Who is smarter, Japan or China?

Who is smarter, Japan or China?

 

The World Cup is done. France becomes the final winner! The French Team deserves the championship not only for its overall strength but also for its particular quality ---the gorgeous young star, the future of the national team! Yes, only three teams are honored, but there is no loser. They all played with faith of devotion and all of the teams have gone far enough with a capacity-earned luck. They have provided us with a superb summer, to which I am deeply appreciated.

So who is the loser to be blamed? It is not India, not Cuba and not Greece. None of them cares enough about the Soccer World Cup. It is China that should be mocked, who has dreamed the dream for almost 50 years, and now the dream remains a dream.

Starting from 1990s, Japan and China share much in common advancing their soccer performance. Foreign coaches were hired and national soccer leagues launched. With affluent supports from government and enterprises, Japan's soccer does not let the investors down. It has always been a qualifier team of FIFA since 1998 , and this year in Russia Japan enters Top 16. It is amazing! I am envious of and bent by their massive progress. China's story is, however, a tragedy. Except in 2002, China's soccer has been in the same nightmare having to be awakened up. What a disappointment! What a shame! What is wrong with China?

China has been lagged behind Japan since its closed door was broken by the torrent of the exterior civilization. Coping with this open-door crisis, Japan demonstrated his rare wit and wisdom by positioning himself swiftly as a student learning from the strong powers and accepting the rules. A thriving modern Japan grew soon out of the feudal state in the Meiji Reform. It beefed up quickly, and  made itself, too, a strong power---they won the marvellous marine triumphs over China, and over Russia as well years later.

China has largely been a slow and sometimes over-proud student. His superiority tended to blind him, and ignore the might of the external world. Most often, he showed the world his fearless courage in defendig dignity and defying internaionally well-established customs and conventions. To the outsiders, China was still a naïve pupil.  For whatever reason, they felt it's their duty to bring this naughty child into the adult world, where reason rather than rage dominates the moves and practices to be adopted. Have you seen so far China has made himself wholly in this rules-governed community?

This year is a time of events. Ongoing is the trade war between China and US. How do you think will China impress the international community in finally concluding this dispute?  I do wish that China, after decades of growth, could win himself a chance to return the world a surprise. Such a cool surprise is very much expected in these hot summer days. The heat wave of this year's is so destroying.