I used to be a great admirer of Collin Powell, a Black who
rose to be the highest-ranking officer in the US Military – the Chairman of its
Joint Chiefs of Staff. I had followed his career and read his autobiography (My
American Journey, which was written after he retired.) He was a statesman
figure to me; therefore, when George Bush tapped him to be his Secretary of
State, I thought he had short-changed himself. He
should be the President!
After 9/11, most of the world was happy for Bush to invade
Afghanistan to get rid of the Taliban. But when he began to accuse Saddam
Hussein of producing weapons of destruction, many were less convinced, and I
began to dislike Bush. Yes, there was no denial from Saddam. But the UN’s
inspector Hans Blix was not able to find any. Yet, Powell brandished a test
tube in the Security Council to prove America’s claim. I was naïve enough to
give him the benefit of the doubt, for I could not imagine a man of his
impeccability could tell a white lie.
Powell had indeed lied to the world. Because of this
performance of his in 2003, today the name Powell has become synonymous with
anything that is associated with America’s credibility, or rather the lack of
it. Collin destroyed his own legacy; apparently, that is a big regret that he
carried to his grave.
Yet there is another Powell in America today; his nose is
many times longer than Powell’s. He is Anthony Blinken.
Instead of learning from Powell’s disgrace, Antony Blinken
is cooking the same old plate of stale fried rice on China, not once, but over
and over again!
Two months into Biden’s presidency, greenhorn Blinken tried
to patronize China’s foreign affairs supremo Yang Jiechi. Instead, he was
thoroughly humiliated by Yang in front of the world. He had only himself to
blame. Obviously, he had not done his homework, or he was too arrogant to do
it. He should have known that he was facing two of the most seasoned and
formidable diplomats from China – Yang and Wang Yi. His colleague Jake Sullivan
was smarter and did not make a fool of himself.
That
Alaska incident must have etched deep into Blinken’s psyche. Henceforth, he
began to wear a perpetual worrisome, self-pity, and at times "I am
Pinocchio" look. Petrified by Yang, he would only seek out the more
gentlemanly Wan Yi each time he wanted to speak with China. This humiliation
must also be the very foundation of America’s all-out effort to bring down
China. Biden appears to be the champion of this cause, but I believe the man
who is doing all the work is Blinken. And their “agree on one thing but do the
opposite” policy has frustrated Chinese leaders so much now that they know it
is useless to talk with Biden and Blinken.
Why do I say Blinken is the real "champion"?
I am convinced Biden is mentally too pathetic to speak or
act coherently. Like all semi-demented men, he babbles anything that comes to
his mouth much of the time. (He also often falls, but on this, he has my
sympathy.) Many of his pronouncements, or things that drip out of his lips, had
to be subsequently “clarified” by his State Department – meaning, they had to
be corrected by Blinken! So, who is the real power behind the throne! Therefore,
as long as Blinken remains the State Secretary, China cannot take anything for
granted, for the former’s hatred for China knows no bounds.
Powell was not the pivot of America’s foreign policy during
the Bush administration. He had many immensely powerful colleagues who enjoyed
the ear of Bush more – people Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz.
Blinken, on the other hand, appears to hold sway over Biden. (Maybe Jake
Sullivan is also a blue-eyed boy, but unlike Blinken, Sullivan knows how to
keep his lips clean.) I also believe Kamala Harris, Llyod Austin, Gina Raimondo
and Katherine Tai are also at Blinken’s beck and call. (Janet Yellen might be
an exception, probably because of Blinken’s inadequacy in international
economics and national finance. However, despite her fantastic academic
credentials, grandmotherly Yellen is also managing America’s economy like a
typical low-end politician.)
While Bush was able to hold America’s traditional allies
together, Biden is losing friends and supporters for America, thanks largely to
Blinken too.
Yes, traditional Anglo-Saxon allies like the UK, Canada and
Australia will always side America come what may, so you cannot expect Rishi
Sunak, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese to act differently. (However, unlike
his predecessor Scott Morrison, Albanese does talk sensibly about the China-US
relations at times, but he still must continue to ride on the back of the
American tiger.) Ditto EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg. (Especially,
the latter, who even wants NATO to expand to the Pacific!)
Biden does score on Japan and South Korea. The way Fumio
Kishida and Yoon Sok Yuel suck up to America this time is most amazing. They
really did not have to, geopolitically speaking, yet they chose to. Another
windfall to Biden is Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who must have found his tail too long
for Biden to miss, and hence his willingness to do Biden's biddings, lest he finds
it chopped off without mercy.
Biden has also got Narendra Modi to join the QUAD, and
Modi’s happiness is completely understandable. Modi will go along with any
party that wants to take issues with China.
Apart from the minions, or those with axes to grind, or the
“show me the money” type, there is hardly any leader who buys Biden and his
team's talk that China is a threat to the world or to them - despite their
non-stop attempts to woe them and the help from America and the pro-West world’s
media. But it is quite evident that their loudness has backfired and created much
revulsion. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s cold shoulder to
Biden and Blinken is most devastating to America’s ego and prestige. Even
Honduras, hitherto an American vassal, has also recognised China. (We must take
our hats off to its lady president Xiomara Castro! Blinken is breathing down
her neck!) And just a couple of days ago, President of Timor-Leste Jose
Ramos-Horta also said “…some countries see China’s development as a threat to
the region and the world”, adding that such a “tunnel vision” is narrow-minded
and unconvincing. We obviously know which are the countries he is referring to,
don’t we?
Such boldness would be impossible before Biden came to
power. Even among the Europeans, a recent survey says that 50% of them do not
agree with what America thinks of China. Regardless, Blinken continues to play
his broken record – China is the threat to the rules-based order, and all must
do everything to contain it.
In its proxy war against the Russians in Ukraine, the US
weaponized its Dollar against Russia and those they believe were supporting
Russia. Who is not nervous about their US dollar assets now? And G7 is no
longer a club of angels that will help anyone. The only safe bet is BRICS, and
several major middle-weight countries are queuing to join.
Back to Blinken.
China’s threat to the rules-based world? Whose
rules is he talking about? And what world is he talking about?
Just days before the Shangri-la Dialogue, and at a time
Austin was trying hard to seek an audience with China’s Defence Minister Li
Shangfu[1],
the US Air Force dispatched a RC-135, which is the most sophisticated spy plane
in its fleet, to conduct reconnaissance of China’s southern coast. At one
stage, it is said to be about 50 km from the coast of Guangdong where China’s
Shandong aircraft carrier was sailing. It was obviously trying to provoke China
to respond, and true enough, a J-16 promptly surged ahead and cut in front of
the RC-135, causing the US aircraft to dance behind its tail. Yet, Blinken had the cheek to accuse China of aggressiveness and
unprofessionalism.
Yes, the RC-135 was flying in international airspace. But
it was snooping in China at close range. If someone keeps wandering around on
your doorsteps and taking photos all the time with obvious malicious
intentions, is it your fault if you want to make them go away?
In a second incident within a week, the US destroyer
Chung-Hoon and the Canadian frigate Montreal were trying to be funny in the
Taiwan Straits, only to see a China’s warship Luyang 132 streaking 150 metres across
the bow of Chung-Hoon. Weren’t they asking for it?
The decision must have come from the highest level in
Chinese military (or even higher). Enough is enough. Time to show frighten
them.
And again, Blinken screamed: China be warned; we are
exercising our rights of free navigation! Where?
Right in front of China’s doorsteps, with spy planes and
warships! What a twisted mind!
The Team Biden must be the most incompetent lot in
America’s recent political history. Kamala Harris is such a disaster that she
is only being assigned to receive inconsequential state guests from time to
time. Austin thinks and talks like a "big sweet potato", doesn't he?
Raimondo was the governor of Rhode Island before Biden plucked her to be the
Commerce Secretary. But I am far from convinced that she understands
international commerce. She finally got to meet up with China’s Commerce
Minister Wang Wentao during APEC’s Trade Ministers meeting in Washington
recently. But the moment she found she was not able to make headway with her
threats, she began to spew venoms. (Earlier, China just could not be bothered
by America’s protest and went on the ban some Micron chips. She went berserk.
Her logic: She can introduce all sorts of restrictions, but China cannot!)
A US State Secretary is like a prime minister and foreign
minister combined in other political systems. He or she must be credible and
clear-headed. The whole administration knew the weather balloon that was
spotted drifting across the US in February was harmless. Biden said so, and
despite China’s apologetic attempt to explain, Blinken had it shot down. This
speaks volumes of the character of the man.
China is finally prepared to receive Blinken on June 18.
Why is Blinken so anxious? And why China has relented? Reconciliation? Surely,
there is more to it than meets the eye. China should learn a little more from
Saudi’s MBS!
Stop Press: Heard that on June 13 the US sent another RC135
to fly up and down the coast of China 13. It flew for six hours, obviously
trying to provoke a response from China - and just days before Blinken said he
was heading to China!
[1]
Li has
been on America’s sanction list since 2018. His crime: he was instrumental in
China’s procuring Russian Su-35 combat aircraft and equipment related to the
S-400 surface-to-air missile system! (Biden did say he would remove Li from the
list, but only to be ‘overruled’ by the State Department. So, who is the real
boss?) Only someone of Austin’s calibre would think Li should see him. But why
should Li? No Chinese of Confucian upbringing would do that!
.
