China debates a cycle that was stolen, found

A stolen bicycle, which was found and returned to its Japanese owner, has sparked a fierce online debate in China, with some cheering and others criticising the police for paying special attention to a foreigner.

An article in the op-ed section of the Global Times said that the story of a stolen bike that has been found and returned has triggered public discussion in China.

Kawahara Keiichiro, a 28-year-old Japanese who tours the world on a bicycle, got back his bike Monday, three days after it was stolen in Wuhan, Hubei province.

The involvement of netizens was a big help in quickly finding the bike.

The police became a target of criticism after getting the bicycle back as they were blamed for giving special attention to a foreigner.

The reaction of Chinese people to this incident is rather self-contradictory, said the editorial.

Kawahara’s friend posted the theft on Sina Weibo microblogging site and the post became a sensation. Over 50,000 responses called on web users to help find the bike.

“It’s a matter of China’s face,” said one post while many expressed displeasure at the theft.

Calling it a commonplace incident, the editorial said Chinese people made “it a vital matter that concerns the country’s international image”.

“However, after the face of China was successfully safeguarded, complaints emanated that special care was given to a foreigner, which is inappropriate. Why can most stolen belongings of local people not be retrieved in the same speedy manner?,” it asked.

It went on to say that “a simple bike has seemingly reflected an embarrassing situation, namely that Chinese still cannot view foreigners equally. People are still too sensitive to foreign evaluations of the country and confined to an inferior mentality”.