China's Response to Pelosi's Taiwan Visit, Before and After

To those who love China, Nancy Pelosi must be the most hated person in their minds now.

Indeed, rationally speaking, there is no good reason for her to visit Taiwan. Her intention was nothing but to provoke China. She has been an incessant China-basher since the Tiananmen days. Any good to her political career or legacy? I am afraid there is very little. She is almost certain to be out as Speaker of the US’s House of Representative in a couple of months when Americans go to the poll for their mid-term elections. It is unlikely the Democrats can hold on to their majority in the House.

Joe Biden and his Democratic Party leaders have simply run out of ideas about how to turn their fortune around. The economy is a state of disarray; even Yellen and Powell are engaging in self-denials. They seem to believe that provoking China is the only way to turn the tide. But many polls seem to tell us otherwise, despite all their efforts to demonise China. Yes, Americans do not like China, but it is not their primary concern now.

This does not bother me, since this is America’s politics. You reap what you sow.

But China’s response is bothering me, especially its spokespeople and champions, official or semi-official.

When news broke out that this crazy woman (from the mouth of Donald Trump) MIGHT visit Taiwan, all hell began to break loose in Chinese media. Threats sprang up from everywhere. Watch out, we will do everything to whack you if it happens seems to be the standard battle cry. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs icon Zhao Lijian again repeated the same silly lines: (a) We resolutely oppose external forces’ interference with our internal affairs, (b) We will do everything to safeguard our territorial integrity, and (c) The US and the pro-Independence forces in Taiwan must take full responsibility for their actions. My questions are:

(1) Who cares about your opposition? This is not a debate, is it?

(2) What can you do?

(3) Taking full responsibility? What does that mean? And so what?

 

Spokespersons like Zhao Lijian love to do chest-thumping. Such acts do appeal to audiences internally and to ethnic Chinese all over the world. But they are usually received with contempt by the West’s and pro-West journalist provocateurs, who are instrumental in shaping men-in-the-street opinions and perceptions globally – by virtue of the formidable might of their dissemination infrastructure.

When Pelosi’s plane flew in via the eastern waters of the Philippines in the evening of August 2, China did scramble a few jets to do a token show. But they possessed no threat to the plane at all. I suppose she did not even know it happened. When the plane landed on the tarmac, it was clear that China had to eat its humble pie. Strong threats turned into whimpers. Pelosi made her point and earned herself a medal from Tsai Ing-wen!

The sceptics of Chinese rhetoric echo: There I told you; this is China’s NATO – No Action, Talk Only! And to ethnic Chinese all over the world, what China has responded so far is a big let-down. (As a Westerner has suggested, at least China should break its diplomatic ties (or bring it to a chargé d'affaires level) with the US, or seize Jin-men (Kinmen) or Peng-hu islands as a show of resolve. (Shooting down Pelosi’s plane, however, was a harebrain proposition.) Military drills and exercises that are now taking place around Taiwan are not going to serve any purpose; they are just like the temple ceremonies one usually sees in the more traditional pockets of East and Southeast Asia where Chinese are a dominant community – firecrackers and in-trance Daoist priests or mediums dancing to the beat of the loud drums and the cymbals.

I am extremely proud of my heritage, but I am in despair over the way the Chinese officials are behaving now. President Xi has done a great deal for China. I believe he will be remembered as a sage ruler Chinese history sees probably once in three to four hundred years. (The last maybe is the founder of the Ming dynasty – Chu Yen-zhang.)

Militarily China might be able to fight the Americans and their allies if the latter intervene in China’s attempt to rein in Taiwan by force today. But they know this is totally undesirable at the moment. It will stall the progress of China’s economic well-being and aggravate the hatred many Taiwanese have on Mainland China, just like how the Ukrainians are feeling towards Russians now, even though they are of the same stock.

China is home to the military genius of Sun-tze. They know so much about the art of war. Why can’t they practise Sun-tze? Sun-tze shows you ways to prepare for a war, how to win a battle without fighting, etc. Springing surprises is one key ingredient of Sun-tzeism. When you know you are not ready, you must stay aloof or lie low, and keep the enemy guessing. After you have lulled them into complacency or a state when they have run out of ammunitions or substances to provoke, you STRIKE! That moment for China will certainly come – perhaps when its GDP is two or three times that of the US’s. And bringing back Taiwan at that time is just like taking a walk in the park.

As for governing China, the philosophy of Kung-tze, which Xi seems to be following is the right way to sustain a long CPC “dynasty.” (Many Western journalists think that Xi has ordered a tough stance in this incident because he is politically vulnerable domestically. This is rubbish; they simply do not understand China and Chineseness. Chinese believe in Heaven-and-Earth Order. Once a leader is given a mandate, his authority is more or less absolute. Emperors have never been forced to abdicate, unless he has courted the wrath of Heaven (for neglecting the plight of the masses or engaging in non-virtuous activities). Remember Lee Kuan Yew, or even Tsai Ing-wen? Had anyone dared challenge Lee when he was in power? And despite Tsai’s mediocrity (and her somewhat questionable PhD), has she ever been in danger of being brought down? That’s Chineseness.

Mr Wang Yi, do get rid of spokespersons like Zhao Lijian, and enlist professional help to champion or explain China’s cause to the non-Chinese world.