Starting with the arrival of European sailors in the sixteenth century, foreigners were often perceived in China as "uncivilized tribes given to mayhem and destruction".[3][4] In the southern parts of China, the termgweilo (鬼佬) was used; this term remains popular today in theCantonese-speaking regions of China. In northern parts, the term 'western devil' (西洋鬼子xiyáng guǐzi) was used.[4]
The charactergui (鬼) can have negative connotations itself without thezi (子)suffix, which can mean "son" or simply be aninterjection. For example, when it was attached to the Westerners in the termyang guizi (洋鬼子 'overseas devils') during theBoxer Rebellion, to the Japanese military in the termguizi bing (鬼子兵 'devil soldiers') during theSecond Sino-Japanese War, and to the Korean collaborators with the termer guizi (二鬼子 'second-rank devil'). It can also be used as an adjective to express hatred and deprecation. However, the same term can also be applied derogatorily to any foreign military which was an enemy to China. InTaiwan, anti-Japanese demonstrators from theNew Party hoisted signs with "Guizi! Get out" (鬼子！快滾) during the2012 China anti-Japanese demonstrations.[1] Local expressions towards the Japanese during their occupation of China duringWorld War II also usedgui. The term conveys a generalized negative feeling; it is somewhat archaic in contemporary use, and other comparatively negative terms have largely replaced it.[citation needed]
Riben guizi (日本鬼子; 'Japanese devil') ordongyang guizi (東洋鬼子;dōngyáng guǐzi; 'east ocean devil') — used to refer toJapanese. In 2010 Japanese internet users on2channel created the fictionalmoe characterHinomoto Oniko (日本鬼子) which refers to the ethnic term, withHinomoto Oniko being the Japanesekun'yomi reading of theChinese characters日本鬼子.[5]
Er guizi (二鬼子; 'second-rank devil') — used to refer to ethnic Koreanconscripts andparapoliceman who contributed to the Japanese occupation and war effort during theSecond Sino-Japanese War and thePacific War.[6] It was later extended to refer to all collaborators with the Japanese, includinghanjians andTaiwanese conscripts. In modern times, however, the terms became synonymous withrace traitor, referring to any Chinese nationals andoverseas Chinese who act as appeasers or promoters of foreign interests at the expense of Chinese national interests.[citation needed]
Jia yang guizi (假洋鬼子; 'fake overseas devil') — used to refer to "sellout" Chinese whoadopt Western values and are discriminatory to their own ethnic identity and cultural heritage. Initially used to describecompradors and foreign-educated scholars during the late 19th century, who often dressed and talked like Westerners, the term is now synonymous torace traitors. A similar word in English is "Uncle Chan", which is derived fromUncle Tom and used to describe a xenophilicHongkonger—and by further extension anywesternized Chinese, regardless of mainland or overseas origin—who are perceived asself-hating, supportingHong Kong independence and pandering tosinophobia in order to gain favor from Westerners.[citation needed]
