Yeah, I would not even for one moment, think about rebuking something like a flag-raising ceremony because it may offend people that I do not even wish to offend. It could quite possibly be said that every Chinese person is proud to be Chinese, regardless of their views of the political goings on, economic performance etc.

Equally, I would never consider raising the Chinese flag myself or singing their national anthem as it could unintentionally offend people, because as a foreigner, I do not feel entitled to do things that should be reserved for the Chinese people. The fact is, I will never be Chinese, although if I eventually get married here, there is a chance that I may have to raise a son or daughter as a Chinese national (which would arguably depend upon the nationality or wishes of a future wife). One of my friends does precisely that.

I won't delve too much into China's issues here, but I could make a point whilst referring to my own country.

I hate all the political classes in my own country (the U.K) and feel that none of them can be trusted. Both the Conservative and Labour governments that have reigned during my lifetime have previously let me down and disappointed me in some way or another and my hometown is an absolute shithole. But regardless of the present situation, the bad weather or those teenage yobs, the awful, civilised, little shits that our lower class type of mothers seem to squeeze out on the kind of regular basis that a civilised person would do when it comes to taking a shit, I still somehow do seem to take some pride in being British. I do not always like my country and certainly do not like quite a few things about it and people within it, but I will always (possibly begrudgingly, if it is a bad day), love my country.