this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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"Old friend" is a common phrase China’s communist party uses as a tribute to foreigners considered helpful to their interests. It’s also an expression of nostalgia for longtime companions or acquaintances.

Is this real or did they just made it up to make China sound more mysterious and different lol

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[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 42 points 2 years ago

The Corn farmer / Xi friend arc is Americas only saving grace

[–] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 33 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thomas and Eleanor Dvorchak played host to Xi. He slept in the Star Trek-themed bedroom belonging to the Dvorchaks' son, Gary, who was away at university.

Mr Aldo’s house has an entire room decorated with Minions merchandise, generated widespread mockery on social media from left-leaning US commenters, with many wondering if the former president [Jair Bolsonaro] had been sleeping in a bed adorned with the strange yellow cartoon characters.

xigma-male bolso-pain

[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 28 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Holy shit, Xi went to sleep in a Star Trek room for an entire period of his life.

He has to have been affected by this

[–] FourteenEyes@hexbear.net 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Chinese Warp drive by 2028

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 16 points 2 years ago

Zephram Cochrane btfo

[–] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

The Chinese reunionification of 2024

[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 33 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)

The "Old friend" shit is just you standard sinophobic "The Chinese are sneaky and just pretending to be friendly" bs

[–] EmmaGoldman@hexbear.net 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Yeah no idk what the hell they're doing with this article. 老外 (lǎowài in pinyin) literally translates to "old foreign" and is sort of said with the tone and intention of calling someone an "ol' buddy." It's a good-humored thing but isn't used formally by the press or government as it's seen as unprofessional and possibly misinterpreted for exactly this reason. Media crackers being disingenuous as always.

[–] PointAndClique@hexbear.net 23 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

老外 here isn't the correct backtranslation I think, it's more mundane i.e. 老朋友 (lao pengyou lit, old friend). The 老 is affectionate, as you say. This would be the same lao pengyou they use for, for e.g. * spits * Kissinger.

Edit: read the article and yeah in that context it literally would just be 'old friend' 老朋友 with all the familiar, friendly connotations and usage it has in English. Wouldn't expect any less from VOA.

[–] EmmaGoldman@hexbear.net 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ahh, gotcha. I am only at the beginning of my language learning journey, thanks for the correction!

[–] PointAndClique@hexbear.net 13 points 2 years ago

No probs! 继续努力 💪

[–] VILenin@hexbear.net 10 points 2 years ago

Pretty rich coming from people who use the word "aliens" to describe foreigners

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 19 points 2 years ago

Westoids: "The Chinese are deceptive and inscrutable and you can't take them at their word."

Also Westoids: "Of course I said the exact opposite of what I actually meant. Don't you understand sarcasm?!"

[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 14 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

You should actually look into the origins of the term. It’s been used diplomatically for decades.

[–] GaveUp@hexbear.net 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

afaik the term is used for any long time/old business partners you're on friendly terms with. always used in a very comradely and genuinely thankful demeanor

[–] VILenin@hexbear.net 10 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

It's also a phrase/concept that exists in every language that has ever been. Ever. In all history.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think Iowa is a friendship state with China? Something like that, one of those weird local things like sister cities

[–] PointAndClique@hexbear.net 19 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

States/provinces within a federation usually have sister relationships with equivalent gubernatorial bodies, so for example Iowa is sister states with Hebei province while Des Moines is sister cities with Hebei's Shijiazhuang.

(Sister citites don't always have to be from the sister state, though in this case they align)

Xi came out to the USA on an agricultural delegation from Hebei.

[–] CDommunist@hexbear.net 18 points 2 years ago
[–] CrispyFern@hexbear.net 16 points 2 years ago

It should have been me, not them! kiryu-slam

[–] VILenin@hexbear.net 10 points 2 years ago

They're on a watchlist now