China – The peaceful rise of a global power

There was an interesting article on the rise of global powers by Jean Pierre Lehmann in the ST on 23 Jul 15. The author is the emeritus professor of international political economy at IMD, Switzerland and visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong. The article titled, ‘ China’s historic quest for a peaceful rise’, reminded the western powers that their rise to global powers were never peaceful and never responsible. From Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan and the USA, their rise was accompanied by ‘conquest, destruction, enslavement, executions, looting and the like were the order of the day’. The Americans were infamous for genocide of the Red Indians, slavery and bullying of the Mexicans and land grabbing. The Spanish were infamous for their mass murders of natives in the name of God and civilization. Japan and Germany were key players of invasion, aggression and conquest in the two World Wars. The British were the criminals in the Opium Wars against China and subduing and robbing India.

China was the biggest victim to the rise of European and Japanese powers, being colonized piece meal by the foreign powers and robbed of everything. Jean Pierre found it ludicrous for the Americans and westerners to chide China to be a responsible stakeholder as it rises to be a global power. The hypocrisy was so clear that nothing more needs to be mentioned, especially from the irresponsible Americans in their conduct of world domination by provoking and starting wars in all corners of the globe.

In his thesis, Jean Pierre concluded that there is no such thing as a peaceful rise of a global power.  He has doubt as to China’s peaceful rise and asked whether ‘China will behave with the same ruthless cynicism and cause as much misery and mayhem as its nine predecessors, or whether it will break the pattern and tear asunder the great power rising paradigm by rising peacefully.’ And he said it again, ‘It’s a tough challenge, especially, I repeat, as there is no precedent, no guidebook one can take off the shelf, no historical mentor one can turn to’.

You see what you want to see. You believe what you want to believe, especially when one is conditioned to think by decades of fabricated truth. Even before China’s rise as a global power, it has been demonized as an evil power when in fact it was the victim of the rise of global powers. China is still the victim of western powers and western oppression. There is now a contradiction and an unpleasant truth that western thinkers and politicians refused to see or acknowledge. When there was a Chinese Empire before the invasion of western colonial powers, China’s global GDP was 30%, befitting of a global power. It was a global power without wrecking or savaging the world.  The rise of the dynastic Chinese empires did not lead to world wars. Dynastic China had its own world view of things and the only wars it conducted were the usual border wars with neighbouring tribes and countries when the borders were not defined. And many of these wars were defensive in nature, to ward off aggression from neighbouring tribes. In many ways, the rise of dynastic China as a global power without global ambition was peaceful in the global context.

This may not be sufficient to dispel the thesis of no peaceful rise of a global power. The proof for such a phenomenon is right before our eyes but none willing to see and accept this unpleasant truth. Is China now a global power? In many senses it is a global power, financially, economically, militarily, unless the definition of a global power is one that engages in wars of conquest. China is the undisputed second largest economy in the world. Militarily it is second only to the Americans.

Is China not a global power today? If the answer is yes, then China has proven that it is possible to become a global power without conducting wars and causing mayhem to the rest of the world or to its neigbours. Today’s China is happy as a global power without having to attack any country or indulging in conquest to acquire territories. It reclaims islands from the seas based on historical rights. Its only other claim is to reclaim territories ceded by conquest when it was weak.

China is already a global power and has yet to fire a single bullet to claim its arrival. China does not need a war to be a global power. In fact a war would derail China’s rise and ambition as a world power.  It is avoiding war to the point that little countries could provoke and agitate and even make claims on China’s islands in the South China Sea while Japan continues to claim Diaoyu Islands as theirs. China’s peaceful rise may not remain so if the Americans and the Japanese are bent on provoking a war with China. Even if so, its rise as a global power is already a peaceful one to date, unless one is denying that China is still not a global power. And what is this nonsense of an irresponsible stakeholder? China has been playing everything with the rules of international laws and norms and has not behaved aggressively like the Americans and the Japanese.

Who is or are the irresponsible stakeholders? Definitely not China!  The West cannot accept a responsible world power like China and its peaceful rise. To them there is no such thing as a responsible China and a peaceful China as a global power. They refused to see this reality, that China has risen as a world power, peacefully and acting responsibly as a global power. Their mindset is that China cannot be a world power. If China is a world power it must be an irresponsible world power. And it cannot rise to be a global power peacefully. So China is not a global power yet. It can only be acknowledged as a global power after it creates havoc and mayhem to the world.

China has risen, peacefully, as a global power. Get it? The Americans and their allies can keep on demonizing China. The hard truth, Americans and their allies are the real demons instead.

The lying and mischievous Japanese

Japan has published a White Paper branding China as an aggressive nation and putting up some of the unilateral acts committed by China as hostile acts. These included building oil rigs and structures in the waters within China’s sovereignty, reclaiming islands in the South China Sea and claiming Diaoyu Islands seized by the Japanese through war.  China’s growing military might is also claimed as an act of hostility as proof that China is an aggressive country.

On the other hand Japan is a friendly country but is tearing its Pacifist Constitution that forbids Japan to conduct wars of aggression so that Japan can conduct wars again. And what had Japan done to China before? Japan declared wars unilaterally on China in several occasions in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. It invaded China, attempting to conquer and colonize China and colonized Korea, putting it under oppressive Japanese rule. It invaded the whole of South East Asia and committed wars of aggression, killing wantonly, forcing neighbouring countries’ women to become sex slaves, robbing the conquered countries, raping, looting and killing millions of Chinese. It still held on to Chinese territories like Diaoyu Islands and renaming them as Senkakus, as Japanese territories.

It is now telling lies about China like it did before it invaded China unprovoked, unilaterally, to conquer China. It was defeated by the Allied Forces led by the Americans after it conducted a sneak attack on Pearl Harbour, destroying the American Pacific Fleet and killing thousands of American servicemen. Now with the connivance of the Americans, it is reclaiming its right as an Imperial military power to conduct wars again.

Who is the aggressive and dangerous country? Who is the peaceful country that was violated, invaded, lost territories and millions of live of its citizens, and now wanting to reclaim its lost territories due to conquest?

Japan a peaceful country? It has been peaceful in the last 70 years because it was defeated by the Americans and prevented from becoming another menace, forced to accept a Pacifist Constitution. It has no choice but to behave like a good boy. Now it is given the consent by the Americans to tear away its Pacifist Constitution, to remilitarize and to conduct wars again. It is showing its intent to be the aggressive and barbaric Japan all over again, spreading lies to start wars, just like the Americans.

The world and the Americans would live to regret once the Japanese have fully rearmed to take on the world again, and America would have to repay for the two atomic bombs on Japan and the millions of Japanese killed in the Battles of the Pacific Islands. The complacent Americans would have to relive Pearl Harbour once again, with more destructive forces than 1941.

The passing of the new bills to allow Japan to conduct wars is the clearest proof of the real Japanese intent and what the real Japanese are, like their forefathers during the Second World War, aggressive and imperialist militants. All the public protests against the Abe and his military ambition are only a sly act to deceive the world that they want peace and did not want wars. The majority in the Diet tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth of Japanese military ambition.

Good luck Americans!

Govt ‘has interests of citizens at heart’

‘Purely from the perspective of numbers, it makes sense to take in foreign labour and immigrants. But from an emotional standpoint, it is not easy for people to accept, to agree and support.  We have explained the reasons many times. I think people may not necessarily want more explanations.

What I hope people will know, and I mean this from my heart, is that on immigration and population, we have Singaporeans’ interests at heatt.

We have this responsibility; we are the Govt , we need to lead the country, we need to make the best possible decision for Singaporeans. Even on the most difficult issue, we need to make the best decision and be accountable to the people. There may be different views on how the policy should be, but I hope people understand that the Govt’s intent is good.

We are doing this for Singapore, and for Singaporeans.’  Lee Hsien Loong quoted in ST 22 Jul 15

 

In the above statement Hsien Loong’s position is that the people may disagree with govt policies and the decisions the govt is making, and that is fair. But he also said that the govt should do what it thinks is right, without quoting the example of the arrogant deaf frog, because it is the govt, and if it says it is for the good of the people it must be good for the people.

These two points deserved some discussions and disagreements. In the first instance, the govt must know that this is a democracy and the govt is elected to be the govt for only a 4 or 5 year term. It is not a life time govt. Any govt should take cognizance of this reality and when it makes decisions that have very long term impact on the people, with possible adverse effects, it must seek the consent of the people. The govt is there to represent the people’s interests and the people’s interests must be determined and decided by the people. A major decision like increasing the population to double its size, to turn the original Singaporeans into a minority cannot be taken lightly and not by a govt that is supposed to be there for a 4/5 term. When the people disagree, a democratically elected govt has no right to go ahead against the wishes of the people.

The second point is about Singaporean interests, for the good of Singaporeans. This is a very subjective statement. What is good for gander is not necessarily good for the geese. The govt may think it is good, the intent of the govt, which may be totally incongruent to what the people want,  may be good in the govt’s own interpretation. But does the govt ask the people whether the people agree and think so? Many political decisions are not necessarily a matter of good or bad. The people may have different interests and views on what is good or bad for them. Can a govt of a few men and women, elected to be the govt for a few years, decide the fate of the people unilaterally and go against the wishes of the people just because it claims that it is good for the people, and they are the govt and must decide?

The power of the people vested on an elected govt is temporary and not a blank cheque to do anything the elected govt pleases and thinks it is the right thing to do. There are things and times for an elected govt to come down to the people and ask what the people want eg the people’s money in the CPF or the billions given to foreign students. This is not an autocracy or a totalitarian state, not a dictatorship or a monarchy where the leader holds absolute power, unquestionable power to do as it pleases as if they own this country.

How many of you think or agree that the govt can do anything it likes because it is the govt and because it thinks it is good for the people? Does the political leaders understand what is the meaning of democracy, a republic?

In the same article in the ST, Hsien Loong was also quoted to say this:

‘No matter how the system evolves, we hope that politicians admit that the task is to serve Singaporeans – not a party, or an interest group, but all Singaporeans.’

I am sure every one of you would have a view on this statement.

George Yeo – One Belt, One Road for everybody

At the FutureChina Global Forum held here yesterday, George Yeo said and I quote, ‘China’s One belt, One Road policy holds  immense promise of benefits for many countries, although there are bound to be many complex challenges before it takes off – not least the Western world’s lack of understanding of the plan.’  George Yeo is being so polite. He surely must know that the Westerns are no idiots and would know the benefits this China policy could bring to the countries within the belt and road. The objections by the Westerns were never about the benefits but about their lost of power and influence to China. They are objecting to it just like they are objecting to the AIIB for their own political and economic interests.

Yaseen Anwar, a Pakistani American banker adviser to the Industrial and Commercial Bank put it more directly, ‘They view it as a threat. “You are now making a power move against me, so I’ll oppose the AIIB.”’ This is further collaborated by George’s comment that if China were to pull the One Belt, One Road policy through, ‘it’s going to change the geoeconomic, geostrategic map of Asia.’  Whether China likes it or not, intends for it or not, it will increase its influence in world affairs that would mean a relative decline in the influence of the West. One thing for sure as mentioned by Li Cheng, director of John L Thorpton China Centre at the Brookings Institution, ‘China benefited from the international system…(and) has no interest to challenge the existing international system.’

The Western Powers cannot accept the new reality, that they are no longer the only One calling the shot even in Asian affairs. They must and will do everything to disrupt and derail the AIIB and this One Belt, One Road policy that would benefit the Eurasia countries. That is the realpolitick of things.

There is no need to be sheepish and to apologise to the Westerners for this China initiative. Just do it and lump the Westerners. They cannot be controlling and meddling with the affairs of Asians and to decide what is good or no good for Asians. The Asians must have the confidence to do what they think is good for their own interests. They have to change their colonial or West is superior mindset. They have to stand up and take their place in the world stage as equals to the West, to decide their own future, free from western domination and control. But some are very happy to remain under the rule of Pax Americana.

How to con the daft people

I will use a simple example to illustrate how easy it is to con the daft people. As Sun Tzu wrote, know your enemy know your strength, winning is assured. Take the case of education, knowing that the daft people are all for glory, to be Number One for the right or wrong reasons,  and better still if this can be bought by money, just sell the glory to them. You can find it in many fields. Let me show you how it can be done.

Tell the daft people you can make their universities ranked among the top universities in the world, practically for free.  Whatever that means, no need to bother with the cost and returns and any adverse consequences. And tell them with a little effort their universities can even rank higher than Cambridge or Harvard, you can put them into your pocket. But don’t tell them there is no free lunch. They did not know there is no such thing as free lunch although their idol founding father had told them many times. And to tell them that they could get it for free, my goodness, you can literally see their saliva turning into ponding.

The method is like this. Tell them to subscribe to your ranking system. Tell them it is an internationally recognized system, reputable some more. And if their universities are ranked among the tops, it is something to be proud of, very prestigious, never mind if the students turned out to be duds, unemployable. That is the students’ problem, not your problem.

Once they are sold, tell them to hire foreigners, at least 30% or more, to give the universities an international feel and look. Foreigners are always seen as better than the daft locals. The grass is always greener over the fence. Then tell them to bring in foreign students also, 30% or more the merrier. Con them to believe that with the presence of foreigners, somehow their students would become smarter or appear to be smarter and the universities will somehow become better or more reputable. And the universities would also be more desirable.

When they swallow this line of conning, they would go back and do all the silly things without thinking. They would sack their own citizen lecturers and hire foreign lecturers at higher pay to turn the universities into foreign universities to serve foreign interests. Never mind, it is OPM. And if their citizen lecturers lost their jobs, tell them they are not good enough and they themselves are to blame. See, providing employment to foreigners against the interest of their citizens they would also do.  Maybe they also think that the country belongs to the whole world, so what is the problem of the universities belonging to foreigners. Whose money is being spent to feed the foreigners, who cares? Then 20 years forward, they would find out that they don’t have local talents in the universities like in the banking and finance industries. Then they will start to talk about planning ahead for a citizen core like real.

What about foreign students? Who cares? As long as they are good for the university’s ranking, if no foreign students want to come, they would use taxpayer’s money to pay for the foreign students to come. And they would not even spare a thought at the thousands of places they are snatching away from the children of their citizens. As long as the university ranking is high, they would claim they have achieved something, done well, for who never mind. Our universities are world class.

The net effect would be the hollowing of local lecturers in the universities and many children of the citizens being deprived of university places. And the foreigners will be laughing themselves silly for the easy money they are getting. Where in the world got govt allowing universities to pay, train and nurture foreigners using tax payers’ money? How would all these affect the interests of the citizens is of no concern. And they may even put up letters by grateful foreign lecturers and students saying thank you for their generosity in their notice boards. And these daft would be so elated, feeling so good that the foreigners really appreciate what they have done for them, throwing money at them.

See the recipe for the daft? Daft people easy to con or not? It sure works one. For the sake of a little superficial glory, they would do anything, sacrifice the interests of their citizens and use the taxpayer’s money with no qualms about it. The citizens, the parents and students craving for a place in the universities can cry their hearts out, who cares?

See, under my watch the university is world class in ranking! Paid for by OPM. The trick is to look for a silly country to put this into practice. Which country in the world would allow this to happen? Which country’s top academics would be silly enough to be conned by this formula? Can it really happen?

The above is of course a fantasy. It would not happen. It can’t. Top academics and govt leaders are all top talents and would not dare to waste taxpayers’s money on foreigners at the expense of the taxpayers for a cheap glory scam.

An easier method would be to follow what the football leagues are doing. Buy up top universities and change their names to the name of the country buying it. Instant world famous universities!