10 China Myths from 2009

How do westerners misunderstand China? Evan Osnos at the New Yorker takes aim at 10 misconceptions about China that were commonly heard in 2009. Was President Obama’s visit really a disappointment? In the days that followed, China set its first targets for greenhouse-gas emissions control; joined a U.S.-backed statement in condemning Iran; and indicated flexibility in reforming the exchange rate. Also, is China really doing nothing to combat climate change? “China has concluded unmistakably that climate change is a security and stability threat,” Osnos writes. In 2006, when the Bush administration was trying to muzzle calls for emissions cuts, China published its first report on climate change, concluding that output of major crops could fall by up to 37 percent in the second half of the century if no steps are taken.