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© Thomson Reuters 2023.Xi urges Chinese envoys to create 'diplomatic iron army'
By Laurie Chen BEIJING©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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PTownsend
Scary for those that believe in personal choice and individual freedom, but it must be music to the ears of the anti-democracy, pro-totalitarian ilk, those in places like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, North Korea and elsewhere who prefer authoritarian regimes, and that want big brother to tell them what to do and think, and also those that believe a life spent in a military boot camp type existence would be a good life. Hopefully no one in China, nor outside, given there are reported to be Chinese jails around the globe, will do or say something that might 'hurt the feelings of Chinese people', euphemism for even questioning Xi and/or his CCP.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Just running China's international image that much more into the ground? I guess it was always fated to be that way.
kaimycahl
Grand Pooh bah has spoken
JJE
That is precisely the point in the last passage right there.
Peter14
The Chinese blunt hammer and sharp knife diplomacy. No room for compromise or coalition building with China. Do it their way or you will pay the price through trade coercion (Australia, Japan, Lithuania), physical intimidation (Philippines, Japan, Australia, Canada, Taiwan) and outright threats of war (Taiwan).
Wolf warrior? Jump all over the helpless sheep and devour them. Much like their policy towards the Asia-Pacific region. Expand China's borders and devour it one piece at a time which is why they object every time the smaller nations work together or with the US or Europe. A lone wolf will always fail against a pack. Small nations form a pack for defense against China.
Xi has no idea how to act with others. Russia has fallen into its grasp and will struggle to separate itself from dependence on China in the future. Nations would be well advised to inform China that ambassadors trying to use "wolf warrior" diplomacy in their nations will be expelled and risk closure of Chinese embassies and missions in their country.
PTownsend
Has Xi or his CCP forgotten about "Belt and Road", and China's partner the Russian Federation's 'Eurasian Economic Union'. Given the territory China and Russia have within their sovereign borders and the territories included in their economic areas of interest and control they should talk about their own aims at hegemony before using that word to describe others. Re 'bullying' why is China helping Russia's war with Ukraine, that war is a textbook example of a large nation bullying a smaller one?
HonestDictator
The same old same old issue with China... The CCP keeps being a garbage government that can't see beyond it's own self. How different China would be without it, better political and government leadership than Mao's and the Soviets influences. CCP needs to be dead and buried with something far better in it's place.
Moonraker
Silly Pooh-chan.
Stefan
Picture looks photoshoped .
JJE
How is China "helping Russia's war with Ukraine"?
They sent humanitarian aid there, no weapons to Moscow and even floated some realistic peace plans.
What more should they do for Your Majesty?
HonestDictator
As long as the CCP behaves the way it has always done, this will not happen. Same with Putin's Duma in Russia.
The US and it's allies would have gotten along a lot better with China if the CCP didn't screw over Hong Kong, increased aggression towards Taiwan for a Forceful "reuninfication", and claim that all the south China sea is China's territory in full violation of international law.
Same with Russia. We all could have gotten along until Putin thought it would be a good idea to re-enact the old days of imperial conquest to "unite" the olde Russian "Empire" starting with Ukraine. NATO would not have gained 2 new members if he didn't do that first.
TaiwanIsNotChina
By supplying dual use drones for one. China has done everything short of sending weapons to prop up Putin. My guess is we will find Chinese weapons in Ukraine someday.
Fighto!
In that case, it is time for citizens of free, democratic nations - where these Communists are bizarrely living - to monitor and go after Chinese people in this "diplomatic iron army".
Expose them, flush them out and make their lives a living hell.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Unlikely. Handguns and even rifles are not enough for a civil war. Also our institutions are strong since they didn't come out of Mao's rear.
Only as strong as your combined economy with your allies and China has impressively few of those.
You have a lot of uncomfortable truths you like to spread here while showing how much you love China and Russia.
Working out better than allowing wholesale theft and dumping like we have previously.
Not possible when China wants to crush Taiwan and fund every dictatorship in the world.
stormcrow
Perhaps Xi has read Mao's Little Red Book one too many times. I recall reading one of Churchill's memoirs in which he discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the democratic governments with dictatorships. I'm paraphrasing here from memory, but he discussed the strengths of dictators being able to make sudden and dramatic decisions quickly because there was no opposition, for example, Hitler. On the other hand, dictators can make colossal mistakes and go on making them for the same reason, no opposition to correct the error. Whereas in a democracy, Prime Ministers or Presidents could be removed from office if the public disapproved of there performance or conduct, thus being replaced by somebody else. There feet are held to the fire so to speak, but dictators, for the most part, are not.
In other words (IMO), opposition is something which is to be encouraged and not suffocated.
Moonraker
What's really in it for people who support an autocrat? I always wonder. He decides much of your life. You decide much less of your own. Is, like Erich Fromm said, freedom really so burdensome for some?
Fighto!
I often ask the same questions.
But it seems a very big part of the world actually hate freedom. Despise democracy. Choice and freedom scares them. They need a "strong man" to hold their hands all through life, and make every decision for them. They blame the "evil, decadent West" and democracy for their own misery.
We see a lot of people on here with this mindset, voicing their devotion to scum like Putin, Xi, Kim and the rest - and their endless hate of Japan, the US etc.
John
More of a dodo-diplomatic corpse that wolf-warrior….
bo
China is an economic miracle ,they are the good guys and need to be strong
Fighto!
Here we go folks - another Commie.
Get out of here and back to your Communist paradise, China.
JJE
Sinophobia at its finest.
Mark
normal leader will only request military group loyal and serve wholeheartedly to their country and people. How sick it is the military is forced to serve the party's interest and loyal to certain people?
Mark
Philippines fishermen and civilians are super nice and good guys too, but the fact is they are being bullied and harassed by the so called "good guys" china commies. what a hypocrite!
HonestDictator
China is no more communist than the DPRK is "democratic". An authoritarian regime by any other name...
itsonlyrocknroll
The Government of China political diplomatic posture towards western democracies has become more noticeably belligerent.
The “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong is aa illusion a façade.
Any belief that a foreign policy, leaning towards any recognition or acceptance of a system, rules based governance, whether trade, or even for basic human rights.
Nothing more than a false premise,
The refusal to allow WHO or UN to fully investigate the origins of a Global pandemic that took the lives of 6,961,880.
The bullying and threats to its neighbours, land sea and air.
Its ludicrous claims over vital global shipping trading routes.
The East and South China Sea covered in dashes,
Taiwan under the daily threat of invasion.
What does 2024 offer?
When will the Global community that values it peace and freedoms grow a spine?
John
You can tell a lot about the self-conscious insecurities an authoritarian regime has by the names it gives various initiatives: “wolf-warrior” “iron-diplomacy”, (insert “tough guy” adjective) - dragon.
NCIS Reruns
Paranoia blended with a dash of jingoism and a tablespoon of self-victimhood. Xi seems to be taking lessons from Kim Jong-un.
Peter14
Only thanks to the rest of the world flooding it with investments for decades and the worlds business geniuses helping China develop its economy.
In no detectable way are the Chinese leaders "the good guys", in fact by just about every metric they are the bad guys not only to their own people but to everyone else as well. For them it is all about control. Control the population, the businesses and all religions, not for the good of China, but for the Chinese Communist Party and more specifically for its leader.
China are the bad guys, and they side with other bad guys in Russia and Putin, Iran and its Ayatollah, NK and the Kim family plus perhaps a few others. Joined not by similar cultures or leadership styles but held tenuously together by their hate for the West and for freedom of will and action for the masses.
Peter14
The Chinese communist party is run in the basic communist way with Chinese tendencies/modifications. How it runs China is a mish mash of capitalistic, communistic, pot luck Autocratic/Despotic rule. All under the total control of the CCP and its delusional party leader.
Moonraker
The culmination of a much-touted 5000 years of civilisation. Nobody seemed to learn much from that, except petty nationalism and fascism are best (or socialism, depending on the day, though it was all invented in Europe not long ago), best to keep the people ignorant, name-calling and projection are good strategies and elevating an oaf to be your leader is good.
TaiwanIsNotChina
See how far you get with with a semi-automatic rifle then, against the US military. I think it will end somewhat worse than Hamas against Israel.
I was raised to be patriotic and so reject the words of the anarchist.
Taiwan will not survive an attempt to take it over militarily. I think even you acknowledge that is Xi's plan. Of course he could always take his dreams with him to his grave and save the world some trouble.
Not as stupid as thinking we will all hold hands and surrender to China will improve everybody's standing.
OssanAmerica
China is good to itself, nobody else. To the rest of the world they are the bad guys.
China is(was) an economic miracle because it's a cetralized economy and the rest of the world foolishly believed their "peaceful rise" lie.
China has no need to be strong. Nobody is interested in attacking or invading China. But China threatens other nations and uses it's military strength to intimidate others for their sole gain.
konjo4u
He wants a diplomatic corps that is undiplomatic. Xi and Putin must be taking lessons from Trump.
theFu
Guess China has never heard that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If there weren't anything negative about the CCP foreign behaviors, then they wouldn't need to be constantly lying.
RichardPearce
The difference between the myths about what wolf warrior diplomacy is and the reality rivals the difference between the myths about wolf behavior is and the reality.
You may not be able or willing to watch Wolf Warriors' and it's sequel, but Never Cry Wolf, well, there's no harm in reading or watching that.
Skeptical
A "diplomatic iron army?" We know all-too-well the kind of miniature robot diplomatic corp he wants. They have this built-in key that he winds up. The he sets them loose on the globe, marching around their diplomatic missions and posts in tight circles, mechanically saying things like: ‘This Ocean is Mine, Not Yours.’ And ‘Yield To The Winds and Give Us Your Reefs and Beaches.' And the old favorite, ‘Yield Your Sovereign Rights to Xi and his Heroic Righteousness Or Perish.’
The early prototypes were recalled, after they were heard singing, 'The East Is Red,' and 'Oh Lovely Land,' but each time they did, the robot stopped moving, fell on it's side, and the lubricating oil starting leaking out. What a mess!
Wesley
Xinni the Poo's iron army? Iron can be melted.
albaleo
But perhaps for many, the form of government is irrelevant. Are the lives of bus drivers, nurses, plumbers, farmers, etc. so different in China than in other countries? I honestly don't know, but I suspect it's much the same for most. Does voting for Trump or Biden improve your life more than not voting at all? And I guess if you really want to change things in China, you could join the CCP and, through skill, trickery and lies, make your way to the top. Is that so different from how politics works in the democratic West?
My biggest grudge with China is its territorial nationalism. About as far from communism as I can imaginer. But unfortunately, we see that all around the world.
TaiwanIsNotChina
In the West it is slightly more than cronyism and bribes that allow you to attain high office. Also there have been historically strong safeguards about deviants making their way to the top, although that seems to have fallen by the wayside in some places.
Most notably in Russia, yes.
theFu
In China, the state controls all the media outlets, so any unflattering true is removed from history and the people involved in publishing that information are quashed, at best, disappeared, at worse.
In the west, reporters are free to find dirt on any politician and publish it, so it is up to the voters to deside how much dirt they will stand in their elected officials. You you think the candidate Biden had anyone "disappeared"? Nope. I don't think President Biden had anyone disappeared, poisoned, or locked up in Siberia. OTOH, I'm 100% positive that Putin, Xi, and Lil' Kim have. No question on that.
albaleo
TaiwanIsNotChina, theFu, thanks for your comments. I generally agree with them. My comment was aimed at the idea of people hating freedom. I still wonder how different the idea of "freedom" is viewed by the average person in China and people in other countries. What clothes to buy for the kids, what to have for dinner, how to repair the house, etc.
Desert Tortoise
Considering the colonial pasts of many less developed nations their hatred of the west is understandable. The colonial powers of Europe really did leave much of the world a mess.
UChosePoorly
I view it like this - the general freedom (of press, speech, commerce, human rights, movement, etc.) I have simply as a consequence of having been born in the West (US) allows me to have a more prosperous life than my Chinese counterparts who share an equivalent spot to me on our respective social pyramids. My Chinese counterparts may very well be smarter, harder working, and even better citizens than me, but it is not the relative merits of individual citizens that we are discussing. Lots of Chinese want to move here. Not so many Americans want to move to China.
Desert Tortoise
Just from living with a Chinese born wife who survived the Cultural Revolution the Chinese are taught virtually nothing about the concepts of personal freedom or elected government. The Age of Reason passed by China completely unnoticed. The notion that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed is alien to them. They have no tradition of electing leaders. They have no tradition of private property either. Private land ownership has never been permitted in China to this day. Their educational system passes over much of the history we know. My wife knows nothing about the Palestinians or Israel. She was taught China beat Vietnam in 1979 ( and was shocked when I showed her the truth ) and that North Korea won the Korean War. She knows almost nothing about European history or thought. She never read Voltaire or Thomas Jefferson. She knows nothing about the Dark Ages, the Inquisition, or even the Holocaust.
She was taught Mao's thought and to this day sings the little revolutionary songs she learned as a kid. She doesn't talk much about being forced by the Red Guards to denounce her parents in public but she has no affection for Mao. "He took everything" she will tell you, but in the same breath has no understanding of how a legislature works or how laws are passed. It is all a great mystery to her and it bugs her that things cannot seem to get done as fast and as efficiently as they were in China. She sees some fat slob smoking and being stupid in public after exclaiming "look at the meat !" she will sneer "yeah, there's your freedom". She often sees personal freedom as a lack of personal discipline. She also fears authority. I recall her fear when I was going to go to court and challenge a traffic ticket, her begging me not to because in China challenging the police usually gets you disappeared. To her credit years later she fought a traffic ticket so she's learning but it is not natural for someone from such a society to go against any arm of the government.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I don't think any countries suffered from colonialism more than India and Vietnam and you don't see those countries with huge chips on their shoulders passing it down from generation to generation. I think for some countries, outrage at the West is their standard operating procedure.
Desert Tortoise
I worked for a time in Papua New Guinea and saw for myself what happens when a colonial power does nothing to develop the people in a nation then walks away and grants them independence. German, British and Australian colonial rule did nothing to improve the lot of the Papuans. Australia left little in the way of the institutions and knowledge necessary to successfully govern a nation. I worked the oil patch there and saw how the international oil companies treated the land and the people of PNG. The companies did what they wanted dumping rig waste right into the rivers and burning trash in open pits with diesel fuel, at least until one or more tribes showed up on a site armed with spears threatening to do harm, and the government was too weak to do anything but bend over for the foreign firms. That is not an uncommon situation in the developed world. Vietnam is if anything an outlier because they made no attempt at democratic government but aligned themselves with the Soviets, singing the praise of communism.