A case involving Chinese tourists using fake tickets to get into the famed Louvre Museum in Paris is being investigated by French police. In August, Belgian customs authorities found a package sent from China that included 3,600 counterfeit Louvre passes. Chinese netizens are outraged that their compatriots are "losing face" abroad.

Within China, it is all too common to see people buying forged certificates, sneak through an entrance without a ticket, or purchase a knockoff of a luxury bag.

But people feel shameful when their compatriots do the same things abroad, partly because these "dirty" deeds are relatively rare in other countries.

But it is not accurate to say those involved in the possible ticket scam "hurt" the Chinese image, as they actually represent a real facet of the Chinese image.

Some blame the current changing social stage. This seems plausible, but can hardly explain why people in poorer countries are able to behave in a more civilized way.

We may have to admit that Chinese are lacking in modern civilized manners, and their behavior lags behind the level of the nation's material growth.

The Chinese, who have lived in an agricultural civilization since ancient times, lack public consciousness and are keen on gaining petty advantages. In a society run on connections and based on a peasant economy, respect for laws and rules is also lacking. These characteristics, just like the Chinese traits of diligence, hard work and optimism, objectively exist.

This also partly explains why China needs so many urban management officers, why the nation has become a copycat kingdom, and why corruption cases keep occurring. Taking this fact into consideration is a prerequisite for any economic planning or system designing.

It is easy to introduce modern technology and equipment, or to mould a group of social elites. But modernization is, after all, the fostering of modern civilians in terms of both psychology and behavior. This is where the biggest gap lies between China and developed countries.

In the past century, the so-called Chinese "national character" has been repeatedly criticized, but to seemingly little effect.

The latest scam reflects two changes which may allow us to feel slightly optimistic.

First, through the unprecedented mobility of people and information brought by globalization, the Chinese clearly see the flaws in their character and feel ashamed, which is a prerequisite for any positive change.

Second, in the Internet era, more ugly actions are being exposed online and screened after being denounced. Ethical values will come to the fore in society in the long run.