European-Chinese Relations: a Model and an Outline

The following is a Huanqiu Shibao editorial, published on Tuesday. I first thought about adding some context or classification to each paragraph, but then, most readers of this translation will probably be familiar with the different approaches taken in dealings with foreigners, from one paragraph to another. That’s not to say that all readers will interpret them in the same way.

Chinese vice chief state councillor Li Keqiang (李克强) left for Spain, Germany, and Britain today. This is the first tour abroad by a major Chinese leader this year, and he is the third one within three months who visit Europe, after the chief state councillor [Wen Jiabao] and the state chairman [Hu Jintao]. The importance China attaches to Europe is obvious (一目了然).

In fact, the importance Europe attaches to China is also evident. The leaders of most big European countries visited China last year. With the exception of the ideological dispute provoked by Norway towards the end of the year, relations between China and Europe were calm (风平浪静) most of the time last year.The Eurozone had been afflicted by a serious crisis to the greatest degree, China didn’t add insult to injury (落井下石), but was one of the major helpers in the European debt crisis.

As for ordinary Chinese people, “Europe” is a comprehensive concept, and their feelings towards its single countries don’t differ that much. They see Europe as the place where western modernization began, they admire European civilization and living standards correspondingly, and unless there is an active provocation from one of its countries, Chinese society has no bias against Europe, and sees no strategic conflict of interest between the two sides. As for attacks from European conservative forces, Chinese people are angry, and don’t understand them.

Chinese people have an ideal: that there is no need to enter zero-sum competition (零和竞争) between leading powers, but rather, that there should be mutual respect and all-win in cooperation (合作共赢). Chinese people believe that in many regards, Europe is worth to learn from, it doesn’t confront Europe with pride [中国没有在欧洲面前骄傲的资本], Chinese people believe that this is an attitude of good faith, and their greatest worry is that the Europeans may not appreciate this, that they may not see the opportunities China offers.

Europe, as seen from China, is showing some problems. European society is “lacking some energy” (有点“懒”) but doesn’t wish Chinese society to become “industrious” (勤奋).

For a long time, Europe belonged to the top ranks of modernization and couldn’t quite get rid of some haughtiness. More than 200 years ago, the Qing imperial court wanted British ambassador MacCartney to “ceremoniously kneel down”. Now the attitudes have reversed to a degree, and Europe always wants Chinese culture to kowtow to them.

When Europe looks at China, there are certainly many problems, too. But China never snubbed Europe, so why, and for which problems, does Europe need to evaluate its strengths vis-a-vis China (欧洲又何必与中国在谁是谁非的问题上较劲呢)?

For at least 100 years, China has to quite an extent been Europe’s student. Marxism, too, came from Europe. But Europe should understand that this student, carrying a civilization of several thousand years, is not embarrassed to ask and learn from inferiors (不耻下问). China is no small kid in a kindergarten.

There  are no significant conflicts of interest between China and Europe, and most of the ideological clashes are man-made. China exports quality goods at decent prices (物美价廉) to Europe, completely different from Europe’s export of semi-colonialization to China in the past. Some people in Europe  who yell exaggerations about a “China threat” have, to say it plainly, been brainwashed by American-Japanese schemes (说重了是被美日“阴谋论”者洗了脑), or to put it more politely, show the reflexes of narrow-minded people as they are facing China’s rise (说轻了是心胸狭隘者面对中国崛起的条件反射).

If the curse of zero-sum competition between great powers can be overcome, China and Europe are clearly the most likely ones to make it. If this hope should turn out to be utopian, once Chinese-European relations get broken beyond repair, this is also most likely to make people lose courage.

Europe is a model for the human ‘”nature” of modernization, and China is the “quantitative” outline. To live like the Europeans is nothing the energy-consuming model of modernization can support. Therefore, this is still a long way off. Europe should help China in many ways. If Europe helps China to find ways of a new, low-energy modernization, if it helps to integrate with the great West on equal cultural and political terms, this will be much more meaningful than confrontation with China.

____________

Related
Bonds and Arms, The Reader, January 4, 2011
Who is Kishore Mahbubani, December 18, 2010
Wen Jiabao: China is a friend indeed, Xinhua, October 7, 2010
Creative Destruction or Development, March 15, 2010

JR’s Test Site: In Search of Definitions

Envelope of Trust is a concept which is referred to in business articles, or in reflections on personal relationships, especially marriage.

Are we gonna split hairs here? Am I wrong?

Apparently, it can also describe something public, something we’d usually call the rule of law – or the rule of ISO standards.

Preparing a warm-up for an advanced English  lesson, I’ve put myself into the position of having to think up some definitions which wouldn’t necessarily make it into an encyclopedia, but still  sound encyclopedic.

My ideas so far:

An envelope of trust frequently exists where a person can reasonably expect another to act in accordance with written or unwritten rules. In a country ruled by law, a client or defendant will usually trust that the legal practitioner will treat sensitive information confidentially, and not leak it to the other party (in a civil suit) or to the prosecutors (in a criminal case).

A similar envelope of trust needs to exist between a bank (or, more generally speaking, a creditor) and and a debtor. A creditor needs to be confident that his or her creditors are able to repay a loan, and to pay the interests.

Another envelope of trust would be the one between a supplier and a customer. Business relationship with customers depend on the customers’ trust that a supplier will reliably deliver goods or services in time, and at the agreed quality.
And of course, the supplier needs good reasons to believe that the customers will pay the bills in time.

Indeed not very encyclopedic. I do like the first line though, except for the word reasonably.

I’d be interested in some comments with your suggestions. The shorter and the more succinct, the better. If your definition is scientific or only short and succinct doesn’t matter, so long as it seems to make sense.

Yes, this is my challenge to you, reader of this post.

Ask not what JR can do for you – ask what you can do for ESL/EFL.

Many tanks
JR

____________

Related
Only speak like a human, The Telegraph, July 18, 2010