Contrasting depictions of Asians in Tintin

Question

In The Blue Lotus, Tintin talks to Chang about various 'silly' stereotypes held by Westerners.

The story is pretty thoughtful in its representation of Asians.

But in earlier adventures, Herge drew his Asians very differently, like here in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets:

And the original B&W version of Tintin in America has a scene where Snowy is afraid he'll be eaten by some Asian clouts. I've seen that frame once and can find numerous references to it online, but I cannot for the life of me find an image of it online. But either way, Hergé himself once subscribed to those stereotypical notions that he ridicules in a later book.

What gives?

Answer 1

Hergé apparently met an art student called Chang Chong-Chen, the same name he gives to the man who saved Tintin in Blue Lotus.

Mark Tweedale at Multiversitycomics.com writes:

Why the change? Well, Hergé met a Chinese student of sculpture, Chang Chong-chen, and the two became friends.

Chang had a profound influence on “The Blue Lotus,” and in fact all the Chinese text in the book was written by Chang. If you can read Mandarin, there’s a whole other level to the book. Chang also taught Hergé about Chinese art, and the influence here is unmistakable.

And

Here Hergé isn’t just talking about ‘many Europeans’; he’s talking about himself, about the way he had thought a mere five years earlier, and it shows his budding sense of responsibility to his readers in the way he portrays the places and peoples Tintin visits.