Comment on "Are Westerners in China more socially virtuous than Chinese?" (China Daily website, June 18)

Please don't view criticisms as bad, many are constructive! Foreigners living in China are sharing with you their opinions on what they have observed, with the intention of seeing improvements which benefit everyone living in this big community.

The mindset of the locals and foreigners differ quite a bit. The locals see bad behavior in their society everyday and over a long period time, they get used to it and become numb to it like it is the norm. They accept it and they know that nothing is going to change it, even if they speak up! Foreigners, especially from developed countries, don't see so much of it back home, so when they come to China and see drivers running the red lights, driving against the flow of traffic, don't give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings, people spitting and littering all over the place, even lifting their toddlers to urinate into wash basins in McDonald's and KFC, they get a shock and most speak up!

So please don't shoot the messenger! We don't enjoy criticizing; it gives us no pleasure at all; we only hope that bringing matters to public attention might help to improve social behavior! Creating public awareness is the first step towards improvement! Hope you take it in the right spirit!

Foreign Observer, on China Daily website

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