MOSCOW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Experts on China should write more books about the Asian country to help the West get to know a real China and break the stereotypes regarding the Chinese people, a Russian orientalist has said.
"It is extremely difficult to overcome the stereotypes prevailing in the West regarding China and the Chinese," Yuri Tavrovsky, vice president of the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio Broadcasting, told Xinhua in a recent interview regarding the publication of the book "Fake Fear: America and China Relations" in Britain.
One of the main points of the book written by Xin Jiyan is that some Americans are afraid of China largely because they simply do not know modern Chinese political and philosophical thought.
"The United States is not very well aware of China's contemporary political thought, which has very limited effect on policy-making circles," Tavrovsky said.
According to Tavrovsky, the West, especially the United States, feels somewhat hostile towards the Chinese civilization.
"In China, there is a systematic and therefore effective fight against corruption. China is moving towards a long-term goal. There are landmarks of the Chinese dream," Tavrovsky said.
Developing countries have shown great interest in China's experience because the Chinese model works, Tavrovsky said, adding that "we in Russia also have great interest in the Chinese experience."
"But it is not interesting for the Americans. The whole point of the American dream is that America has to be first. And the wording 'America first' excludes the very possibility that someone may be close to the United States," he said.
"The U.S. elite, particularly, the intellectual elite, and the elite of experts in Chinese affairs are dominated by people who are inclined to conflict with China," he said, noting that the worldview of many U.S. politicians is determined by "Crouching Tiger," a famous book which said the war with China is inevitable.
"To exert a noticeable influence on them, there must be more experts in Chinese affairs writing books about China," Tavrovsky said, adding that it is necessary to improve China's image in the world and to work more with international public opinion.
Today, China still plays a "very small" part in the global discourse of civilizations, he said.
"The Chinese are great that they created a network of Confucius institutions, but there are not enough organizations designed for intellectuals," he said.
"China has taken its rightful place. We must proceed from this and try to maintain our positions in the new multipolar world," he said.
