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[quote=CHRISWAUGHBJ,231883]洋人= Westerner. In this context 洋 refers to the West, probably because the Westerners who had the biggest impact on China arrived by ship, starting from the Ming Dynasty. 洋 meaning Western crops up in a few other words, such as 洋车 meaning 自行车/bicycle, although I'm not so sure how common these words are today. In my experience, 洋车 is more commonly used by older people in rural areas. Correct me if I'm wrong.
番, according to my 新华字典 bilingual edition, is defined first as 'foreign, barbarian', then as 'replace', then as a measure word. I don't find 番客 so nice.
老外 is very common, but is usually used to refer to Westerners, especially those of the white-skinned variety. Not often used to refer to people of other skin colours. Some people find it offensive, although the word itself is essentially neutral. Of course, it can be used offensively, but then again, so can any word.
As for derogatory words, I have been called 洋鬼子 on  a couple of occasions. Not a pleasant experience, especially considering the people calling me that did not have the balls to face up to me, they just muttered it as they were walking by, no doubt assuming I wouldn't understand. 
红毛 suits me perfectly.[/quote]

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