Sinophobia is a consistent hostility toward people of Chinese origin, and may also refer to hostility of China's culture or history. The term describes the actions and attitudes of individuals as well as the policies and pronouncements of governments and other organizations.
While the term essentially denotes an ethnic bigotry it is often used in connection with politics and and may not be confined to non-ethnic Chinese: protests against and criticism of China in Taiwan, for instance, are sometimes considered examples of Sinophobia.
In Asia
Significant Chinese minorities exist in a number of South-East Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Generally urban and often wealthy businesses owners, these transplanted Chinese have traditionally controlled much capital and general economic activity in these countries despite their minority status. Resentment amongst the poorer majority has often led to anti-Chinese violence, such as in 1969 in Malaysia and as recently as 1998 in Indonesia. [1] Malaysia is in the unusual position of utilizing affirmative action to the benefit of members of the majority population rather than its minorities.
In the West
China has figured in the Western imagination for more than two millennia in a variety of ways: positively, as an inventive, well-organized alternative civilization and negatively as a monolithic, repressive society.
In modern times, China has been an ambivalent immigration source for the west and obviously Sinophobic policies (such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, and the policies of Richard Seddon) and pronouncements on the "yellow peril" were in evidence as late as the mid-20th century in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. This has largely subsided however, and Chinese immigrants are often considered to be a model minority.
Internationally, China's booming economy and tremendous growth in power has been the subject of much speculation and apprehension with many believing that China could soon be in a position to challenge America as the sole superpower.