Biden-Xi Videolink last Friday: “Some People haven’t put the positive statements of Mr. President into practice”

When one guy knows what the other one thinks while saying something completely different, that’s probably called successful diplomacy – at least when relations are rotten. That’s also true for the video meeting of the American and Chinese heads of state last Friday (March 18).
What strikes the reader of the communiqués are the shares of the two participants in each others’ readouts.

Characters count: Biden 224 / 1187 Xi (Xinhua)

The White House’s readout contains only 164 words, none of which can be attributed to the Chinese interlcoutor alone – and it mentions implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia. Xinhua, on the other hand, doesn’t even mention President Biden’s threat.
Let’s focus on the Xinhua communiqué.

The first cross-purposes talk is about the legendary “One-China policy”. This term, probably garaged in every joint statement ever issued by China and a new diplomatic counterpart, can mean very different things from one country to another. The US, for example, “acknowledges that Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States does not challenge that position.” There’s no position taken by the United States here.

So when Biden declares that “that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed”, Xi Jinping knows that this is no recognition of China’s claims concerning Taiwan. Still, as if they mean the same thing, Xi expresses tells Biden how much he values his statement.

Following that, Xinhua’s account moves on to Chinese accusations made by Xi. Sino-US relations hadn’t recovered from the difficulties created “by the previous administration” (i. e. the Trump admin, but without naming it). Rather, even more challenges to these relations were emerging. Xi continues:

In particular, some people in America send wrong signals to the forces [in Taiwan] supporting “Taiwanese independence”. If the Taiwan issue isn’t handled well, this can have a subverting effect on [Sino-US] relations. We hope that America attaches sufficient attention to this. The immediate cause for the situation in Sino-American relations is that some people on the American side don’t implement the significant consensus the two of us [Biden and Xi] have achieved, and that they haven’t put the positive statements of Mr. President into practice either. America’s strategic intentions towards China have created misinterpretations and wrong assessments.
特别是美国一些人向“台独”势力发出错误信号，这是十分危险的。台湾问题如果处理不好，将会对两国关系造成颠覆性影响。希望美方予以足够重视。中美关系之所以出现目前的局面，直接原因是，美方一些人没有落实我们两人达成的重要共识，也没有把总统先生的积极表态落到实处。美方对中方的战略意图作出了误读误判。

Xi ostensibly gives Biden “credit” by condemning the Trump administration. This follows an opportunistic pattern in China by which it also judges its own past dynasties. Every misery and every defect is blamed on (now powerless) sinister guys from the pre-“communist” past, and the CPC is the mother of all progress. That’s how those in power today can talk with each other and be at ease – albeit at the cost of historical accuracy, at least in public.

Also, Xi applies a similar ambiguity to opponents in America, as Biden America applies to the status of Taiwan. Who are those “some people on the American side”? They could refer to quarters within the Biden administration, but also to opposition politicians like Trumps former secretary of state Michael Pompeo – considered a spawn of hell by Beijing, for reasons like these.

As China doesn’t understand the concept of an opposition, those portrayed by Xi as saboteurs may just be some American newspaper columnist who happened to catch his eye.

Then the conversation – according to Xinhua – turns to Ukraine. Xi uses the same keywords as usual – avoiding escalation, paying attention to the tasks of the moment, overcoming “cold-war mentality”, etc.. Both heads of state agree, finally, to make efforts respectively to a) get their countries’ relations back on track and b) to find an appropriate solution for the “Ukraine crisis”.

Main Chinese concerns, apart from more stable Sino-US relations, appear to be economic issues. The situation “it had come to in Ukraine” wasn’t what China wanted to see, Xinhua quotes Xi. He criticizes “comprehensive and indiscriminate sanctions that caused “suffering among the common people, and points to a double challenge – Covid-SARS and economic development, both influenced by the two most recent crises.

There may be one deviation from the usual talk however: “only the one who attached the bell to the tiger  can remove it again”.

If Biden followed up and asked if this referred to him or to Putin (or Zelensky, or everyone) is not passed down on us, but one might guess that Xi didn’t mainly refer to Moscow.

Ding Xuexiang, Liu He and Wang Yi as well as other persons attended on Xi’s side of the meeting.

Anchorage Expectations: “The Chinese and American people are wise and competent”

The following is a translation of a news article by “Chinanews Service” newsagency (中国新闻社). Statements quoted by the newsagency have been translated from Chinese into English without checking back what actually has been the original English-language wording.

Main Link: Four Highlights of the Sino-US High-Level Meeting in Anchorage

Four Highlights of the Sino-US High-Level Meeting in Anchorage

中美高层安克雷奇会晤的四大看点

Chinanews, Beijing, March 13, reporter Ma Jiajia

中新社北京3月13日电 / 中新社记者 马佳佳

On March 11, Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China [FMPRC from here] spokesman Zhao Lijian announced that following an American invitation, Central Committee Standing Committee member and Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director Yang Jiechi and State Council member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold a high-level Sino-US strategic dialogue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Presidential National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Anchorage, on March 18 and 19. This being the first high-level face-to-face meeting since the Biden administration took office, international media have predicted that this meeting will be “open and difficult” and may well determine the future direction of the two countries’ relations. Which points are there to watch for better or worse in this widely observed meeting?

3月11日，中国外交部发言人赵立坚宣布，应美方邀请，中共中央政治局委员、中央外事工作委员会办公室主任杨洁篪，国务委员兼外长王毅将同美国国务卿布林肯、总统国家安全事务助理沙利文于3月18日至19日在安克雷奇举行中美高层战略对话。作为美国拜登政府执政以来，中美高层的首次面对面会谈，有国际媒体预测，此次会晤将“坦率而艰难”，或将决定两国关系的未来走向。此次备受关注的会晤有哪些看点？

Point 1: Where is Anchorage?

看点一：安克雷奇在哪里？

Anchorage is located at the center of US State Alaska’s mid-south, it is Alaska’s biggest city and also a transit hub for some flights from America to Asia. In 2017, this city’s number of inhabitants was 400,000, more than 54 percent of the entire state’s population, and only New York is another city in the United States whose population exceeds its state’s entire population by more than 40 percent.

安克雷奇位于美国阿拉斯加州中南部，是阿拉斯加州最大的城市，也是一些美国到亚洲航班的中转站。2017年这座城市的人口为40万人，超过全州人口的54%，是除了纽约市以外，全美另外一个人口超过了所在州总人口40%以上的城市。

Anchorage’s connections are convenient. It is an important harbor in Alaska with more than 95 percent of goods entering the state here, and it is also Anchorage’s railways hub.

安克雷奇交通便利，是阿拉斯加州的重要港口，超过95%的货物从这里进入阿拉斯加州，也是安克雷奇铁路的汇集地。

Also, Anchorage is situated at the center of the arctic circle’s air routes, connecting Asia’s, northern Europe’s and northern America’s aviation routes. Anchorage International Airport is the world’s fifth-largest cargo airport.

此外，安克雷奇位于北极圈航空线路的中心，连接亚洲、北欧及北美的航线。安克雷奇国际机场是全球排名第五的货运机场。

Climate in Anchorage is subarctic, with long winters and short summers. There are lots of tourism resources, from Anchorage to Seward in the South, some of the highways built along the coastline are considered to be among the world’s most beautiful landscapes.

安克雷奇属于亚寒带气候，冬季漫长而夏季短暂，旅游资源丰富，从安克雷奇向南到西沃德的公路沿海岸线修建，被评为世界上风景最美的公路之一。

Point 2: Why Anchorage?

看点二：为什么是安克雷奇？

The reasons why Anchorage was chosen as the place to meet also deserves attention. Analysts believe that there are historic and practical considerations.

为什么选择安克雷奇作为会晤地点，同样值得关注。分析认为，这其中既有历史渊源也有现实考量。

As far as practicability is concerned, there is, first of all, geographical deliberation. Alaska is at America’s northwesternmost point, not connected with the American landmass, and Anchorage is quite the same distance from Beijing and Washington [D.C.]. Another point is that with the background of the global new Covid pneumonia pandemic, Alaska is among America’s states which control the pandemic situation comparatively well. According to “New York Times” reporting, 16 percent of Alaska’s population have been completely vaccinated which is the best rate of all the USA. In some of Alaska’s regions, the rate of old people having vaccinated has reached 90 percent.

就现实层面而言，首先从地理位置上考虑，阿拉斯加州位于北美大陆西北端，不与美国本土相连，安克雷奇与北京和华盛顿的距离相当。其次在新冠肺炎全球大流行的背景下，阿拉斯加州属于全美疫情控制较好的州。据《纽约时报》报道，阿拉斯加州16%的人口已经完成了疫苗接种，这一比例居全美之首。在阿拉斯加州部分地区，老年人群体的疫苗接种率已达90%。

As far as contacts with China are concerned, Anchorage has plenty of relations with China. As for the national level, in April 2017, State Chairman Xi Jinping made a technical stop on his route back to China, after the Sino-American summit, and met Alaska’s governor Bill Walker. During the meeting, Xi Jinping pointed out that “local cooperation is one of the most vibrant component of Sino-American relations. Alaska and Anchorage are participants and witnesses of the growth in Sino-American relations’ development.”

就对华往来而言，安克雷奇与中国颇有渊源。从国家层面来看，2017年4月，中国国家主席习近平在中美元首会晤后回国途中在安克雷奇作技术经停，会见了时任阿拉斯加州州长沃克。习近平在会见中指出，“地方合作是中美关系中最具活力的组成部分之一。阿拉斯加州和安克雷奇市是中美关系发展历程的参与者和见证者。”

Under the aspect of regional exchange, China’s heilongjiang provincial capital Harbin and Anchorage are friendship cities. Harbin is mainland China’s closest big city in terms of distance to North America, with 5,500 kilometers. The two cities have a history of 30 years of friendly exchanges. Apart from that, Alaska also used to be a refuelling stop when China and America opened direct flights, because technological limits made a refuelling station necessary which was of special significance in Sino-American interaction.

从地方交流来看，中国黑龙江省省会哈尔滨与安克雷奇是友好城市。哈尔滨在地理上是中国大陆飞北美距离最近的大城市，距离安克雷奇市5500公里，两座城市有着30多年的友好交往历史。此外，阿拉斯加也是当年中美开通直航时，因飞行技术限制中途必须经停加油的一站，就中美交流而言，意义特殊。

Point 3: Which issues will the meeting touch upon?

看点三：会晤将涉及哪些议题？

Concerning the range of topics to be touched upon, both China and America have issued explanations. White House speaker Jen Psaki told a press conference on March 11 that at the Anchorage dialogue, America would mention Hong Kong, Xinjiang, th3e economy and other challenges and concerns, issues like the new corona pandemic transparency; the two sides would also discuss opportunities to cooperate. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian emphasized on a press conference on March 12 that specific topics at this dialogue were bilaterally agreed, and it was hoped that the two sides would be able to have a frank dialogue. China would also clarify its position in this dialogue. The two sides should accurately grasp each other’s policy intentions, enhance mutual understanding, control disagreements, and promote the return of Sino-US relations onto the right track.

对于此次会晤中将会涉及哪些议题，中美双方都作出了表述。白宫发言人普萨基11日在记者会上表示，此次在安克雷奇举行的对话，美方将提到香港、新疆、经济等方面的挑战和关切、新冠疫情透明度等议题；双方也会讨论有合作机会的领域。中国外交部发言人赵立坚12日也在记者会上强调，此次对话的具体议题有待双方商定，希望双方能够就共同关心的问题坦诚对话，中方也将在此次对话中表明立场。双方应该准确把握彼此政策意图，增进相互了解，管控分歧问题，推动中美关系重回正轨。

This being the first high-level meeting in the Biden administration’s term, combined with the current state of Sino-American relations, its issues could be more open and could provide possibilities of the two sides expounding their positions and deep concerns.

作为拜登政府任内中美高层首次会面对话，结合中美关系的现状，在当前时间点上，此次讨论的议题或更具有开放性，而这场对话也为双方阐明立场，表达关切提供了可能。

Point 4: How much influence will [the meeting] have on Sino-American relations?

看点四：对中美关系影响几何？

As a practical move after the lunar New Year’s Eve telephone conversation between the two countries’ heads of state, with the two countries’ high-level diplomacy managers carrying out face-to-face exchanges, it could be said that this could be the two sides’ “first step” in the process of rebuilding Chinese-American relations. A Reuters commentary said that this dialogue means that the world’s two biggest economies are now working to handle the relations which had dropped to “freezing point” during Donald Trump’s term. And according to the “Washington Post”, Blinken said on March 10 that this time’s Sino-American high-level strategic dialogue was “an important opportunity”, the two sides should “frankly declare their positions” and explore if there was space for cooperation between China and America.

作为中美两国元首除夕通话之后的落实行动，两国高层外交主管官员展开面对面交流，可谓双方在重建中美关系的过程中迈出的“第一步”。路透社评论称，这场对话意味着世界上最大的两个经济体正在努力处理双方在特朗普任期内跌至“冰点”的关系。另据《华盛顿邮报》报道，布林肯10日也指出，此次中美高层战略对话是“一个重要的机会”，双方将就关切问题“坦率表态”，并探讨中美间是否有合作的空间。

Although one dialogue can’t solve all problems, opening a dialogue is still an important beginning, and exploring the reconstruction of dialogue mechanisms to control differences is in itself significant. History of Sino-American relations certifies that as long as both sides walk in the same direction and make efforts, the two countries absolutely can solve contradictions and differences through dialogue and broaden mutual benefit through cooperation. The Chinese and American people are wise and competent. The two sides should carry out dialogue by respecting each other and treating each other as equals. Hopefully, China and America have a multi-level dialogue in many fields, and even if a consensus can’t be reached for now, opinions can be exchanged, trust be increased and doubts be dispelled, and this is beneficial to controlling and resolving differences.

虽然一次对话不能解决所有问题，但展开对话即是一个重要开端。通过对话增加相互了解、探索重建对话机制来管控分歧，本身就具有重要意义。中美关系的历史证明，只要相向而行，付出努力，两国完全可以通过对话化解矛盾分歧，通过合作扩大共同利益。中美两国人民是有智慧、有能力的，双方还是要相互尊重、平等相待地进行对话沟通。希望中美有多领域、多层次的对话，即便一时达不成共识，也可以交换意见、增信释疑，这有利于管控和化解分歧。(完)

Editor: Guo Mengyuan

【编辑郭梦媛】

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Related

China wants pre-Trump era back, Taipei Times, Mar 15 (UTC)
“Objective, rational manner”, Xinhua, Mar 15, 2021
The Essence of Big-power relations, Jun 11, 2013

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Updates/Related

Angry words, BBC, Mar 19, 2020
In America, not in China, Die Welt, March 18, 2021

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Wolf Warrior Diplomacy on Vacation, while Party expects Returns on Investment

Twitter can be fun, but would be a waste of time if all the information you can get passes by without some reflection on it. Learning by repetition. Here goes.

China’s recent diplomacy has been referred to as wolf warrior diplomacy (戰狼外交) in recent months – or in fact for years (as Sweden can tell) -, but it has become a much more frequently used term with the COVID-19 crisis.

As Washington and Beijing traded accusations and conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 origins during the first half of 2020, Beijing’s propaganda machine continuously switched gears between angry statements and more or less funny cartoons on “social media” platforms like Twitter, depicting Trump administration officials as dorks or hypocrites. Chinese foreign ministry (FMPRC) spokesman and communications director Zhao Lijian as well as Chinese media outlets like CCTV-English, People’s Daily in English, Xinhua news agency etc. took leading roles in “anti-American” (反美) enunciations.

But wolf warrior diplomacy apparently didn’t lead to results that would have satisfied Beijing after all. On Tuesday (August 4), China’s ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, told an NBC anchor and a wider online public that

The normalization of relations between our two countries and the growth of this relationship over the decades has served the interests of both countries and the world very well. It’s quite clear to all of us are still enjoying the positive outcome, the benefit of this growth of relationship. Nobody can really deny this.

Societal differences should provide opportunities for mutual learning, Cui suggested.

Cui himself didn’t have to make a u-turn to emphasize the “positive outcomes” of Sino-US relations – he had never been a wolf warrior diplomat anyway, and Washington wouldn’t have been the place to test these fruits of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era / Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy anyway. And when he made the essential swipe – there needs to be one in every Chinese representation to Americans these days, to show that the speaker is not afraid of his audience -, he smiled as if he wanted to apologize for what he was saying.

Click picture for video

His boss, foreign minister Wang Yi, didn’t have to turn everything upside down either. But to show that Xi has always been a great supporter of dialogue, he inaugurated a Research Center for the Guiding Role of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic Thought at the FMPRC on July 20.

According to “Radio Free Asia” (apparently not safely verified), fifty-centers have been told to switch their messages from “anti-American” to “double-win” (click picture for details)

Thusly illuminated, foreign minister Wang addressed an online forum of American and Chinese think tanks (including Henry Kissinger and Kevin Rudd, apparently) on July 9, Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas in a video conference on July 24 (not without informing his colleague in Berlin that the problems in Chinese-American relations are all created by America), and, most recently, the readers of Communist Party organ “People’s Daily”.

Chances are that US secretary of state Pompeo and his network have struck the right note in communication with Beijing during the past months, and distancing from China could become a bipartisan American policy. However, the Trump administration may not be able to take traditional allies as far along in their cause as they would like to.

Australian foreign minister Marise Payne told a press conference with US secretary of state Michael Pompeo that “we make our own decisions and we use our own language”, and that “the relationship with China is important and we have no intention of injuring it”.

Sydney Morning Herald correspondents wrote on August 1 that Joe Biden, the US Democrats’ presidential nominee, was

expected to be closer to what Australia is trying to do: transition to a multipolar region where Beijing is accommodated but counterbalanced by regional powers including Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and the US.

At times, Trump and Pompeo’s approach seems to be an attempt to maintain the US as regional hegemon – something Canberra quietly gave up on a few years ago.

[Lowy Institute executive director] Fullilove says in some ways a Biden administration would be tougher on China and may make requests of Australia which are harder to refuse.

The correspondents also pointed out that both Japan and New Zealand, while basically following the US / Australia lines, had kept a rather low profile, thus protecting their trade interests with China.

Germany wasn’t exactly the first country either to throw a gauntlet at Beijing, or to publicly take note of China’s internment policies in East Turkestan, or its breach of international law by imposing its “national security law” on Hong Kong. Berlin’s position was further complicated as Germany’s leadership currently chairs the EU in a rotational arrangement, having to find as much common ground among Beijing-leaning EU member states and more resilient members.

Only when Hong Kong’s government announced a “postponement” of Legislative Council elections by a year, ostensibly because of the special administrative region’s COVID-19 crisis, Germany joined other countries and suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. On August 3, French foreign ministry sharply criticized Beijing’s “national security law”, and halted ratification of its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, which had been in process since 2017.

A few days earlier, and five days after his conversation with Germany’s foreign minister, Wang Yi had been on the phone with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian,

Austrian public radio ORF‘s China correspondent Josef Dollinger arguably provided one of the more succinct summaries of European policies. Asked on July 29, the morning when the EU governments presented their agreed reaction to Beijing’s Hong Kong policy, if Washington’s chances of isolating Beijing could be successful, he said that conflicts with China could not be painless, and that while

you can ride a tiger gone wild without getting bucked off – difficult as that may be -, you shouldn’t keep shouting “I’ve got him, I’ve got him.”

Man kann zwar auf einem wild gewordenen Tiger reiten, ohne abgeworfen zu werden – auch wenn’s schwierig ist -, aber man sollte dabei nicht ständig rufen, “ich hab’ ihn, ich hab’ ihn”.

In the EU, disappointment about stalling talks on a comprehensive investment treaty with China have likely added to a hardening position.

And while America’s allies have resisted Pompeo’s calls to join them on the warpath, it does appear that China underestimated the impact of its Hong Kong policies, at least in democratic countries.

All the more, Wang Yi himself, too, tries to stick to a script that would paint China as the natural and predetermined victor to emerge from the beginning struggle. Among some double-win promises, he also threatened America with history’s pillar of shame (恥辱柱).

No matter how much, or little, pressure China may feel as a whole, Beijing’s diplomats are having a tough time of it. It is one thing to open a Xi-Jinping shrine at the FMPRC. To deliver on hard issues is another. The leadership and its personality core have significantly raised investment in diplomacy. They will expect more than just damage control in return.

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Have a Guess why WHO Director-General Tedros thinks he’s right

First off, I want you to know that I have signed this petition, and that I would like to encourage you to sign it, too. My main reason to ask for Dr. Tedros’ resignation is that he supports a policy of locking more than 20 million Taiwanese people out of the World Health Organization (WHO). That scandal didn’t start with his tenure, and has been WHO policy for a long time, but it is now exacting a price in terms of global health. Taiwan could share its eperience in a so far successful fight against COVID-19. Taiwan could also contribute financially. Taiwan seems to have warned the WHO on December 31, in an email query to the organization. And the WHO leadership appears to be unwilling to take this into account and make a wiser decision than in the past.

I don’t feel a personal dislike for Tedros, and I think that many “social media” remarks about him are inappropriate, and actually false assertions.

Bloody hell, Mr. Ghebreyesus! These are busy times for you, of course, but you really need to work on your curtsies! pic.twitter.com/jcRoletFln

— JR's China Blog (@JRsChinaBlog1) March 25, 2020

But every public official must be accountable to the people he serves, or claims to serve. That’s why I believe that the WHO’s director general should clear the way for a successor with a more inclusive policy than his.

It doesn’t help when people insult each other. Above all, character assassination blinds for the more likely facts and factors in political processes. Both sides are wrong when accusing each other of “politicizing” issues. WHO is inevitably about politics, because it depends on the funding of governments with very different interests, and different economic capabilities to contribute to the WHO’s work. The demands of the world’s poorest, as elementary and obvious as they may be, are also political. And China’s cover-up approach is political, too. Everything is politics – that’s no suitable swearword to use for either WHO officials, or their critics.

It is true however that when you look at the mere numbers – in million US-$ -, China’s influence on the WHO doesn’t seem to make sense:

member state	fees1)	voluntary2)	total
USA	57.9	401.1	459.0
China	28.7	16.9	45.6
Japan	20.5	46.7	67.2
Germany	14.6	89.9	104.5
United Kingdom	10.9	163.7	174.6

Then why the WHO’s understatement when China covered up their SARS-2 cases, why the blind eyes to Taiwan’s warning query in December 31 (not to mention the WHO’s discrimination of Taiwan in general), and why the WHO director-general’s generally meek interaction with Beijing?

• Trump is toying with the idea of reducing America’s contributions. Any WHO director general has to plan ahead, especially when the organizations main stakeholder becomes unreliable.
• Tedros is probably convinced that he is doing the right thing by chumming up to China. Losing people to disease is unacceptable for him, and that much is credible. There is no way that WHO can enforce transparency on the ground – be it in China, be it in any other countries, though smaller countries may be more susceptible to pressure. And conceited leaders (like China’s) are more susceptible to flattery. (That, of course, doesn’t make it right to help them downplay a crisis, neither knowingly nor unknowingly. But it may become a more understandable approach, when you keep in mind that understanding something isn’t the same thing as condoning it.)
• Then there is a – supposed – trend. While Taiwan would probably contribute as much today as does China, it could be different in future. That’s what most in the global political class expect to happen. They may have to think again – China is regularly overestimated. While questionable statistics have often help its image among foreigners, forgery will backfire when it does damage to the faithful foreigners’ home countries. (Never mind a million “extremist” inmates in Chinese internment camps – that’s far, far away.)

It makes no sense to demonize Tedros. He isn’t much different from most national or business leaders when it comes to dealing with China. The difference of course is that national leaders are usually held accountable, sometimes more, sometimes less, but more so than heads of international institutions. That’s why African politicians do criticize China for the way Africans have been treated in Guangzhou, while Tedros, who had shortly before tried to mobilize African public opinion in his favor and against “Taiwanese racism” remains oddly silent now.

But of course, it makes no sense to defend Tedros’ policies, either.

I would still prefer some civility in the effort to make him go. One doesn’t need to hate or disdain a man who oppose him. Rather, you can oppose him more effectively when you try to understand him and his supporters.
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Notes

¹⁾ Source for obligatory contributions
²⁾ Source for voluntary contributions
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US support for Taiwan’s diplomatic alliances “uncompromisingly opposed” by FMPRC

The following is a translation of a newslet from China News Service (CNS, 中国新闻),the country’s second-largest newsagency after Xinhua.

“An Act to express United States support
for Taiwan’s diplomatic alliances
around the world”

Main link: China’s foreign ministry reacts to America’s signing of legislation concerning Taiwan, strongly urges America to correct mistake (中国外交部回应美方签署涉台法案：强烈敦促美方纠正错误)

CNS, Beijing, March 27 — (Huang Yuqin reporting)  Countering America signing the negative bill concerning Taiwan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on a regular press conference on Friday that China strongly urged America to correct its mistake and not to implement that legislation, and not to obstruct any country’s development of ties with China. Otherwise, it would inevitably be met with a resolute Chinese counterattack.

中新社北京3月27日电 (黄钰钦)针对美方签署涉台消极法案，中国外交部发言人耿爽27日在例行记者会上表示，中方强烈敦促美方纠正错误，不得实施该法，不得阻挠各国同中国发展关系。否则，必将遭到中方坚决反击。

A reporter asked, the American president signed the “Taiwan Friendship International Protection and Strengthening Initiative” bill [into legislation]. How does China comment on this?

有记者提问，美国总统签署了“台湾友邦国际保护及加强倡议法案”。中方对此有何评论？

Geng Shuang replied that America’s so-called “Taipei bill” seriously violated the one-China principle and the rules of the Sino-American Three Communiqués, goes against international law and the fundamental standards of international relations, and interfered in domestic Chinese politics. China expressed intense resentment and uncompromising opposition against this.

耿爽回应称，美方所谓“2019年台北法案”严重违反一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报规定，违背国际法和国际关系基本准则，干涉中国内政。中方对此表示强烈不满和坚决反对。

He pointed out that worldwide, 180 countries had established diplomatic relations with China, with America having established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China policy as early as 41 years ago. The above-mentioned bill demands the obstruction of other countries sovereign countries’ developing normal national relations. This is undisguised hegemonial logic.

他指出，世界上已有180个国家同中国建交，美国自己早在41年前就在一个中国原则基础上同中国建交，上述法案却要求阻挠其他主权国家同中国发展正常国家关系，这是赤裸裸的霸权主义逻辑。

Geng Shuang emphasized that the Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China’s core interests. China’s government and people determination and volition to defend their core interests is rock-solid. We strongly urge America to correct its mistake and not to implement that legislation, and not to obstruct any country’s development of ties with China. Otherwise, it would inevitably be met with a resolute Chinese counterattack. (end)

耿爽强调，台湾问题事关中国主权和领土完整，事关中国核心利益。中国政府和人民捍卫核心利益的决心和意志坚如磐石。我们强烈敦促美方纠正错误，不得实施该法，不得阻挠各国同中国发展关系。否则，必将遭到中方坚决反击。(完)

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Related

Led by Nancy Pelosi, J. Smith, Mar 27, 2020
Senate and House bill, Jan 3, 2020
China’s rising aggression, Jan 28, 2017

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Ukraine between a Rock and a Hard Place: Washington wants to prevent China’s Acquisition of Motor Sich

Huanqiu Shibao quotes foreign media, as usual, without providing links to the specific articles. All links within blockquotes were added during translation. Topic: China’s planned Motor Sich acquisition.

Still Rambo’s favorite target,
the HIND helicopter –
Wikipedia / license CC BY-SA 3.0 –
click photo for source

 

Main Link: Ukraine declines Motor Sich acquisition by Chinese company? Russian media: America dissatisfied with Sino-Ukrainian transactions, has exerted pressure on Ukraine before (乌克兰拒绝中国公司买马达西奇？俄媒：美国不满中乌交易，曾对乌施压)

American website BuzzFeed said on February 25 that an official with the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine had revealed that in March, this commission would publicly announce a ban on Beijing Skyrizon Aviation buying Motor Sich company. There had been news before that in addition to buying shares, the Chinese company had als pledged to invest 250 mn US dollars within two years.

【环球时报综合报道】美国BuzzFeed网站25日称，乌克兰反垄断委员会官员透露，该委员会将在3月宣布，禁止中国的北京天骄航空产业投资有限公司购买乌克兰的马达西奇公司。此前有消息称，除购买股份外，中国公司还承诺在两年内对该工厂投资2.5亿美元。

Sputnik News said that Ukrainian president Zelensky took this decision because of so-called “geopolitical risks”, but Sputnik online  says that Sino-Ukrainian related transactions had caused American dissatisfaction, with the latter exerting pressure on Ukraine. Reportedly, America has plans to let Oriole Capital Group, which isn’t too well-known, become Motor Sich’s buyer. It is said that a penalty to be paid buy Motor Sich for breach of contract is in a range from 500 mn to 2 bn US dollars. As Ukraine’s budget can’t sustain these expenses, it had been hoped that this company would provide the amount. But America didn’t want that, and therefore, it could sanction Motor Sich to force force the Chinese company to abandon the acquisition plan.(Wang Zhen)

俄新社称，乌克兰总统泽连斯基是根据所谓 “地缘风险”做出上述决定的。但俄罗斯卫星网称，中乌的有关交易引起美方不满，后者曾对乌施压。据称，美国打算让一家不太出名的Oriole Capital Group公司成为马达西奇的收购者。据了解，有关马达西奇交易的违约金为5亿至20亿美元。由于乌预算无法负担这一费用，因此希望这家公司提供这笔钱。但美国却不愿意。因此，美方可能会通过制裁马达西奇公司逼迫中国公司放弃收购计划。(王臻)

In an online article, possibly the one referenced by “Huanqiu Shibao”, a BuzzFeed author that President Zelensky would probably prefer to keep the Ukrainian arms manufacturer out of “a larger Washington–Beijing power game” and find an investor “from a country other than the US and China”, but also points out the pressures from Washington, previously concerning “investigating” Biden business in Ukraine, now concerning Motor Sich.

While the Motor Sich saga appears to be continuing, at least until next month, Ukraine’s vice premier Dmytro Kuleba showed interest in economic cooperation with China, saying that the COVID-19 outbreak had delayed such cooperation, Radio Ukraine International reported on Friday morning (UTC).

“We need investment and we have to launch new industrial facilities. We could already be discussing this with China” [hadn’t there been the epidemic outbreak],

Kuleba was quoted as saying.

Xi Jinping: “Irreversible tide of economic globalization”

The following are translations of news covering a propaganda event named “Reading and Understanding China”. The event was held in Guangzhou, on October 26 and 27. Before that, Xi Jinping held a reception in Beijing, for attendees from abroad.

Xi Jinping meets attendees of Guangzhou conference in Beijing – click picture for video

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1. Main Link: Xinhua, Oct 26, 2019

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Xinhua, Guangzhou, October 26, reporter Sun Yi — The 2019 “Reading and Understanding China” Guangzhou International Conference opened in Guangzhou on October 26. Huang Kunming, member of the politburo of the Communist Party of China central committee and director of the propaganda department of the Communist Party of China, attended the opening ceremony, read out a congratulatory letter from Chairman Xi Jinping, and gave an opening speech.

新华社广州10月26日电（记者孙奕）2019年“读懂中国”广州国际会议于10月26日在广州开幕。中共中央政治局委员、中宣部部长黄坤明出席开幕式，宣读习近平主席贺信并发表开幕演讲。

Huang Kunming pointed out that Chairman Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter is sure of the great trend of global development, distinctly points out the irreversibility of the tide of economic globalization, solemnly pledges that China will unswervingly continue the path of peaceful development, pursue a strategy of mutual benefit and win-win, amply showing the continuity of China’s steady approach of continuous reform and opening up, and confidence in greater contributions by China to the world.

黄坤明指出，习近平主席的贺信深刻把握世界发展大势，鲜明指出经济全球化潮流不可逆转，郑重宣示中国将坚定不移走和平发展道路、奉行互利共赢开放战略，充分展示了中国改革不停顿、开放不止步的坚定态度，表达了中国为世界作出更大贡献的信心决心。

Huang Kunming emphasized that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the new China. In those marvelous 70 years, the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people onto a successful road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, in accordance with China’s national situation and the aspirations of the people, and “Reading and Understanding China” was above all about reading and understanding the China path. It is a path of maintaining independence and self-determination, exploration under hardship, the end of bitterness, the beginnings of sweetness, while striving for strengthening. It is based on the fundamental national conditions, builds the reformist and innovative road of socialist modernization, holds high the road of the people above all else, working as one to create the people’s happiness, living beautiful lives. It upholds the party’s leadership, showing the way to the road of struggle and advancement for societal reform by self-reform¹⁾, the destiny cherished by humankind, in the pursuit of the peaceful road of equal benefit, cooperation and win-win. We will overcome all obstacles on the way, break new ground and forge ahead into the present, unswervingly stay on this path, create the future, and make contributions to the building of the community of shared future of humankind²⁾, to improve the well-being of the people of the world.

黄坤明强调，今年是新中国成立70周年。回顾不平凡的70年，中国共产党领导人民成功走出一条适合中国国情、符合人民意愿的中国特色社会主义道路，“读懂中国”首先要读懂中国道路。这是一条坚持独立自主，艰辛探索、苦尽甘来的自立自强之路，是立足基本国情，建设社会主义现代化的改革创新之路，是高扬人民至上，齐心协力创造美好生活的人民幸福之路，是坚持党的领导，以自我革命引领社会革命的奋斗进取之路，是胸怀人类命运，追求平等互利、合作共赢的和平发展之路。我们在这条道路上披荆斩棘、开拓前进走到今天，也将坚定不移沿着这条道路砥砺前行、创造未来，为增进世界人民福祉、构建人类命运共同体作出新的贡献。

Members of the politburo’s central committee, Guangdong provincial party secretary Li Xi attended the conference and gave keynote speeches.

中共中央政治局委员、广东省委书记李希出席会议并作主旨演讲。

2. Main Link: CCTV Xinwen Lianbo (evening news), Oct 26, 2019, 11:00 UTC

CCTV News (Xinwen Lianbo): The 2019 “Reading and Understanding China Guangzhou International Conference opened in Guangzhou on October 26. State Chairman Xi Jinping  sent a congratulatory letter to the conference.

央视网消息（新闻联播）：2019年“读懂中国”广州国际会议于10月26日在广州开幕。国家主席习近平向会议致贺信。

Xi Jinping pointed out that currently, the economic globalization is encountering some complicated challenges, but the tide of economic globalization was irreversible, with all countries’ interests becoming more blended into one another with each passing day. The irresistible trend is that good and bad fate must be shared by all. Constantly creating better lives is the expectation held by the peoples of all countries. China is a beneficiary of economic globalization, it is even more a contributor, and will unswervingly keep to the path of peaceful development, pursue a strategy of mutual benefit and win-win, and continue to add more drive to open global economic development. Together will the peoples of all countries of the world, we will promote a direction in which economic globalization faces more openness, tolerance, benefit, balance and win-win, making economic globalization benefitting the people of all the countries of the world better.

习近平指出，当前，经济全球化遇到一些曲折困难，但经济全球化潮流不可逆转，各国利益日益交融、命运更加休戚与共是大势所趋，不断创造更加美好的生活是各国人民的共同期待。中国是经济全球化的受益者，更是贡献者，将坚定不移走和平发展道路，奉行互利共赢开放战略，继续为开放型世界经济发展增添动力，同世界各国人民一道，推动经济全球化朝着更加开放、包容、普惠、平衡、共赢的方向发展，让经济全球化更好造福世界各国人民。

The “Reading and Understanding China” international conference has been successfully held three times before. About 600 people, including thirty well-known politicians, strategists, scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world, are taking part in the conference.

“读懂中国”国际会议迄今已成功举办三届。今年有包括30余位全球知名政治家、战略家、学者、企业家在内的约600人与会。

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Note

¹⁾ literally: societal revolution (社会革命), self-revolution (自我革命)
²⁾ more literally: humankind’s common destiny community
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Related

Warming sunshine, Jan 20, 2017

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Once upon a time in America

We pride ourselves on our friendly relations and open borders with our two North American neighbors.

Ronald Reagan, US president, November 9, 1985