Yong is the outer manifestation of something. Ti is the underlying essence. Technology is a yong associated with a particular ti that is .. Western, and completely alien to us [the Chinese]. For centuries, since the time of the Opium Wars, we have struggled to absorb the yong of technology without importing the Western ti. But it has been impossible. Just as our ancestors could not open our ports to the West without accepting the poison of opium, we could not open our lives to Western technology without taking in the Western ideas, which have been as a plague on our society. The result has been centuries of chaos. Neal Stephenson
About This Quote

The Chinese call the West the Middle Kingdom and the Westerners call them barbarians. Both of them are true. The Westerners can see that China is a great power and that it will be a great power. They also know that we are not like them.

They know what we represent and they think they can take advantage of us. But they don't understand, because they never tried to understand us.

Source: The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Ladys Illustrated Primer

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