China's Ah Q era is over! 中国的 Ah Q 时代 过了! 不能在做 Ah Q了!

China had been living like Ah Q for a long time. When China was weak and poor, behaving like Ah Q is a forced act. The pride and dignity of a 5000 year Civilisation would not allow China to act and behave like Ah Q forever. But circumstances were such that not behaving like Ah Q would bring more harm to China. So China went about heads bowed, minding its own business and let the world went by, not heard, not seen, as if China did not exist.

The China today does not need to bow its head anymore. The days of being Ah Q is over. But why is there a need for China to keep telling the Americans to treat China as an equal? Why is there a need for China to make appeasing comments like the world is big enough for China and the USA, that China is not going to challenge or replace the USA. The USA can continue to be the hegemon of the world, that China is a friend, not an enemy?

On the other hand the Americans are openly, and secretly, telling the world, telling China, that China is their enemy number one. And the Americans are going all out to bring down China, opposing China, attacking China, undermining and demonising China, and sanctioning Chinese companies, raising tariffs at every instance and opportunity. And China could only look dumb and take the walloping as a price to pay to be number two.

The Americans are treating the Chinese not as an equal, as a secondary power, as an enemy! Get it? And China has to take all the blame for it. When China keeps behaving like a toothless power, as inferior to the Americans, the Americans will treat China as such. China must grow up, know its proper place in the equation and stand up to be equal or better than the Americans. But every action of China now is that of a smaller power, an unequal power. And the Americans know it and will not deal with China as an equal.

It is pointless and futile to keep telling the Americans to treat China as an equal. This is exactly the behaviour of an unequal partnership. The only time when the Americans saw China as an equal was in Alaska. But it was a brief moment, a flash in the pan, and the Chinese have forgotten how and why and have gone back to behave like an unequal partner.

The Americans are still calling the shot, setting the agenda, dictating how the Chinese should behave, and the Chinese obliged, behaving exactly the way the Americans want them to behave, a small power under the might of the American Empire. The Americans can do what they want, slap the Chinese, kick the Chinese, and the Chinese smile or turn and offer the other cheek. How can China expect the Americans to treat them as equal when they cannot behave like an equal? 

The Americans can tell the Chinese, we are coming to China to talk to you. The Chinese said yes and let the Americans set the agenda. Most of the time the Americans would be in China to lecture the Chinese on human rights, chiding the Chinese on fabricated charges and lies, bullying and threatening the Chinese to do this or that or else. And this is supposed to be a talk between two equal powers.

The sad thing, the Chinese never learn to say no and keep allowing the Americans to dictate to them, to set the agenda on what to talk about. How can China be equal to the Americans when they are afraid to say no to the Americans, afraid to show the middle finger to the Americans, afraid to close the door to the Americans?

To be treated equally, as an equal to the Americans, the Chinese must act and behave like an equal, to set the agenda, to say no when they have to. Do not let the Americans push China around. There are times when China has to stand up like a man and throw a few punches or a few slaps if needed.

For starters, China must decide when they will let the Americans to visit or call on Chinese leaders. China must not welcome any unfriendly visitors coming to China to talk about fake human rights or meddle in China's internal affairs, or be shown the door immediately, no more talks.

China must sanction all unfriendly political leaders that meddle in China's internal affairs, visiting Taiwan. Banned them from visiting China and Greater China. This is an important message that China must make or every little clown or girl will think it is ok to attack China or visit Taiwan. This is the least a superpower of equal status must do and behave, to be respected if not feared.

If China is afraid even to deal with a puny little Mickey Mouse in the South China Sea, how can it be respected as an equal to the American gangsters? China should stop begging to be treated as an equal. This would come only if China acts and behaves like an equal to the USA. Period.

The Chinese have been appeasing the Americans for years, begging and pleading to the Americans to be treated as an equal. Did the Americans care or start treating the Chinese as an equal? If they do, the Chinese have no need to beg for it anymore. Get smart and be real. When you are weak, the Americans would treat you as such. If China chooses to behave like a sick cat, why would the Americans want to treat China as an equal?

China must stop behaving like an Ah Q now! Stand up to be seen and recognised as an equal by your acts and behaviour. No one, not the Americans or the Global South nation states would respect China as an equal if it continues to behave meekly when provoked or challenged.

PS. I have to repeat this message until it sinks into the heads of the Chinese leaders. 

There is a Chinese saying, 面子是别人给的，脸是自己丢的. Why would China allow gangsters and rogues to come to China, like letting them into the house, to scold their father and mother and wife? And to make matter worse, the gangsters and rogues told China beforehand that they are coming to scold their father, mother and wife, and China agreed! And when they started scolding, China stood there smiling. How to gain respect from the Americans, to be treated as equal when you behaved as inferior to the Americans, got bullied and cheated all the time by the Americans and do nothing about it? You cannot expect the Americans to treat you differently if you keep behaving the same meek way all the time.