A Sicko in Today's Geopolitics

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!

 

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[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!

 

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