Images of China and the Chinese in Mongolian national mentality

Mongolia borders only two countries, Russia and China. Images of the northern and southern neighbors take an important place in Mongolian national mentality. After the collapse of the soviet block, Mongolian authorities became to develop new kinds of external relationships with the "third neighbor" (set of West European states, USA, Southern Korea and Japan). The image of the new player and democratic values in their western interpretation successfully integrated in Mongol national mentality. The new foreign policy of the "third neighbor" is interpreted as an attempt to secede from Russian and Chinese influence. The idea that China and the Chinese are "alien" for Mongols has real historical roots. Military confrontation between nomadk and civilized worlds continued up to the 18th century when Mongols were totally incorporated in the Qin Empire. Qin colonial policy in Outer Mongolia was enforced in the beginning of the 20th century by increasing military contingent and Chinese migration. This policy inspired the resistance movement and proclamation of independence of Mongolia in 1911. Negative attitude to Chinese merchants gradually became the factor of solidarity of all Mongols through the ages up to our times. In some sense it became one of the core factors that constituted Mongolian national identity. The Chinese threat is a stable fear of contemporary Mongols. In fact poverty, problems with national medicine, corruption and other negative trends are associated with China in common. However, not all the population sees the southern neighbor in such a way. According to Mongolian authors, China has an intention to subordinate Mongolia through culture policy. They insist that China tries to register original objects of material and spiritual Mongolian culture in UNESCO as their own. At the same time the positive image of China exists in the Mongolian society. China's "soft power" policy plays a great role in the formation of this positive image. Some of the main instruments of this policy are the Confucius Institute opened in Mongolian National University in 2007 and the Centre for Chinese Culture in Ulan Bator. Today Mongols have an image of "two Chinas": civilized and uncivilized. The traditional negative attitude to the Chinese reduces subethnical identities of Mongolian people. The common premise to construe internal problems as a result of China's influence inspire xenophobia especially through undereducated citizens. Despite the popular "Chinese fears" many Mongols wish to study and work in the PRC. Personal interests to survive in the difficult socioeconomic environment have power to displace the ordinary negative attitude to the southern neighbor to the background of national mentality.

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