Nope. When people say "Chinese origins", they mean it is designed in People's Republic of China, which many people distrust for political reasons. If it was designed in Taiwan or Singapore, which are also populated by Chinese, it would be called "Taiwanese" or "Singaporean" origin, and would not make any controversy at all.
Claiming that "it's not against the Chinese but against their government" is also sometimes a convenient and not completely honest way to deflect claims of racism. The same happens with Israel and it can be quite insiduous.
When people have to notice and discuss the Chinese origin of everything, all the time, "but just because of the Chinese government's policies" in my view they complain too much...
And when it's not the government, it's pollution, or IP theft, or because they eat dogs (in some part of the country), or whatnot.
> a convenient but not completely honest way to deflect claims of racism
And sometimes claims of racism can be a convenient but not quite honest way to deflect criticism of policy.
Could we avoid straw man arguments?
There is an element of racism on issues related to China. There is no point denying it.
There is certainly less of it (or at least it is much less obvious) than during the anti-China campaign in the West/US during the 50s and 60s but it is still there.
As I wrote, some people just complain too much... It's quite obvious in this thread.
We can - but that wasn't a straw-man argument.
> There is an element of racism on issues regarding China.
I agree. There is also an element of "that's racist" being used to deflect criticism.
A comment with similar contents as yours but "pro-China" would immediately be labelled as coming from a 'bot' or someone paid by the Chinese government.
I find this fascinating. The current climate regarding China is fantastic book material for Noam Chomsky.
Edit: I'd like to add. There are so many conflicts and animosities and distrust that have zero to do with racism. Our troubles with Russia are entirely ideological, for example. And especially in geopolitics, the issues that cause conflict usually revolve around pragmatic things like resources, economic/military power, spheres of influence, etc.
Being negative about people simply based on their nationality is racist.
Those attempts at denying that because a country or a people are not "a race" is ludicrous.
If I say that I don't like Mexicans that's racist, for example. If I try to deny it because that's not "a race" I will only ridiculise myself even more.
Or it is not racists when governments do it, but is racists when individuals/companies do it?
It's probably too much to put ordinary people under suspicion right away, but for for legal bodies it's totally reasonable if you ask me. To assume that you can run business in an authoritarian country and be totally independent from the government is plainly naive. Even if you are not formally a member of the ruling party.