Unplug Our Eyes from the Sand

 

I have almost developed a form of news-fatigue syndrome!

A member of one of my WhatsApp chat groups religiously posts a daily update on the Iran War. I do not know where he gets these updates from. I simply skip them each time they appear. I also doubt that he himself reads these daily updates!

But people love to post, as if to register their presence — rather like the “Good Morning” greetings you so often receive.

The truth is, how many of us really read about the Iran War now? Or the Ukraine War? Or the aftermath in Venezuela?

Perhaps the next headline we are waiting for will be the US invasion of Cuba.

Trump loves to generate headlines. But who believes him anymore?

But What Keeps Me Writing So Very Often?
Answer: the silliness of many Ang-mohs, pseudo-Ang-mohs and wannabe Ang-mohs! 

Just a day or two before the expiry of the temporary 10% global tariff, the US announced a new measure: tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from about 60 countries/economies. The stated justification is that these countries — of all reasons — have inadequately enforced prohibitions on goods produced with forced labour. (Much of the Liberation Day regime, as we all know, had been struck down by the Supreme Court.)

And Singapore is slapped with a rate of 12.5% — even higher than that handed down to Malaysia, at 10%. 

However, these new tariffs do not simply erase every existing US tariff. They are generally imposed on top of the normal Most-Favoured-Nation/customs duties, while various products and existing sectoral measures have exemptions or separate treatment. India, for example, gets a 10% rate, but roughly 45% of its exports — including specified categories such as generic pharmaceuticals and smartphones — are exempt from this particular new levy.

The administration is shifting towards established trade statutes such as Section 301, which are legally harder to overturn.

The other more pertinent cases: China, 12.5%; India, 10% (total, including MFN); Japan, 12.5% (total, including MFN); South Korea, 10% (total, including MFN); Canada, 10%; and Mexico, 10%.

Just a ballpark figure for China: the cumulative tariff on an individual product can readily be 20–40%+, depending on its tariff classification.

Is China concerned? Of course. But is it lethal? Certainly not. And I bet you, Trump will yield. He is just profiling. The US needs all those Chinese goods. Period.

And is anybody reading this news? I bet hardly anyone.

And the New Sanctions from the US and the EU
In response to the EU’s latest Russian sanctions, which included 14 Chinese/Hong Kong companies, China struck back immediately. It placed 14 European entities on its export-control list. Several of these entities are among the most significant in Europe. The Chinese ones, on the other hand, are peanuts in size.

(Among the European companies affected are Germany's Rheinmetall and Poland's Vigo Photonics, alongside firms in France, Italy and the Czech Republic. These are industrial giants.)

This is actually the second such retaliation against Europe this year. In April, China put seven EU entities under similar export restrictions following the EU's 20th Russia-sanctions package.

After the US expanded its list of Chinese companies alleged to have links to China's military in June, China responded by imposing trade/export restrictions on American companies, particularly firms involved in defence, aerospace and strategic materials. Ten US companies were subjected to export controls.

Beijing now has an increasingly elaborate anti-sanctions and anti-extraterritoriality legal framework that allows it to punish foreign companies for complying with foreign sanctions that China considers illegitimate.

What is particularly interesting is China's choice of weapon. Rather than merely answering tariffs with tariffs, Beijing is increasingly using its leverage over rare earths, critical minerals, magnets and other dual-use supply chains. For certain Western defence and high-tech companies, losing access to these inputs can hurt considerably more than an additional 10–20% tariff.

These Ang-mohs are very bodoh. They are living in a delusional world!

The Silliness Extends Beyond the Ang-mohs

The Philippines…
Wang Yi, in his meeting with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro on July 22 in Manila, on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings, was most pointed. He warned that China–Philippines relations had reached a “crossroads” and that Manila needed to make the “correct and rational choice.” (You could also see Lazaro’s attempt to look taller than Wang – by tilting her nose skywards in a one-for-the-album photo-shoot session!)

The immediate background was the latest “wayang” staged by the Philippines near Ren’ai Shoal (仁爱礁, Second Thomas Shoal), where Philippine vessels had deliberately rammed a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. The Philippines should henceforth decide whether it wants cooperation and stable relations with China, or continued confrontation.

Incidentally, Marco Rubio was also in town. Did anyone notice his presence?  

Japan…
Instead of living peacefully with a heavyweight neighbour, Sanae Takaichi is determined to revive militarism in Japan and is trying to enlist the Philippines and Taiwan to serve her cause. China and Russia are not going to let Japan have it that way.

There has been a noticeable escalation in Japan's military friction with these two neighbours.

The most recent incident occurred in July, around Okinotori in the western Pacific. A Chinese naval group operating together with a Russian frigate entered waters that Japan regards as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and conducted a live-fire exercise. Japan lodged a diplomatic protest, of course, China just gave Japan its middle finger.

Okinotori, which is about 1,700 km south of Tokyo, is essentially a rock rather than an island capable of generating an EEZ. And an EEZ is not sovereign territorial water.

And a few weeks earlier, China and Russia also conducted a major joint strategic air patrol around Japan and Korea with bombers and maritime-patrol aircraft. Chinese J-16 and Russian Su-35 fighters accompanied parts of the formation. They operated through the Sea of Japan and East China Sea. Takaichi should take note. This was their 11th joint strategic air patrol and no longer an occasional symbolic exercise.

The relationship had already become considerably more dangerous after the December 2025 encounter involving the Chinese carrier Liaoning. Chinese J-15 fighters twice directed fire-control radar at Japanese F-15s which were monitoring the carrier's operations.

China and Russia appear increasingly willing to demonstrate that Japan cannot treat China, Russia and North Korea as three completely separate security problems. Despite Trump’s abhorrence of geishas, Takaichi still wants to sing and dance her way into Trump’s heart.

And Indonesia…
I posted two articles on Indonesia on June 2 but decided to pull them shortly afterwards. They are: Is Indonesia Turning Against China (https://yubooklim.blogspot.com/2026/06/is-indonesia-turning-against-china.html) and China and Indonesia: The Sweet and Sour Relationship (https://yubooklim.blogspot.com/2026/06/china-and-indonesia-sweet-and-sour.html?m=1). However, having watched further developments unfold, I decided to repost them.

When it was disclosed in February that Indonesia was agreeing to US aircraft overflying Indonesia — which meant that US aircraft operating between bases such as Diego Garcia, Guam and facilities in Australia and the Philippines could move rapidly between the Indian and Pacific Ocean theatres — we already knew that Indonesia had begun to ingratiate itself with the US administration. The export controls on commodities and the nickel policy, aimed principally at China, therefore came as no surprise.

Indonesia's Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, on June 25, 2026, personally conducted a surprise inspection at a Chinese-owned steel company in East Jakarta, claiming that there was a large discrepancy between the apparent scale of the company's operations and the tax it reported.

Purbaya said his ministry had identified about 40 Chinese steel companies suspected of using similar methods. His language was unusually pointed. He said his ministry had specialists familiar with the ways “Chinese companies” allegedly misled the government. Earlier, he had stressed that the companies under investigation were Chinese, saying in effect: they are all from China, not mixed companies.

Yes, by all means go after tax evaders, but do allow the relevant authorities to follow due process. By naming and shaming China, isn’t this a blatant anti-China act? And his arrogance is totally un-Asian.

"Looking Up to Whites” Mindset
I often get “discriminated” against by our own kind in the way I am treated. Two incidents remain fresh in my mind.

The first was when I was entering the Business Class cabin of a Singapore Airlines plane, only to see a stewardess eagerly rushing forward to serve an Ang-moh despite a yellow man also being there.

The second was at Hong Kong airport. While my wife and I were waiting to be served at the priority line, the ground crew seemed to think we were invisible; he welcomed an Ang-moh couple first. I blasted him and actually wrote to SIA to complain. I remember they sent me some gift vouchers to appease me!

Takaichi is blatantly telling China that Japan did not lose World War II to China. It lost to the US. And they will always kowtow to the conqueror.

One of the first foreign visits made by Marcos Jr. was to China. But his American baggage was too heavy; he soon reversed gear and aligned himself with the former colonial master.

Prabowo also rushed to attend China’s September 2024 military parade, even though he was facing some unrest in his own country. But just observe how his eyes seemed to be begging Trump to pay some attention to him when they were in Egypt, where Trump was holding his Peace Summit in October 2025.

Trump did not disappoint him and greeted him warmly, publicly calling him a “tough man.” That must have sent him sky-high immediately. That must have done wonders for his self-esteem.  

The problem is also China’s. It does not believe in acting like a tough guy, even in its confrontations with the Filipinos over some of the South China Sea islands. Whip the big cane and the Filipinos will come abegging. This was how Rodrigo Duterte turned the Filipinos around during his rule.

I hear that many of the resource-rich countries in Africa are now also trying to adopt the Indonesian approach in dealing with China.

If you are really worth your salt, you process your resources all the way into finished products. But these countries cannot go beyond digging, yet they believe in resource nationalism. Without technology and markets, what good are your minerals?

Many mine owners owe their existence to financing even before the deposits are fully determined. Many go to banks to borrow to support fixed and working capital — and even their private jets and yachts. Once the sales contracts are cancelled, the banks will go after them, just like the farmers in the US. That’s when the politicians will realise the folly they have created.

Yes, to the leaders of these countries: do learn some ABCs of international economics.

Time to Crane One’s Neck
Trump is a godsend to China. US antics have allowed China to stage “vertical take-offs” in science and technology especially during the last two years. Yes, the economy has not been that great, but its resilience is mind-boggling.

Despite its handicap in hardware, China is neck-and-neck with the US in AI. There are simply too many of the likes of Liang Wenfeng, Wang Chuanfu, Zeng Yuqun and Yang Zhilin in China, not to mention the recent Fields Medallists Wang Hong and Yu Deng. Without the Chinese in Google, Meta and those other IT giants in the West, they will soon fade.

Sooner or later, the US will bite the dust once China has overcome its remaining handicaps — which it definitely will. China is simply too formidable to compete with in terms of cheaper energy alternatives and their availability, which will be a determining factor in the AI race.  

I personally do not quite like the South China Morning Post, for I think many of the journalists there are outright anti-China. However, when it comes to science and technology reporting, they are always fast and accurate. You can follow all of China’s advances in weaponry there.

A fact has simply emerged: the Western Pacific will become the graveyard of US warships if they come to Taiwan’s defence should China decide on forced unification. I believe unification is inevitable; but it will not be through a direct war.

Again, the huge pool of talent in the other branches of science and technology will propel China towards becoming the standard-setter in many things to come.

And ultimately, it is their leaders who make all this happen. They are constantly adapting — in spite of the fear many perceive, thanks to the misconceptions that have been laid out by the West and pro-Western media.

A simple visit to China will destroy all these misconceptions. And China has now opened its doors for everyone to witness history.

Ditto the US flip-flops on the destruction of Iran. It simply fears China and Russia’s intervention, especially when its munitions are running so low.

In short, the US’s decline is inevitable. (Many will certainly disagree with me on this.)

And China is starting a new universe — fortunately or unfortunately.

End

 

Hypes and Suckers

 

Pardon me; I often make sweeping statements and draw sweeping conclusions!

Tupai King

I read that, because of bumper harvests and reduced imports from China, durian prices had plunged to less than RM10 a kilo. There were also many TikTok clips talking about the disaster facing durian growers.

I love durian and thought I still had time to enjoy the season when I flew back from Melbourne last Friday. I lost no time in driving to visit my regular vendor, Donald, at his stall between Petaling Jaya’s SS2 and Section 17.

Donald says his durians come from his own farm, and his Musang King is usually great. Because I am marginally diabetic, Saw Hwa (my wife) allows me only two seeds at a time. I therefore always ask Donald for the best he can offer.

He packed the three remaining Raja Kunyits on his shelf for me and said he would charge me only RM42 a kilo. I thought the price was stiff, but I did not feel good bargaining with him.

He also offered me Tupai King, saying it was the best durian one could ever taste. The regular price, he said, was about RM100 a kilo; he offered it to me at RM80. And the usual sucker in me could not resist his persuasion. I promptly bought one.

They were vacuum-packed, and I kept them in the freezer.

Upon my return from Phnom Penh on Thursday, I had the box of Tupai King thawed. I tasted it.

I was furious with Donald’s recommendation. It was one of the worst durians I had ever tasted. The seeds were big and the taste rather flat.

I heard that Tupai King is a Penang variety. It has apparently been around for several years but has only more recently become widely sought after.

Then I remembered that Donald had earlier also recommended that I try Black Thorn. Both Saw Hwa and I thought it was nothing great either. Same thing: the seeds were big and the taste so-so.

I telephoned him to complain. He was a little sheepish.

Maybe he himself had been caught up in what I call the “accomplice syndrome.” You don’t really believe the claim, but for fear of being branded as someone with “no taste,” you go along with it — as many of us do from time to time.

To me, Tupai King and Black Thorn are like emperors who do not realise they have no clothes on!

But maybe it was just Donald’s fruits that did not taste right. Perhaps other Tupai Kings and Black Thorns are not like that.

Should I give these two varieties the benefit of the doubt?

Char-wong

In restaurants, I was often offered char-wong to start with. Char-wong simply means “King of Tea” in Cantonese. You have Pu-er, Oolong, Longjing, etc. But is there really a variety called char-wong? Where is it grown? Come on! Its advocates must think we are idiots.

This reminds me also of Pu-er.

Some connoisseurs claim that they can distinguish Pu-er plucked from trees that are 300 or even 400 years old. I think much of it is BS. I read somewhere about a so-called expert who made a terrible call and was caught out.

Yet many people will pay thousands — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars a kati — for such “vintages.”

Many may simply be drinking fermented rubbish while convincing themselves that it is good for their health!

And next... Wines

And remember a certain Rudy Kurniawan, an Indonesian who became perhaps the world’s most notorious wine counterfeiter?

Kurniawan entered the elite American wine-collecting world in the 2000s and became known as “Dr. Conti” because of his apparent expertise in Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. He had an extraordinary palate and an ability to blend lesser wines so that they resembled extremely rare and expensive vintages.

His operation was ingenious. He obtained genuine empty bottles of prestigious wines and refilled them with blends of cheaper wines, then used counterfeit labels, corks and other materials to make them appear authentic. Some were sold for enormous sums to wealthy collectors.

When the FBI searched his California home in 2012, agents found what amounted to a wine-counterfeiting workshop — old bottles, corks, labels and blending formulas.

One mistake helped expose him. He offered bottles purporting to be Domaine Ponsot Clos Saint-Denis from 1945 and other early vintages.

Laurent Ponsot (the proprietor), pointed out that his domaine did not begin producing that particular wine until 1982!

Kurniawan was convicted in the US in December 2013 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling millions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit wine and related fraud. He was eventually released and deported to Indonesia in 2021.

After returning to Asia, Kurniawan reportedly began demonstrating his blending skills openly at private tastings, where his imitation blends were compared with genuine prestigious wines — and, reportedly, were sometimes even preferred by the guests.

All these examples expose something interesting about human psychology: how reputation, expectation and group opinion can influence what even supposedly expert palates believe they are tasting.

Perhaps nobody wants to be the fool who admits: “I can’t taste the difference.”

And many of us, from time to time, are just suckers!

End

 

A Walk Down Memory Lane – Phnom Penh

The organisation with which I am associated recently held its conference in Phnom Penh. We had intended to hold it in Siem Reap last year; unfortunately, the border skirmishes with Thailand prompted us to postpone the event and move it to Phnom Penh this year.

My MH flight landed at its new airport – Techo International Airport (KTI). It opened only last year. Apparently built with substantial Chinese involvement, it is a beautiful, massive airport, though traffic was light.

There was some nostalgia about the visit.

The Nostalgia
I had visited Phnom Penh before; it was in 1996. I couldn’t recall any familiar sight at all.

However, two incidents remained etched in my mind.

One of the richest men in the country then was Teng Boonma. He was a Thai-born Cambodian businessman and headed the Thai Boon Roong business group. He was building the InterContinental Phnom Penh then, the country’s premier luxury hotel.

There was an interesting incident involving him. Teng pulled out a pistol and shot one of an aircraft’s tyres when he became angry after Royal Air Cambodge apparently failed to deliver his luggage on a flight from Hong Kong. Contemporary reporting sometimes described him as the owner of the airline; however, he was not. He died in 2016 at the age of 75. The episode became emblematic of the extraordinary power enjoyed by Cambodia’s leading tycoons in that period.

He wanted to have a casino in the hotel and invited one of Genting’s children to start one for him. I was asked to evaluate its feasibility.

I remember him personally showing me around. What was memorable was the constant presence of his personal security guards armed with machine guns – before and behind us. He even took me to his house and introduced his beautiful daughter to me.

We did not take up the offer.

The second incident was even more “memorable”.

I was brought to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It was known by its Khmer Rouge designation, S-21 (Security Prison 21), and had originally been a secondary school. After the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh in 1975, the school was converted into a secret detention, interrogation and torture centre. Around 15,000 people are estimated to have been imprisoned there, with only a tiny number surviving.

Tuol Sleng (S-21) was principally a prison and torture/interrogation centre. Prisoners were subsequently transported to Choeung Ek, about 15 kilometres outside Phnom Penh, where many were executed and buried in mass graves. Choeung Ek is the site most commonly called “the Killing Fields”. In 2025, Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and the former M-13 prison were together inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as the Cambodian Memorial Sites: From Centres of Repression to Places of Peace and Reflection.

I felt terribly sick after the visit. My stomach refused to work, and I was writhing in my Sofitel hotel room for three days. No amount of Western or Chinese medicine could help. I felt as though I was dying.

The first thing that came to my mind was this: Had I been condemned by the spirits there?

Fortunately, just a day before I was scheduled to fly out, my system returned to its proper state!

Upon reflection, I think it was the fresh salad I had at the Sofitel that created the havoc. Water was not clean at that time, and something I ate must have been contaminated.

After the conference, we organised a short city tour for some of the participants who were visiting Phnom Penh for the first time. Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to join them. S-21 was on the itinerary.

I must say that the feeling this time was completely different. I had seen the exhibits before and was no longer as overwhelmed by the sight, even though the grotesqueness of the Khmer Rouge’s cruelties was something I could never understand. The great perpetrator, Pol Pot, and his cronies had a much easier way of dying.

A Great New Acquaintance
The Hyatt Regency is a beautiful hotel. The rooms are modern and very clean. Labour costs must be pretty low, as the hotel seems to employ far more workers than one normally sees elsewhere. They are very courteous, though.

One Cambodian guest left a strong impression on me.

He is HE Prof Dr Chhem Kieth Rethy, a Senior Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia. Prof Rethy is a medical doctor, scientist, educator and historian with extensive experience and interests spanning digital technology and AI, nuclear technology, anthropology and philosophy of technology, geopolitics and foreign policy, the social history of Angkor Buddhism, medical ethics and professionalism.

He holds an MD, a PhD in Education and a PhD in History. He has published more than 200 scientific articles and co-authored 25 textbooks.

We invited Prof Rethy as our keynote speaker. Looking at his profile[1], you might wonder whether he is for real.

Yes, he is.

Our pre-conference welcome dinner was supposed to start at 7 pm. Being a Board member of the organisation, I thought I should arrive at the venue early. I got there at about 6:15 and saw a distinguished-looking man already there. I immediately knew that he was the keynote speaker.

True enough, sitting there alone was Prof Rethy. I introduced myself and welcomed him. He was generously engaging. He told me that he had lived in many countries.

We also talked about our heritage. To my pleasant surprise, his forebears were from Quanzhou, like mine. And both of us have grown our roots deeply in the countries with which we are identified – he in Cambodia, and I in Malaysia. He had visited Malaysia many times and knew many VIPs there.

In his speech, I was mesmerised by his intellect and wisdom. He spoke eloquently about Cambodia, which he described as a banyan tree – one that symbolises patience. Civilisation, to him, is a matter of memory. Just like Angkor Wat, it never ceases to exist. Excellence can come from good institutions, but it is through civilisational resilience that life goes on.

He also had a word or two for those chasing AI. He contends that AI by itself is not intelligent. Nor is it wise. AI, as it stands now, has no heart, no conscience and no compassion. “You don’t learn; you copy.” Whereas nuclear weapons are at least state-controlled, AI is in the hands of individuals.

Prof Rethy also talked about his restlessness – and hence his vast knowledge and multitude of achievements in so many fields. He says he is a product of war.

France was Cambodia’s colonial master, but he was not bitter about the French. He said he had learned much from them. And thanks to Latin, he found it easy to master medicine.

There was so much to learn from this great man. We need more leaders like him in this world.

With Prof Rethy, his son and my colleague Michelle

China’s Omnipresence
You all know that China and Cambodia have had a long history of close relations, including during the Pol Pot era. Former Prime Minister Hun Sen is Khmer with Chinese ancestry on his father’s side – Teochew (潮州/潮汕). Of course, not everyone with Chinese ancestry is necessarily pro-China, but Hun Sen definitely is.

You can see Chinese signage everywhere. To my surprise, I even saw some Chinese hawking food near the hotel. They did not even have a cart – just some makeshift planks from which to serve their offerings. They did not look that poor, but their income must have been very meagre. Surely, I thought, they could have found an easier way to earn a living back home. Something is not quite right.

And then there is Xi Jinping Boulevard – on the way to the new airport. The driver proudly pointed it out to me.

Many Cambodians in Phnom Penh can speak Mandarin. I suppose they are learning the language out of necessity.

Regardless, I always harbour this concern at the back of my mind. The present prime minister, though Hun Sen’s son, was educated at West Point. There are already traces in his actions that might have made China nervous. We have seen how quickly relationships can change in the Philippines, and also in Indonesia.

Friendship between countries can be very fragile! 

The road sign reads: Xi Jinping Boulevard

End

---

[1] He was a Professor of Radiology in Canada (McGill), Singapore (NUS), Austria (Vienna Medical University) and Japan (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Fukushima Medical University) for 30 years. He was the Chair of the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Department of University of Western Ontario. He was the Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 2008 to 2014.

From 2014 to 2019, he was the Executive Director of the Cambodian Development Resource Institute (CDRI), a leading think tank in the Kingdom of Cambodia, in the Top 100 of the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Think Tank ranking. He is the cofounder of the China Studies Center at CDRI. Currently, he is an Honorary Distinguished Fellow at the Asian Vision Institute and a member of the Advisory Board of the International Center for Higher Education Innovation (UNESCO) at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen. He is a distinguished visiting professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Fukushima Medical University. He is an international advisor to the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing.

He also serves as an academic advisor to the Kirirom Institute of Technology (KIT). In May 2019, he was appointed Minister Delegate, attached to the Prime Minister. He was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. In August 2020, he was appointed as Secretary of State at the newly created Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, in addition to his position at the Prime Minister’s Office. In these capacities, he oversees the National Institute of

Science, Technology and Innovation (NISTI) and the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR). He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology, and he serves on the Leadership Council of the UNSDSN.

 

Don’t be Zì Zuò Duō Qíng

 

On July 6, China fired an ICBM from a nuclear-powered submarine. The missile is believed to have been its latest JL-3, which was displayed during the military parade in September 2024.

The submarine was most likely a Type 094, or Jin-class, vessel, possibly the improved variant.

A Type 094 can carry up to 12 ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying up to 10 warheads — possibly seven nuclear warheads and three decoys. The JL-3 is assessed to have a range of about 12,000 kilometres and is capable of carrying multiple warheads. That would allow a Type 094 operating farther into the western Pacific to threaten the whole of the continental United States.

The missile was probably launched from a submarine in the Bohai Sea, travelled southeastward across or close to parts of the Philippines, and then continued over the western Pacific before its dummy warhead accurately struck a target in the South Pacific. The estimated flight distance was about 8,000 kilometres.

China has not released the precise launch coordinates, apogee, detailed ground track or splashdown coordinates.

Although the full notification list has not been officially released by China, it probably informed the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France (because the splashdown area was relatively close to French Polynesia), and South Korea. Apparently, countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and other Pacific island states were not given advance notice.

Protests immediately sprang up — notably from the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. But no one can say China has violated any international law. 

When questioned, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning calmly described the test as "routine."

To the military world, however, it was certainly not "routine."

China was serving notice to the US that it could now strike any part of the United States with nuclear warheads, not only from mainland China but also from its nuclear submarines operating well beyond the US's first and second defence chains — should it choose to do so.

This launch also served as a stark warning to Japan, which has increasingly acted as the US's attack dog in countering China. China does not forget the 7 July 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of Japan's invasion of China. And just look at the timing of the launch.

Victor Gao’s ABC interview

Well-known Chinese commentator Victor Gao was in his usual combative style when he was interviewed by the ABC's Sarah Ferguson. Ferguson tried to corner him on several issues, including:

• whether the launch would damage China's diplomacy in the Pacific;
• why Pacific leaders had condemned the missile test; and
• whether Australians should view China's expanding nuclear arsenal with concern.

At the time of the launch, Australia had just signed a security agreement with Fiji. Victor Gao flatly dismissed any suggestion that the timing was related. In effect, he was telling Ferguson not to zì zuò duō qíng (自作多情) — roughly translated as imagining that someone is interested in you or has romantic feelings for you when, in reality, they do not. In other words, Australia was not worthy of this particular exhibition.

Given Gao's style, one can forgive him for his arrogance. He often has to face Western critics who try to drown him out. If China wanted to strike Australia, it would not need to use this ICBM. And why would China threaten Australia when it is an important trading partner — unless, of course, Australia persists with acquiring nuclear submarines under the AUKUS arrangement, which is explicitly intended to counter China. In that case, one is asking for trouble.

And why should China waste its warheads on any of the Pacific island nations unless they voluntarily choose to serve the US cause?

Certainly Not Routine

However, Gao was rather wishy-washy when defending the claim that the launch was "routine." He should simply have told Ferguson not to be naïve. Surely, when you develop new military hardware, you have to test it. Indeed, this was reportedly the first full-range test of this class of missile.

Gao bluntly advised that no country should ever imagine imposing a nuclear war on China. He said China possesses nuclear strike capabilities that can reach "any corner, in any part of the world within 20 minutes or so." It also has enough nuclear warheads to annihilate any country that dares to wage a nuclear war against China. And China is certainly not going to reveal the exact size of its nuclear arsenal.

Remember in September 2024, China's Rocket Force launched an ICBM, believed to have been a DF-31AG, from Hainan Island using a road-mobile transporter-erector-launcher (TEL)? The missile reportedly flew about 12,000 kilometres before splashing down at a target in the South Pacific.

China, in fact, possesses ICBMs with even longer ranges than this — the DF-41, for example — which it has little reason to openly demonstrate.

Conclusion

The beginning of the end of US hegemony is becoming increasingly apparent, thanks both to Donald Trump and to China's comprehensive advances in science, industry, economics, global finance, the military and many other fields.

Judging from its history and the repeated statements of its leaders, we can believe what they have long been saying:

人不犯我，我不犯人；人若犯我，我必犯人
Rén bù fàn wǒ, wǒ bù fàn rén; rén ruò fàn wǒ, wǒ bì fàn rén.

This famous phrase is associated with Mao Zedong's articulation of China's principle of self-defence. It conveys a policy of not initiating aggression but responding decisively if attacked. Even today, it is frequently quoted in discussions of Chinese foreign policy and military strategy.

I would like to return to the attitudes of many Pacific island nations, and indeed many other countries. They often oscillate between China and the West, depending on circumstances. The Chinese have a term for such people: jiǔ ròu péng yǒu (酒肉朋友) — friends who stay around when there are benefits to enjoy, but disappear when hardship comes or a better opportunity presents itself.

Do not place too much hope in others coming to your aid.

End

Learn to Learn - Reflections on Civility

 Learn to Learn

活到老，学到老

Reflections on Civility

三人行，必有我师焉

If three people walk together, one of them is surely capable of being my teacher.

 

Introduction
Oh, those dreadful Sundays!

It was in the late 1970s, when I was working for the Genting Group as their project manager. Although we operated from the then UMBC Building next to Kampong Attap, architect Ong Chong Hock and I were expected to follow Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong to do his rounds around Genting Highlands every Sunday, rain or shine.

But there was much to learn from the Old Man, as we fondly or cynically referred to him behind his back.

On one occasion, he obviously noticed my awkwardness in squatting with the workers when we were discussing some technical issues. I remember he advised, “You must learn how to sip champagne when you are with the prime minister; and with the workers, you must learn to squat.”

I also remember the visit by Wu Yi (吴仪), who was China’s Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, to Kuala Lumpur. I was asked by Tan Sri Lim to accompany him when she invited him to see her at Kuala Lumpur Hilton. Before he jumped into his car, I noticed that he had taken the trouble to look at himself in a small mirror several times.

These two lessons themselves speak volumes!

What I am going to write is not intended to criticise fellow Chinese. It is about learning.

Throughout my life I have been fortunate to live, work and travel in many countries. Every journey has taught me something – not only about the societies I visited, but also about my own.

As Chinese, we inherit one of the world's oldest and richest civilisations. We rightly take pride in its achievements, its philosophy, its literature and its emphasis on learning, family and perseverance. Yet pride should never prevent reflection.

Indeed, one of the greatest strengths of Chinese civilisation has always been its willingness to learn from others. Buddhism came from India. Modern science reached us largely from the West. Even within China, countless local traditions have enriched one another over thousands of years.

Learning has never weakened Chinese civilisation.

During my travels, I have often observed small acts of courtesy that left lasting impressions: a stranger quietly holding a door open; passengers instinctively forming orderly queues; public spaces kept remarkably clean by people who never expected praise for doing so.

I have also observed habits among my fellow Chinese that, in my opinion, deserve reconsideration – not because they are uniquely Chinese, but because they sometimes reinforce unfortunate stereotypes that fail to reflect the dignity of our civilisation.

That is why I have chosen to title this essay Learn to Learn. It is inspired by the old Chinese saying, 活到老，学到老 - learn for as long as you live. If these pages encourage readers to become a little more thoughtful, a little more considerate, and a little more willing to learn from the world around them, then I shall consider the effort worthwhile.

From head to toes
We simply need to be neat.

Many Chinese leaders before Xi Jinping seemed fond of what we Malaysians used to call "ICI[1] hair" – so uniformly dyed that the colour appeared almost painted on. There is, of course, nothing wrong with colouring one's hair. But dye alone rarely makes us look younger. A neat haircut, appropriate to one's age and profession, usually creates a much better impression.

The same applies to eyebrows, sideburns and facial hair. Ditto our nostril hair. (Traditional Chinese culture often associates long eyebrows with wisdom and longevity. I have no quarrel with that belief. But wisdom need not be untidy.)

A neatly kept moustache or beard can look elegant. However, a neglected one looks like a wild bush.

We often imagine that people notice the big things – our suits, our watches or the cars we drive. In reality, they also notice the little things – a pair of spectacles with greasy lenses. Others are: dandruff, food trapped between the teeth, untrimmed fingernails, or a comb sticking conspicuously out of a shirt pocket like a thumb.

I am guilty of many of these things too. If we expect others to look us in the eye during a conversation, we should spare them unnecessary distractions.

Likewise, habits such as picking one's nose, cleaning one's ears or removing food from between one's teeth may sometimes be unavoidable. But they are private acts best carried out in wash rooms or private corners.

By all means wear your Bally shoes, your Rolex watch and your designer shirt – but not for conspicuous display. Choose colours that suit

Fresh breath and a pleasant smile are small but meaningful ways of showing respect for ourselves and for those we meet.

Living considerately with others
Every day we share public spaces with strangers – on pavements, in airports, railway stations, lifts, shopping centres, restaurants and parks. Most of us neither know nor will ever meet these people again. Yet for a few brief moments our lives intersect. Whether those moments are pleasant or unpleasant depends largely on how considerate we are.

One of the easiest ways to assess a society is simply to watch how people behave in public.

Do motorists stop for pedestrians especially when they have the right of way? Do they signal when they make a turn?

Do passengers queue patiently? Do they leave public toilets clean for the next person?

(One incident has remained in my mind for many years. Many years ago, I was waiting to check in at Fuzhou Airport when a man arrived later and headed straight to the counter to be served. Nobody seemed particularly bothered. I was.

I politely reminded him that even a nán-mǎn (南蠻) like me – a barbarian from the south knew that queues existed for a reason. Why couldn't he observe the same courtesy?

He looked rather embarrassed. After muttering something under his breath, he reluctantly returned to the back of the queue.

I have often recalled that small incident. But, of course, this happened many years ago. I have not encountered such behaviour anymore. However, I did notice some anxious travellers trying to cut in line to resolve their ticketing issues. That is perhaps more excusable.)

A queue is about much more than waiting one's turn. That, surely, is one mark of a civilised society.

Don't become an obstacle
Over the years I have noticed another habit.

Friends unexpectedly meet in a shopping centre. They stop immediately to chat – in the middle of the walkway. Families step off an escalator and come to a complete halt while deciding where to go next, oblivious to the people piling up behind them. Tour groups gather at entrances precisely where everyone else is trying to enter or leave.

Most of these people are not rude. They are simply unaware.

Courtesy often begins with awareness. If we wish to stop and talk, step to one side.

If we want to admire a shop window, leave room for others to pass. If local custom requires standing on one side of an escalator, observe it.

These things cost nothing. Yet they make life more pleasant for everyone.

Offer our seat to those who need it more
In airports, train stations and other public places, I often see able-bodied people occupying seats clearly meant for the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant women or those who are simply in greater need.

Such seats are not reserved by accident. They exist because a civilised society recognises that some people need a little more consideration than others.

If we are able-bodied and comfortable standing, we should offer the seat without waiting to be asked.

Courtesy is not demonstrated only in grand gestures. Very often, it is shown in small acts of awareness. Do show that you care.

Mind our voice
Chinese are, by nature, expressive people. We enjoy animated conversations.

We laugh heartily. We speak with enthusiasm.

There is nothing wrong with that. The difficulty arises when we forget that we are not the only people occupying the space.

One often encounters groups of compatriots in hotel lobbies, airports or restaurants talking as though nobody else exists. They compete to outdo one another, each speaking a little louder than the last.

What sounds perfectly normal within the group can become surprisingly intrusive to everyone outside it.

Good manners require us to remain conscious of those who are not participating in our conversation.

The volume of our voice is, in a sense, another form of consideration.

Hygiene Is also courtesy
There are certain personal habits that affect not only ourselves but everyone around us.

Cover your mouth if you are coughing persistently. Repeated throat-clearing, blowing one's nose loudly during a meal and spitting on the pavement are disgusting.

Strong body odour, bad breath, and the likes are things friends are usually too polite to tell you. And strangers simply form an impression.

Many of these problems can be reduced through simple hygiene or appropriate medical attention. Some cannot be avoided altogether. When they cannot, discretion becomes even more important.

A handkerchief or tissue has saved many people unnecessary embarrassment.

So has the simple habit of excusing oneself briefly.

Good hygiene is not merely about cleanliness. It is another way of showing respect for others.

Small courtesies make great societies
Civilisation is built one courtesy at a time - someone holds a door open; another says "thank you."; a stranger gives way; wait for people to leave the lift before stepping in; a motorist allows another car to merge; someone quietly picks up a piece of litter.

Collectively, they define a society. The same principle applies to us as individuals. As I have grown older, I have become increasingly convinced that character reveals itself in small things.

Dining etiquette
One can tell a great deal about a person by watching him at the dining table.

Meals are occasions for friendship, hospitality and conversation. Business relationships have been forged over meals. Families have settled differences around the dining table. Lifelong friendships have often begun with nothing more than an invitation to lunch.

The Chinese, fortunately, understand hospitality very well. We enjoy entertaining friends, and few cultures can match the generosity of a Chinese banquet.

Yet generosity and good manners are not always the same thing.

The first duty of a host is to make guests feel comfortable. Receive our guests warmly. If they do not know one another, introduce them. If the restaurant has an attractive view or there is entertainment, give your guests the better position.

A good host thinks about his guests before thinking about himself.

I have attended dinners where every dish was expensive, yet the atmosphere was awkward. I have also attended simple meals where everyone left smiling.

The difference was never the food. It was the host.

The table is shared
The dining table is one place where consideration for others becomes immediately visible.

Avoid talking while chewing.

Try not to wave your chopsticks while making a point.

If you need to cough or sneeze, excuse yourself.

If food becomes lodged between your teeth, resist the temptation to perform dental surgery in front of everyone. The restroom was invented for precisely such purposes.

These are hardly profound lessons.

Yet they contribute greatly to the comfort of those sharing the meal.

Good table manners are less about elegance than about consideration.

A few words about chopsticks

Chinese have used chopsticks for thousands of years. Strangely enough, many of us still handle them rather badly.

One habit I have never quite understood is the tendency to rummage through a communal dish in search of the very best piece, rather like a prospector panning for gold.

Decide what you want before reaching in. Pick it up neatly.

If you accidentally drop something on the floor, pick it up with a tissue and place it out of sight.

Likewise, when you pause during a meal, place your chopsticks on the chopstick rest, or neatly beside your bowl. They need not remain permanently attached to your fingers.

If serving utensils are available, use them. If they are not, common sense should prevail. It is consideration for everyone sharing the meal.

And don’t use chopsticks to point at people!

Respect your guests' preferences
One of the pleasures of Chinese dining is encouraging guests to sample different dishes. There is, however, a fine line between encouragement and insistence.

Some people do not drink alcohol. Others avoid certain foods for religious, cultural, medical or personal reasons. Muslim guests do not take pork, and many also avoid amphibious creatures or food that may not be halal. Hindus do not take beef. Vegetarians avoid meat and may take only vegetables, fruits and other plant-based food. Some guests may also avoid seafood, alcohol or raw food for health reasons.

A good host should find out discreetly beforehand, not after the dishes have arrived at the table.

Hospitality should never place guests in an awkward position.

One should never hear, "Just one more glass!" or "Surely you can eat this!" after a guest has politely declined.

Courtesy sometimes means accepting "No" gracefully.

To those who serve us
Good service deserves appreciation. A sincere "thank you" is always welcome.

However, friendliness should never be mistaken for an invitation to become overly familiar.

I have occasionally seen diners flirt excessively with waitresses or waiters, make personal remarks about their appearance, or prolong conversations when staff are clearly trying to attend to other customers.

Such behaviour is unfair to those who are simply carrying out their duties. It may also cause embarrassment to everyone at the table.

Courtesy requires us to recognise the difference between warmth and familiarity. Treat those who serve us with the same respect we would wish members of our own family to receive in their workplace.

Train your staff
People almost always remember how they were treated. Good service is therefore not simply a commercial skill.

Were your guests greeted warmly? Did someone genuinely listen? Did anyone make them feel welcome?

Does the guest need a personal spoon to enjoy his bowl or soup or fried rice? Or is there a common spoon or a pair of chopsticks for each dish? Or a separate serve of soya sauce for each guest? 

The best waiter notices your empty glass before you ask for another drink. And be vigilant for beckons for assistance or service. Tunnel vision is one of the quickest ways to frustrate customers.

It is anticipation. It comes from paying attention.

(I often find these lacking even in pretty high-end Chinese restaurants in Melbourne. Maybe most of them are casual workers. Training begins with the owners or captains!)

Managers often believe that leadership consists of writing procedures, issuing instructions and conducting meetings. But they are not enough.

Staff observe their leaders every day. If a manager greets customers warmly, the staff are more likely to do likewise.

Learning from the world
There is an old Chinese saying: 三人行，必有我师焉 - "If three people walk together, one of them is surely capable of being my teacher." Confucius understood, more than two thousand years ago, that wisdom is not the monopoly of any one individual. Nor, I would add, is it the monopoly of any one civilisation.

A civilisation that is truly confident has nothing to fear from observing the strengths of others.

There is no perfect nation. Nor is there a perfect people. Every society also has habits that could be improved.

The Japanese have earned worldwide respect for their cleanliness, orderliness and consideration in public places. Many Europeans have shown remarkable commitment to preserving their historical buildings, parks and public spaces.

Chinese civilisation, in turn, has always attached enormous importance to family, education, hard work and perseverance.

Surely the wiser question is not, "Which civilisation is superior?" but, "What can we learn from one another?"

From the places of worship…
One of my favourite places to visit in any country is its places of worship.

I am fascinated not only by their architecture but also by the atmosphere they create. Walking into a great cathedral in Europe, one is often struck by the silence. Even visitors who are not Christians instinctively lower their voices. The building itself seems to command reverence.

Japanese temples leave a rather different impression. Their beauty lies not in grandeur but in simplicity. Everything appears carefully maintained – the gardens, the timber and the pathways. Even the silence seems deliberate.

Chinese temples are different again. They are colourful, lively and rich in symbolism. For millions of worshippers they remain places of sincere devotion. Yet I have often wondered whether we might also borrow something from the serenity one finds elsewhere.

A place of worship should inspire not only admiration but also quiet reflection.

Learning from another culture does not diminish our own. It enriches it.

Lessons from cemeteries
The same thought has often crossed my mind while walking through cemeteries.

Many European cemeteries resemble peaceful gardens. People visit not only to remember the dead but also to enjoy the tranquility. They are places of reflection rather than fear.

If we spend so much effort honouring them during festivals, should we not also care for the places where they rest throughout the year?

How we treat the dead tells us something about how we value memory itself.

(That said, this is changing, at least in Malaysia. Bereavement services have become a significant industry, and many modern memorial parks are beautifully landscaped and meticulously maintained. They offer families a peaceful and dignified environment in which to remember their loved ones.)

Learning Is a sign of confidence
Some people believe that adopting good habits from another culture somehow weakens their own identity. I believe exactly the opposite. The confident person learns freely because he knows who he is.

The same is true of nations. The strongest civilisations have never been those that isolated themselves from the world. They were the ones confident enough to absorb new ideas while remaining true to their own values.

Chinese civilisation has survived for thousands of years precisely because it has always possessed that confidence. May it never lose it.

Arrogance Is Kurang Ajar
The last point I wish to make concerns a habit that I commonly come across – the tendency to dismiss the views of parents, relatives or friends simply because we think we know better.

I was once guilty of this myself.

When I was young, I often brushed aside my father's Daoist practices, believing them to be old-fashioned and superstitious. I thought I was being rational and modern. Looking back, I realise how foolish I was. In doing so, I not only hurt him but also failed to appreciate the logic, wisdom and accumulated experience embedded in many of those traditions.

Life has a way of teaching us humility.

Today, one of my grandsons often tells me that some of my views or habits are “not cool”. I smile to myself, because I recognise the same youthful confidence that I once displayed towards my own father. History, it seems, has come full circle. I understand his mindset and am content to let him discover, in his own time, that age and experience have lessons that books alone cannot teach.

This, I believe, is where we as parents and grandparents have an important responsibility. We should encourage our children to be confident, but never arrogant. Success in life can easily breed conceit. Humility, on the other hand, allows us to keep learning. It reminds us that no matter how educated or accomplished we become, there is always something to learn from those who have walked the path before us.

The Malays and Indonesians have a wonderfully expressive phrase – kurang ajar. Literally, it means "insufficiently taught," but it is better understood as describing someone who is lacking in good upbringing. It is not simply about being rude; it is about failing to show respect, courtesy and humility towards others.

In my view, arrogance is perhaps the clearest manifestation of kurang ajar.

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Conclusion
Good manners are not Western. They are not Eastern. They are not Chinese. Nor are they Japanese, European or American.

They are simply expressions of respect. Respect for ourselves. Respect for other people. Respect for society. Everything else is simply the outward expression of that respect.

Perhaps that is why one old Chinese saying has remained with me throughout my life:

活到老，学到老。

Learn for as long as you live.

I can think of no better advice—not only for individuals, but also for nations and civilisations.

End

 

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[1] Imperial Chemical Company, once one of the largest paint manufacturers in the world.