I knew that posting that would get quite a reaction, due to the nature of the average poster on the board these days.

The red carpet is indeed no longer laid out in China and although the occasional bouts of senseless racism can irritate you when you travel to the less cosmopilitan and developed places, it is actually a good thing; having people trying to kiss your arse all the time just seems rather fake. It also means that you will need to learn speak Mandarin to a good standard; if you aren't going to ever do that, just go home.