years in which its concerns have been largely ignored by Beijing.' He said the Europeans will likely use more 'trade defense tools in the months ahead, including a debate over expanding safeguards and new cases under the bloc's foreign subsidies regulation.' Like the U.S., the 27-nation EU bloc runs a massive trade deficit with China — around 300 billion euros ($350 billion) last year. It relies heavily on China for critical minerals and the magnets made from them for cars and appliances. When China curtailed the export of those products in response to Trump's tariffs, European automakers cried foul. China agreed during the summit to start 'an upgraded export supply mechanism' to fast-track exports of critical minerals, von der Leyen said. Details of the arrangement were not immediately made public. Barkin said he doubted the mechanism would be 'a miracle solution for what may become a go-to coercion tool for Beijing in the years ahead.' The EU has imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to support its carmakers by balancing out Beijing's heavy auto subsidies. China would like those tariffs revoked. The rapid growth in China's market share in Europe has sparked concern that Chinese cars will eventually threaten the EU's ability to produce its own green technology to combat climate change. Business groups and unions also fear that the jobs of 2.5 million auto industry workers could be put in jeopardy, as well those of 10.3 million more people whose employment depends indirectly on EV production. China has launched investigations into European pork and dairy products and placed tariffs on French cognac and armagnac. It has criticized new EU regulations of medical equipment sales and fears upcoming legislation that could further target Chinese industries, said Alicia García-Herrero, a China analyst at the Bruegel think tank. The EU has leverage because China needs to sell goods to the bloc, García-Herrero said. 'The EU remains China's largest export market, so China has every intention to keep it this way, especially given the pressure coming from the U.S.,' she said. China bristles at EU sanctions over Russia's war against Ukraine. The latest package included two Chinese banks that the EU accused of links to Russia's war industry. China's Commerce Ministry protested the listing and vowed to respond with 'necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and financial institutions.' Buffeted between a combative Washington and a hardline Beijing, the EU has more publicly sought new alliances elsewhere, inking a trade pact with Indonesia and drafting trade deals with South America and Mexico. Costa and von der Leyen visited Tokyo the day before their meetings in Beijing, launching an alliance with Japan to boost economic cooperation, defend free trade and counter unfair trade practices. 'Both Europe and Japan see a world around us where protectionist instincts grow, weaknesses get weaponized, and every dependency exploited,' von der Leyen said. So it is normal that two like-minded partners come together to make each other stronger.'