My Book: China's Arduous Journey to Earn Its Place

It is my pleasure to extend the digital copy of my book to readers and their friends...

https://1drv.ms/b/s!ArkZF_cfnOTCriDWym2bt92hN0n_?e=QtqLqd

BBC – Big Bullshit Corporation

BBC – Big Bullshit Corporation

I have stopped tuning to BBC since it joined the anti-China bandwagon. I particularly hate to see the faces of these two presenters in its HARDtalk programme: Tim Sabastian and Stephen Sackur, especially in the way they try to twist and distort facts with their interviewees. Very sickening indeed! Nonetheless, I still keep an eye on this channel from time to time, basically to know how much they can lie about things on China.

However, when I first saw their clip showing how Hu Jintao was escorted out of the concluding session of the CPC’s 20^th National Congress, I felt disappointed with Xi Jinping. Xi seemed callous to Hu’s seemingly humiliating exit. And for the first time, I harboured doubt of Xi’s character. No one had come forward to explain the background of the scene, giving rise to all sorts of speculations. The West seemed to insinuate that this was China’s power play at its worst.

But on second thought, I knew Xi could not be that stupid. And when there were no follow-ups from BBC on the incident, I knew the issue was certainly not about the power play in China. True enough, it has emerged that it was more about Hu’s medical condition than anything else.

However, I do blame China's official media for not making any attempt to preempt such a misconception. This lack of PR ability or capacity is still very evident in China today. They did not seem to be able to go beyond their scripts. Another glaring example is the way they hold press conferences. Obviously, the questions had already been planted. You can see the answers were well prepared and read wholesale; little was left to spontaneous efforts. I suppose nobody wants to make any mistake.

Nonetheless, BBC's obvious attempt to insinuate further reinforces my contempt for its professionalism, or the lack of it. 

As a matter of fact, they had just distorted what had happened in the Chinese consulate in Manchester by saying that peaceful protesters had been dragged into the consulate to be bashed up! When other videos clips were made available and analyzed, BBC’s accusation was certainly exposed as dishonest. I posted some of these exposés and it prompted a member in one of our WhatsApp chat groups to brand BBC as “Big Bluff Corporation”. I am harsher than him. I think Big Bullshit Corporation is more befitting.

If there is anything that it can bash China, it will certainly do. I remember years ago, when 39 illegal migrants were found to have died from suffocation in a container that was being transported across the Chennel, BBC immediately gave the world the impression these unfortunate souls were Chinese. And no apology was offered when they knew they had made a bad call.

Strangling the Panda

 

Strangling the Panda

 

Homer, Homer, you are not a bad man. But I couldn’t find a better picture to tell a story. Sorry to use this one…

Readers would certainly see the point I am going to make: The panda is now being strangled by Uncle Sam without mercy.

Uncle Sam was not a bad man previously, but he has reincarnated himself into a cold-blooded reptile. Unless the panda promises to be subjugated – economically maybe half of his, i.e., roughly 1/10^th in per capita terms, happy to be a cheap and low-end source of goods, and militarily self-amputated to be a Third World country- Uncle Sam is not going to let loosen his grip!

Can the panda survive?

The West is cheering and betting that it will succumb, for Uncle Sam is simply too formidable at the moment.

* * * * *

But it is tantamount to cutting your own nose to spite your face…

The Communist Party of China has just held his 20^th national congress. And a week or two before this event, the US has just announced the most sweeping ban on the access of chip-making technology by China. No matter where you operate, as long as your ware is using a fair fraction of US’s technology, you cannot sell it to China. All in the name of US’s national security. Period.

But is this totally fatal to China?

I am no ICT expert. But I am happy to wager that Sleepy Joe and his class of a classic case of cutting off own nose to spite own face, or the Chinese fondness in saying “destroying enemy’s 800 at the expense of your own 1000” in reverse. China is the market. By denying China of the technology, you are just destroying your own market, the cost of which will be billions and billions of dollars to the US economy, not only to China and the rest of the world.

Only China has the critical mass to innovate applications to mass-market things to the world. Otherwise, whatever you invent, the only thing you can count on is a small niche demand. The last ten years saw the realization of this basic knowledge in the most phenomenal manner. Huawei’s phone became the undisputed world champion virtually overnight, followed by its 5G roll-out, until the US began to blockade the company. Now BYD’s electric vehicle is already generating huge interest in many parts of the world – with little fanfare and promotion.

Yes, many “Made in China” products are still lacking in quality, but Chinese producers have also begun to go upmarket. Huawei and BYD are leading the way; no one in the world can label them as low-quality producers.

In the 1990s, I was invited to be a non-executive and non-remunerated director of the Malaysian arm of one of a large Chinese SOE that was making power plants. Unfortunately, the IPP (independent power producer) that they were working on in Malaysia could not take off in the wake of the region’s crippling financial crisis at that time. I quit soon after. Some years later, I learned that the huge power plant that they had built in Java had to be mothballed because it did not seem to be able to work well. I was just reminiscing with Rocky Wong, my good friend, and among other things, we spoke about this power plant. Rocky is an expert in power plants; he has helped to roll out several IPPs (independent power plant producers) in Malaysia. He said there was nothing wrong with the technology or the equipment supplied and installed. He said the problem boiled down to the inadequacy of their manual’s instruction. Too much un-English English! Or in this case, un-Indonesian Indonesian! This also reminds me of the first couple of commuter trains delivered to Malayan Railway. The fault is said to be with the control and instrumentation. Basically an instruction issue, I suppose?

I was observing a podcast out of mainland China. The narrator was lamenting about the state of the agricultural machine manufacturing industry in China. He pointed out that an Indian manufacturer has successfully made China to eat dust in this industry. The company is Mumbai-based Mahindra which makes and supplies excellent farming machinery all over the world. Such machines are not really high-tech. Why can’t China master it? Answer: Too many manufacturers and all too anxious to introduce their wares. As a result, parts tend to be problematic. While Chinese farmers are usually handy enough to make-shift fix them, can you expect African farmers to do the same? No wonder, the latter tend to shy away from these machines. China knows the problem. Yet, bad manufacturers still proliferate.

Back to America’s strangulation of the chips’ availability and some of the advanced chip-making technology to China.

I remember being invited by the Institute of Higher Education Malaysia to be a panel to discuss the impact of the 4^th Industrial Revolution on Education in 2018. Being a novice, I obviously had to do some research to prepare for the day. I was awed by so many new things: big data, block chain, etc. I was totally amazed by the possibilities that could be brough about with the advent of 5G. Indeed, the world is at the threshold to go into the 4^th Industrial Revolution. Alas, with his effort to hold back China, Biden has put a brake to all that. There was a huge absence of innovative breakthroughs for the past two years. How sad!

Without allowing China to help create the “multiplication” effect in technology roll-out (which can only be made possible with more and more advanced chip[1]), and with Europe paralyzed by the war in Ukraine, the march towards into the 4^th Industrial Revolution can only be tentative… until China overcomes the chip-making supply chain on its own steam.

Over to you, Uncle Sam…

 America’s dominance of the IT industry is not founded by the Whites. Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Adobe, IBM, and Micron are headed by Indians, and Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom are headed by Chinese[2]. Leadership in the technological game calls for the presence of two things: People and Money. China has both.

And Xi Jinping in his address to the 20^th National Congress of CPC on 16 October has made it abundantly clear that he is intending to do just that.

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[1] I read that China is already quite self-sufficient in 14nm and bigger chips, which can more than satisfy even its present military and space science’s needs. It has also successfully made some 7nm versions. But these chips are not enough, if it strives to go into more advanced stuff.

[2] Taiwan-born Jen-Hsun "Jensen" Huang (Chinese: 黃仁勳 Huáng Rénxūn; born February 17, 1963) is co-founder and current president and CEO of Nvidia Corporation.

Also Taiwan-born, Lisa Su (born 7 November 1969) is the president, chief executive officer and chair of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

Tan Hock Eng (陳福陽; Chén Fúyáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Hok-iâng; born 1951/1952 in Penang) is the CEO of Broadcom Inc. 

 

挂羊头卖狗肉 [Guà yáng tóu mài gǒuròu]

 挂羊头卖狗肉 [Guà yáng tóu mài gǒuròu]

This is a Chinese idiom which literally can be translated as this: [A meat monger] hanging up a sheep's head in his stall front but, that the meat he is hawking is really dog’s.  

Biden has released his National Security Strategy. It is all BS and the first thing that came to my mind is this Chinese idiom.

Biden exemplifies the practice of this idiomatic meat monger of butcher.

He talks as if the US is the Moses that will take the world to the rightful place – a world that is free from aggression, coercion, and intimidation – in the wake of the evil expansion of China, Russia, and lesser “autocratic” state like Iran. Only the US, together with its allies, can ensure freedom and democracy.

Essentially these are the key takeaways of the report:

• 1.   Treating China as the biggest “geopolitical challenge (aka enemy)”
• 2.   Constraining Russia
• 3.   Countering Iran
• 4.   Committing to Israel
• 5.   Cooperating with like-minded nations globally

There is no need for me to elaborate more, save on the gist of the entire strategy, i.e., Point 1.

Biden proclaims that the US is “in the middle of a strategic competition to shape the future of the international order” to counter China which, to him, is the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.

The report says Beijing is planning to expand its sphere of influence in the Asia-Pacific and become the world’s leading power.

And to carry out its strategy, the U.S. seeks to build on its alliances, bolster its industry, and modernize its military so that "it is equipped for the era of strategic competition with major powers."

The dog meat that he is hawking includes the claim that it is the foundational principles of self-determination, territorial integrity, and political independence must be respected." 

You believe him? Ask the Saudis

***** 

Despair and Hope

My principal is a very generous and visionary man. In 2018 he invited a big group to gather at Wuyishan (in Fujian, renowned for its great tea and scenery) to talk about East-West possibilities. Many of his scholar friends from all over the world – promptly met in the most popular hotel in December that year to brainstorm things. I was fortunate to be involved in the organisation work, which was chiefly coordinated by my colleague CD Liang.  

CD's team came up with the above logo. I thought it was most appropriate – very creatively done depict two broadest global mindset representations – the Chinese characters of East and West, and the alphabets of E and W.

As one who had the benefit of having primary education in Chinese and English all the way later, and who has worked for big western-styled corporates and huge Chinese conglomerates, and who has been living variously in Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia, I truly believe East-West is the way to go for humanity to live and prosper.

2018 was perhaps the end of my great hope. Soon after our function, protests turned to riots in Hong Kong, and no sooner, Donald Trump was accusing China as if it was responsible for starting the pandemic. Scott Morrison, hitherto someone who was seemingly rationale in his pronouncements on China, suddenly turned hostile and began to poke China’s eyes wherever he could. Now with Biden in charge, my entire optimism about how good East-meets-West would bring to the world has been totally shattered.

And this goes beyond geopolitics. I am particularly concerned about the degree of divisiveness amongst people of Chinese descent today.

I am no racist, but I am extremely proud of our Chinese heritage. To many, Confucianism (or Ru-ism, 儒 school of philosophy) is archaic, but I firmly believe it is the very pillar of Chineseness. However, I admire the West for their curiosity – their leaving no-stone unturned way of doing fundamental research, which has led them to come up with titanic scientific breakthroughs – and their general etiquette in public, on roads, and toilet use. The former has also helped them to build up great institutions of learning. The Japanese were quick to adopt these change imperatives.   

I must confess that I was a very harsh father. My two children must have been traumatized by my “Confucian” demands when they were growing up. The way they are bringing up their children now tells me that they have not agreed with my “way”. Nonetheless, I take pride in the way they conduct themselves in society. They certainly will not agree with me, but I think they personify quintessentially Confucianism.

But I am less sanguine about our future generations. Many who have been brought up in the West and even in Hong Kong and Taiwan do not even think they are Chinese. We know the reasons, among them: (a) A sense of shame arising out of China’s pathetic state since the dying days of the Qing dynasty to the madness of the Great Leap Forward movement during the Mao era, (b) The lack of etiquette exhibited by mainland Chinese after the country opened up for foreign travels, and more recently, (c) The relentless efforts by the West (and Western-educated Chinese journalists and naturalized politicians) to demonize China.

Children during their formative years are most vulnerable to societal and peer influence. They tend not to be able to differentiate spirits and culture’s philosophical roots from religious beliefs and Deep State’s grand designs.

Let me try to illustrate my contention a little. Abhorrence of Chinese superstitious practices and “born-again” callings have prompted many to turn to Christianity. To me, that is entirely fine and to be respected. However, by being Christians, some have totally turned away from Confucian rituals. Yes, they may seem incongruent with Biblical teachings, but is ancestral worshipping anti-Christianity?

My second point, which to me, is most damaging to Chinese as a people, is about the Deep State’s unseen hands. The Deep State is gathering and directing all the dark forces Chinese against Chinese. They have quite successfully painted China as an evil empire, and Xi Jinping is its evil emperor. And you must help eliminate them, just the way the Falung Gong wants us to do. Many have been indoctrinated to prosecute, like those ethnic Chinese in Western and West-loving media, think tanks and government bodies.

There is a ray of hope, though. Biden and his administration’s hypocrisy may finally serve as the wake-up call. Even America’s hitherto indispensable ally Saudi Arabia is now distancing itself from Uncle Sam. And I find increasingly number of friends are quite anti-Biden nowadays. If China continues to demonstrate to the world that it is not the China the West it has portrayed it to be, we Chinese can stand tall anywhere we go.

Be that is it may, humility, which is one of the pillars of Confucianism, must always serve as the soul of our culture. Ditto the virtue of 吃苦 (“eating bitter”, which I understand evolved from the idiom 卧薪尝胆  (wò xīn cháng dǎn, sleeping on a hard bed and tasting animal bile - to remind oneself of the need to endure extreme hardship, especially when one is down and out.)

 End

 

Mr President, You Are the Personification of Ugly American-ness

Needless to say, everyone knows the term “Ugly American.” I used it often but did not really know when or how the term was coined. I decided to read up a little.

Apparently, the term was used by authors Eugene Burdick and William Lederer as a title in their 1958 fiction – a political novel alluding to Americans losing influence in Southeast Asia due to their failure to understand local culture. Ironically, the novel’s hero, Homer Atkins, is an engineer with black calloused hands, living in a dirt hut and collaborated with villagers to work on community empowerment projects. It seems Atkins is the very model that the authors thought America should send into the world. What a mission!

The book has inspired Bo Yang[1] to author “The Ugly Chinaman”. Before Xi Jinping became President of China, I had often the term to label – to the annoyance of friends who are proud of our Chinese heritage – earlier visitors from mainland China because they seemed to fit a certain behavioural pattern which I found obnoxious.

Yes, such description, whether to Chinese or Americans, is derogatory. But the two American authors’ intention, as well as mine and Bo Yang’s was harmless. All of us were just trying to correct behaviours that are sub-par with the generally acceptable norms. But with Joe Biden, I really mean it!

I always prefer to look forward – as long as a country can own up and move on, like what Germany has been doing after their defeat in World War II. Although I was pretty anti-America when it was fighting the Vietnam War and when George Bush used WMD as an excuse to invade Iraq, I did not harbour any serious misgivings about America – until Donald Trump became the president. I began to feel extreme contemptuous about America when his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began to hurl all sorts of lies and accusations at China.

Biden’s election did give me a false hope. But soon his pronouncements and actions disturbed me. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the meeting the Alaska meeting between China’s Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi and America’s Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan. We all knew what happened to the schoolboy Blinken there.

Indeed, the atrocities and genocides committed by America’s pioneers against Native Americans as they expanded westwards and the regime destablisation efforts and wars they waged in the more recent times should have served as a strong reminder of their guilt and therefore the need to behave more responsibly in this new era. Instead, Biden is reviving hoodlumism of the worst kind to further hegemonize the world.

Since then, I have been in total contempt of America’s leaders! And as the days go by, I feel more and more convinced that there is a need for me to initiate some form of mass awareness to help non-Mainland Chinese see the true colours of America, i.e., the Ugly American-ness.

The mainstream media have been sold to adopt parrotism or ostrichism in about anything that is not favourable to America and its allies. I read them nonetheless – basically to see the extent of their fears and lies, but also to learn about the latest in the world of arts and sciences, which I must say they are good in covering.

It is obvious to me that Biden harbours a great deal of inferiority complex towards China’s President Xi. His repeated requests to speak with Xi is a manifestation of that complex, since they had not been talking beyond those obvious points each time they met. And after each meeting, he would go on to do something he thought would damage China further. His actions are all there for us to see; there is no need for me to repeat them.

But we can also see this: Old Joe does not dare to openly condemn or threaten China, an attitude which he often holds towards lesser mortals. His statements on China are always couched with caveats, even on his “resoluteness” to defend Taiwan.

I am no physiognomist, but his looks trouble me. Superficially he looks like an adorable grandpa. But look deeper, especially at the silly lock of hair behind his head, you can discern that there is reptilian nature in him – cold blooded and driven by an intuitive need to devour.  

To me, China aside, these two things alone epitomize this man’s lack of humanity: (a) His denial of the Afghans to their right to access its own foreign reserves is sinful, even though we do not agree with the Taliban, (b) his instigating role in the war in Ukraine. He was only interested to degrade Russia and make the entire Europe subjugated to America hegemony, regardless of the destruction and deaths there. Period.

But hitherto friends of America have realised, or are realising, Biden’s hypocrisy. The ASEAN leaders know how to dance with him without being taken advantage of, so have the leaders of most Latin American and African countries. Even Saudi Arabia, which was once a staunch and indispensable ally, has begun distance itself from Biden. And what’s Biden’s reaction? Many headlines in the mainstream media scream: Biden warns of “consequences” for Saudi Arabia after oil production cuts.

Just because Saudi Arabia refuses to go along with the old man’s suggestion!

This speaks volumes of Biden’s reptilian nature.

Does the Old Joe think that everyone was born only yesterday?

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[1]Kaifeng-born Bo Yang (1920–2008), like Lu Xun, tried to change societal behaviours in Chinese. Inspired by the book “The Ugly American”, he authored The Ugly Chinaman. Bo Yang was jailed for ten years by the Kuomintang government in Taiwan for his views.)