One thing I've noticed about Yunnan is that, compared to other places I've lived in Mainland China (Sichuan), people are a bit less likely to make a big deal out of you, either positively or negatively, just because you are a foreigner. I like this. And people also seem to be a bit more laid back, which is fine with me - yeah, maybe the mountains being high & the emperor far away does relate to levels of corruption, but there is an upside to it too. Remarks about laziness of Yunnan people seem exaggerated to me, although I'm willing to agree that the fixation on work and making money, etc., which is nearly everywhere in China, is a bit lighter here, on average (the money-fixation in Hong Kong, a place I like for some reasons, drives me crazy & is depressing; Shanghai is a place I don't know, but it sounds a bit the same) - I've been a lot of places in China where people all too often seem to forget that there are other things besides material gain.
@Long Dragon: the phrase 'backward culture' may need some clear definition, as well as the logical opposite - 'forward culture', 'progress'? All valid terms, perhaps, but only if clarified & used in relevant context.

@Tonyoad: No, Alien did not.
@Laotou: The Diaoyu Islands and the Spratleys are different groups of islands. The current noise is about the Spratleys, not about the Diaoyu, although the latter issue has been going on for decades.

PS Yankee is right about the plight of Japanese-Americans during WWII, though nationalist-racist hysteria in the US might well have been a danger to them as well - old tradition, cf reactions towards US citizens of partial German descent during WWI. The same bs pops up almost everywhere, especially when economic & political elites disagree about how they will control the planet.

Yeah, depends on how badly the situation might develop. But I'm not overly worried about it for the present, & I don't think others should be either - just try not to add to the universal species-wide collective insanity.
"Don't follow leaders, & watch the parking meters." - Bob Dylan

Most citizens of modern countries give in to the nationalist trick of blaming the citizens of 'enemy countries' for the actions of the governments that control them & 'educate' them. One can certainly expect this to happen in China. Would probably be best to flee the camp. However, if governments of superpowers are so nasty & irresponsible as to start wars in this day & age, with all the weaponry available on both sides, I'm not too sure where one might want to go.
More likely, however, would be small limited engagements that the indoctrinated masses would get excited about - good to keep one's head down in such situations & wait for them to blow over.