Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Is The Next Generation Of Chinese Diplomats 'Tough-Talking'?

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lijian Zhao suggested the US had brought coronavirus to China

BBC: Coronavirus: China’s new army of tough-talking diplomats

Once upon a time Chinese statecraft was discreet and enigmatic.

Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, wrote in his seminal study Diplomacy that "Beijing's diplomacy was so subtle and indirect that it largely went over our heads in Washington".

Governments in the West employed sinologists to interpret the opaque signals emanating from China's politburo.

Under its former leader, Deng Xiaoping, the country's declared strategy was to "hide its ability and bide its time". Well, not any more.

China has dispatched an increasingly vocal cadre of diplomats out into the world of social media to take on all comers with, at times, an eye-blinking frankness. Their aim is to defend China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and challenge those who question Beijing's version of events.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: BBC's Diplomatic correspondent James Landale calls China's diplomats "tough talking". Oh please. I have known Chinese diplomats for almost 35 years. They have always been blunt and tough. The only difference from then to now is that the media is finally reporting on it. But it is also true that some of these Chinese diplomats are now saying some incredibly stupid things that would never have made the light of day over 30 years ago when I was there. Case in point. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lijian Zhao accusing the US of bringing the coronavirus to China without any proof. This is not being "tough-talking". This is being irresponsible and buffoonish. .

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

yes

Anonymous said...

"The only difference from then to now is that the media is finally reporting on it."

Reality is whatever the media says it is.

There is a trenchant, insightful or flip American saying "Perception is reality." Media and politicians try to make use of it every day.


Case in point:

"In summary, COVID-19 is a disease that is highly infectious and spreads rapidly through society. It is often quite symptomless and might pass unnoticed, but it also causes severe disease, and even death, in a proportion of the population, and our most important task is not to stop spread, which is all but futile, but to concentrate on giving the unfortunate victims optimal care."

- Lancet

Hammer blows will fall on DJT, if he locked down or did not lock down. All the opposition wanted was the perception. A year from now Miss Pelosi will know much less about COVID than and avid reader of the news, who uses multiple sources. Yet she is in charge of a large proportion of the government. She also has de riguer freezers stocked with gourmet ice cream.

If those UFOs, which the Navy see, are real and the aliens see all this perception going around as a weapon. This is what they will say.

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure