Has anyone heard this strange conspiracy about Chinese restaurants?

Question

A friend of mine once shared a speculation (or paranoid delusion) that Chinese restaurants in America are being secretly staffed by people from the Chinese military, so that there is both a military presence in America and a means of spying on people.

I thought this was somewhat preposterous, but I'm curious if anyone else has ever heard this, and if there's a remote grain of truth to this, or if it's just totally silly.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Absolutely crazily false.

Possibly the origin of this is just xenophobic terror of Chinese American immigrants.

But one other possible origin is more amusing.

When I worked in a Chinese restaurant, the owner, 70ish (in the 1980s) Mr. M., often referred to himself as a general and those of us who labored as busboys, dishwashers, waitstaff, and cooks as his soldiers. This was from Sun Tzu's *Art of War*, which was one of the foundational books of classical Chinese education, especially important for someone of his generation (pre-Mao, post-Sun Yat-Sen, the first generally educated generation of mainland Chinese outside the Mandarin examination system). Master Sun's teachings informed (and continue to inform) Chinese managerial and organizational theory from the highest levels to the smallest family business, and there may be other old Chinese American restaurant owners who see themselves as generals in the life-as-war metaphor of Master Sun's philosophy.

So it's totally silly, but not totally random.

Answer 2

You know, I almost laughed at this question, until I remembered something...

The Chinese restaurant that I go to is owned by a man and a woman, and the man was definitely in the military in China. Obviously, he's not anymore, since he's serving me fried rice. I think that this rumor probably started due to the fact that the Chinese Army is one of the largest (edit: THE largest) in the world. Also, anyone 18+ is required to register (think the Selective Service Act in the US, except for everyone, not just men).

I think that most Chinese immigrants have probably served their country, thereby making them former members of the army, which could lead to a belief that they were here to infilitrate.

But again, I don't really think that we've been infiltrated through our restaurants (but it'd be a small price to pay for the joy of crab rangoon and General's chicken.)

Answer 3

No, I do not get into the hype. I did hear some of the chicken is not processed by the US. At one point the looking for the bird flu was a worry. Pray for yourself and say the blessings before you eat. I hear you might want to look into the health department code that the kitchens are meeting standards.
The food is great. It is a change of pace and America is a melting pot. The idea you can get up and make a dollar and get a living is so free. Do you watch the Apprentice ? In stead of finding fault get out and enjoy the view.

Answer 4

This is absolutely true. Thank goodness someone has had the nerve to disclose the plot. It's a fifth division and will be activated as soon as critical mass is reached. It's part of the Chinese plan to take over the World. These restaurants are in every corner of the Globe. Chinese migrate to everywhere to fulfill the mission of a 'New Chinese Empire'. So be careful when reading the fortune cookies. Inscrutable these Chinese are.

Answer 5

Did you hear about the other conspiracy involving fortune cookies and secret bugs? In some restaurants, an employee eavesdrops on the conversations, then personalize their fortune cookies. The government saw this as a terrific way to spy on people, and are offering to turn a blind eye to illegal immigration in exchange for listening rights.




No? Because I made it up. There are many plausible speculations, but these aren't it.

Answer 6

LOL, I'd say totally silly---and I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist.

I love chinese restaurants and have gotten to know a lot of the people that work in them and run them. If that's the "military presence", then we're done for, lol.

Answer 7

The Chinese military and Chinese Communist government (which is effectively one in the same) is intent on destroying America, eventually. They have spies all over the country and have bought U.S., British and Canadian companies specifically to gain military advantage over us. But most people who work in Chinese restaurants are here because they risked their lives *escaping* the murderous Chinese Communist government and military.

Answer 8

The MSG in the food is causing delusional and paranoid thoughts.
Most of my neighborhood Chinese restaurants have Illegal alien Mexican cook staff and on any given day at lunch are filled with yard crews eating fried rice..
Plus my favorite is owned by Koreans, never ceases to amaze how they are able to communicate korean to spanish so wellll.

Answer 9

If this is true (I have never heard this rumor) then they must be recruiting Mexican members as well; lots of the larger Chinese restaurants I've been to have Mexican staff as well as Chinese; a few even hired an American or two. Does this mean we can expand the conspiracy theory to include a secret collusion between the Chinese and Mexican governments?
Cheers!

Answer 10

One the many Chinese restaurants in my city is run by a friend of mine. He works 7 days a week, closes only on Thanksgiving day. He is much too busy to be anything but a restaurateur.