China Derangement Syndrome

A politically broad reflex—popular, media, and intellectual—that turns any ambiguous evidence about China into moral proof of national vice, amplified by social media and selective use of social‑science. The syndrome mixes genuine policy concerns with cultural panics, producing consistent bipartisan hostility that skews debate and policy choices. — Naming this syndrome clarifies how measurement choices and online amplification produce a durable, distorting narrative about China that affects trade, security, and domestic cohesion.