Chas Freeman - Playing War Games with China

Below is the introductory paragraphs of an article by Chas Freeman. The full article can be viewed at Playing at War Games with China    – Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (chasfreeman.net)

Playing at War Games with China   
Remarks to the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Visiting Scholar, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
By video link, Washington, D.C.  11 February 2021

Fifty years ago, Richard Nixon decided to ignore Napoleon’s advice to “let [China] sleep, for when it wakes it will astonish the world.”[1]  I was there when China opened its eyes.  And I have watched it transform the various orders of the world and become an American obsession.

Every generation of Americans feels obliged to reinvent the China policies it inherits from its predecessor.  We can be sure our country will eventually get its policies right – after we’ve exhausted all the alternatives.  But we have not yet done so.  And, for many reasons, our latest policies toward China are almost certain to prove self-defeating.

We have just exited the most bizarre presidency in our history.  One of its distinguishing characteristics was the substitution in our foreign relations of unrestricted economic warfare for diplomacy.  Bluster and bullying replaced dialogue and reason aimed at convincing the recalcitrant to see that it could be in their interest as well as ours for them to do things our way.

In the last half of the last century, we Americans made the rules.  Others got into the habit of following us.  To some extent, that habit – though fading – has outlasted our adherence to the principles we once stood for.  So military posturing, economic intimidation, diatribe, and attempted regime change are becoming the norm in international relations.  China is a case in point.  Sino-American relations now exemplify Freeman’s third law of strategic dynamics: for every hostile act there can be an even more hostile reaction.

Americans have an inbuilt missionary impulse.  We enjoy protecting, tutoring, lecturing, and hectoring other peoples on how to correct their character to approximate our idealized image of ourselves.  We are offended when others insist on independence from us and on preserving their own political culture.  China has never wavered in its determination to do both, wishful thinking by American politicians and pundits notwithstanding.

In America’s pas de deux with China, we have consistently been the initiator of the dance and taken the lead.  We developed some well-founded complaints about Chinese economic behavior, so we launched a trade war with it.  We were alarmed about China’s potential to outcompete us internationally, so we decided to try to cripple it with an escalating campaign of “maximum pressure.”  We saw China as a threat to our continued military primacy, so we sought to contain and encircle it.  Cumulatively, we have:

• declared China to be an adversary and called for regime change in Beijing;
• launched an invective-filled global propaganda campaign against China, its ruling Communist Party, and its fumbled initial response to COVID-19;
• sanctioned allies and partners for failing to curtail their own dealings with China;
• replaced market-driven trade with China with government management of economic exchanges based on tariffs, quotas, sanctions, and export bans;
• abandoned or attempted to sabotage international organizations in which we deemed Chinese influence to be greater than ours;
• kneecapped the WTO, trashing the rule-bound order for international economic relations we had taken seven decades to elaborate;
• attempted to block Chinese investment and lending in third countries;
• blacklisted Chinese companies and delisted them on our stock markets;
• curtailed visas, criminalized scientific exchanges, and banned technology exports to China;
• closed a Chinese consulate (losing one of our own as a result) and initiated tit-for-tat reductions in reporting by journalists;
• sought to terminate Chinese sponsorship of language teaching in our country, and discouraged in-country study by potential federal employees;
• reidentified the United States with Beijing’s civil war adversary in Taipei and violated the Taiwan-related terms of U.S. normalization with Beijing;
• stepped up provocative air and sea patrols along China’s borders; and
• begun to reconfigure both our conventional and nuclear forces to fight a war with China in its near seas or on its claimed and established territory.

These actions have gotten China’s attention, much as they got Japan’s when we applied a range of considerably less hostile measures to it in 1941.  Japan reacted by attacking Pearl Harbor.  China has not yet lost its cool.... 

Covid19 reset the world for China like World War 2 did for the USA

 By the end of WW2, the world stage was set for the rise of the USA as the sole and dominant super power. The war destroyed practically every country on earth, economy ruined, people died and homes broken.  Every country was on a limp, trying to pick up the pieces, to put them together to build a new country together. But because of the war and the crumbled economy and infrastructure, every country was broke with no manufacturing capability and money to rebuild themselves.

The only exception was the USA. Other than the initial surprise attack at Pearl Harbour, which was crippling in a way, the American economy was intact, the infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities, factories and skilled workers were practically untouched by the war and ready to steam along in higher and greater capacity to meet the demands of a hungry and devastated world short of everything.

While the rest of the world practically had to start from ground zero, America and its economy were steam rolling and benefiting from its advantageous position to become the biggest economy in the world, providing goods and services to the world and becoming very rich and powerful in the process.

The story is now so familiar with what is happening to this pandemic. China suffered its Pearl Harbour in Wuhan. A sneaky virus attack that led to a complete lockdown of the city and province. Through providence and good leadership, China quickly got its act together, contained the virus, limited the losses while the rest of the country could go on life as normal, protected from the virus attack.

On the other hand the virus engulfed the whole world. Practically no country is spared. The power and rich nations, the more powerful they are the worse they were inflicted with the virus. Economic destruction is widespread, country wide and world wide. Many economies were in ruins, unable to function or operate as per normal but in limited capacities, some dysfunctional. America, Europe, Japan etc etc were all struggling and still struggling to get a hold of the pandemic. Unfortunately the virus keep mutating and each wave becomes more serious than its predecessor.

The whole picture is like a world war, World War 3, involving every country, destruction and death everywhere. China alone was like the USA in WW2, after recovering from its Pearl Harbour, it shielded itself from the pandemic, protected its people and economy and the Chinese economic engine continues to roar along in greater pace and speed, just like the American economy during and after WW2.

The pandemic is still in its early stage and could take years to recover but not before it brings down many countries and their economies, like WW2 bringing an end to the colonial industrial powers to their knees. When the pandemic is over, China will be the biggest and probably sole beneficiary of this WW3, and would be in the best and most advantageous position, the benefactor of the world, exactly like the USA after WW2, to save the world, to provide the goods and services needed by the world from its massive industrial capacity, factories and workforce.

All the forces are colluding and collaborating to put China in a position of strength, to pick up the baton as the number one super power on earth. The divine forces are on the side of China and are unstoppable. It is China's destiny as it was the USA's destiny after 1945. 

The shining star standing tall and fully intact after this 'WW3' is China.

The uncanny similarities in the effects and position of China and the USA as a result of WW2 and this pandemic are stark and unexplainable. The plots, players and factors at play may be different, but the end results are the same. The world went into a crisis and massive destruction to clean the slate for a new chapter in human civilisation. The USA then was the chosen one to emerge as the next super power. China now is the chosen one to emerge to replace the USA after this pandemic. Heaven is favouring China like it once favoured the Americans. The USA could not be destroyed by its Pearl Harbour.  China could not be destroyed by its version of Pearl Harbour in Wuhan. The enemies would end up the losers.

PS.  Some asshole has reported this site as deceptive. I have replied to Google.

Covid19 - Brisk walking Indian told to put on mask and kicked

Pic from TOC. A Singaporean Indian chastising an India Indian on wearing of mask.

The recent act of violence against an Indian woman accused of not wearing her mask while brisk walking and then kicked by the accuser was definitely uncalled for and unacceptable. The attacker, a Chinese man, was arrested for assault and under police investigation. 

With the Covid pandemic raging in India and the spread of dangerous variants around the world, many are getting highly sensitive, paranoid, to the virus infection. In this assault case it was raised in Parliament and leading to Shanmugam saying that racism and if not stopped, more Indians could also be attacked here. To be precise and not to misquote our Law Minister, this was reported in thenewpaper, 'Concluding his speech yesterday, Mr Shanmugam said: "(Singapore) will fail if we allow racism and xenophobia to become prevalent,..." Ok, Shanmugam did not exactly say that the attack was a racist attack. He also warned against fanning the flame of racism.

This racist interpretation is understandable given that the attacker is a Chinese man and the victim an Indian. A similar incident happened in Pasir Ris Park where an Indian man behaved aggressively against an Indian couple for a similar reason, fear of Covid virus spreading here. It was reported in thenewpaper today that the Indian man was arrested for making racist remark, between an Indian and another Indian!

'The wife said in an email to Mothership that her family were shocked to witness the unprovoked and overtly “racial comments” directed at them, which was the first time they experienced here. The family was said to have been in Singapore for the last 10 years.

She told Mothership that she was concerned about her children would be most affected by the incident.

She alleged that the Singaporean man taunted her family initially by continuously shouting in their direction, “Bloody Indians go back, spreading virus here.”'

How this latter case was also seen as racist in nature is puzzling as both were ethnic Indians. Can a Singaporean Indian blasting out at an India Indian be called an act of racism? Can anyone explain this?

Actually in both cases the problem was about wearing of mask and the fear of virus spreading. The case was not so much of against Indians but people coming from India that is now facing a very serious virus catastrophe.

It was convenient to stoke the racist demon to make a case but would it be better if the racist elementbe handled with special sensitivity and care? If every incident is treated as a racist act then the flame of racism would burn extra violently and more anger and hate would be stirred leading to very unpleasant and very unacceptable consequences.

Racism and racist rage have been on display in the US and UK in its worse form when people were attacked for no reason, no better excuse than just the colour of their skin. That is racism pure and simple. The above two cases may have some tinge of racism for those who would like to see it from that angle, but the main issue was not so much of race but the fear of the virus. In the latter case it was nationality involved, not race per se. It was about people coming from India where the virus is running out of control.

It would be wise for people to look at the issues involved and not try to thread on the dangerous ground of racism.  Many racists have been stoking the fire of racism at every opportunity, true or over exaggeration and attacking innocent people with racism the furthest from their minds, like putting on an act in a party or dressing in different ethnic dresses.  Kumar got to be very careful with his acts and comments during his performance or the racists will accuse him of racism.

What do you think?

 

Genocide of Muslims on Hari Raya

Gaza City bombed by the Israelis. Photo credit to CNA.
 Muslims in the region celebrate Hari Raya in a muted fashion amidst the Covid19 pandemic. They try their best to make the best of this important day in their lives. 

In contrast, the Muslims in the Middle East, in Palestinian land are being killed by the indiscriminate bombings of the Israelis and with the Americans and the West turning a blind eye to the killings, offering nothing but empty words and forbidding any country to interfere and stop the genocide.

Killings of the Muslims are second nature to the Whites. They have been doing it for centuries but always putting on a pretense as peace maker, the white gods that will keep the Muslims and Arabs alive, at least not all will be killed while the Israelis were let loose to grab more of their land and killing them at will with American and western weapons of destruction.

While the real killings of the Muslims go on and on, the AngloSaxon whites put on a grand show by dragging the spineless UN into a debate on the false allegation of genocide and discrimination of Muslims in Xinjiang. The white haters of Muslims, the white killers of Muslims are putting a show to protect Muslims in Xinjiang that do not need their crocodile tears while on the other hand they were supporting the Israelis in the killings of more Muslim Palestinians and Arabs in Palestinian land.

How hypocritical and silly can this be? Why would the UN be dragged by the nose into a witch hunt by the AngloSaxon whites when the whole world, the whole Muslim and Arab world know that it was a farce, a political game to demonise and smear China? This so called debate was actually a sideshow initiated by the US, UK and Germany, with little support from the UN. The UN has its own organisation overseeing human rights violation and the US is not a member of this organisation. Trump pulled out when the organisation saw through his American ruse and would not go along with the ruthless and baseless American attacks on countries they deemed as enemies.

How many silly countries would join this farcical UN effort to waste time and resources on a white lie while the Muslims, Palestinians and Arabs are dying right before their eyes, killed by the Israelis using AngloSaxon weapons and backed and protected by the Americans and AngloSaxons with impunity?

Can the UN stand up and look at the world squarely and be respected for its role in the AngloSaxon ploy about Xinjiang and the cold hard truth of genocide of Muslims, Palestinians and Arabs in Palestinian land, playing on the TV screens daily in the living rooms of the people of the world?

How could the world live in peace with the massacre going on right before them? How could the Muslims celebrate this important day while fellow Muslim Palestinians and Arabs are dying by the merciless bombings of the Israelis, unable to defend themselves with the disproportionate distribution of weapons of mass killings in favour of the Israelis?

Covid19 - The Americans don't get it...all talks but not a fart

Credit to Global Times. China is the world's number one producer of Covid vaccines, not India. China also exports the most vaccines to the world, not India.

The Americans still think they are in control of the world, able to start wars anywhere, anytime, able to sanction countries, attack and destroy countries as they wished. This final attack on China, yes, likely to be the last before they cooked themselves and be buried alive, is not working either. After the trade war failed, they launched the most sinister and abominable virus war against China and it came back straight into their face.  Instead of killing millions of Chinese and crippling the Chinese economy and China's rise, Covid19 is crippling the American economy and drags the American economy further down into the drain. Millions of Americans are sick, millions will have to die by the end of this Pandemic.

A second part of this virus war is for the Americans to reap immense monetary rewards in their control of the vaccines. This too is proving to be elusive.  All their plans and backup plans turned astray. They wanted to control and monopolise the vaccine market but failed miserably.  They could not even have enough for themselves.  They wanted India to play a major role in producing cheaper vaccines but this too failed when India is inflicted with the most serious catastrophe in human history with people dying all over the country, in and outside hospitals, in the cars, on the roads, in the slums. 

See, no matter how and what the Americans are scheming, God has his own plans. It is in HIS PLAN. Get it?

Read the Bloomberg report below.

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - The world is fast becoming ever more reliant on China for vaccines, with India's raging virus outbreak stifling its ability to deliver on supply deals, even as the US tries to position itself as a champion of wider access.

Over the past few weeks, leaders of some of the globe's most populous nations have sought more shots from China despite concerns about their effectiveness. Demand is expected to rise even further if the World Health Organisation, as expected, authorises vaccines from China's Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm Group, allowing developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to access them through Covax, the global vaccination effort.

"China has become not just the largest exporter," said Yanzhong Huang, a China specialist and senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. "In many countries it has become the only option."

China's reliability as a vaccine supplier is increasing its geopolitical clout at a time when the US and the EU have been slow confronting the global pandemic as Covid hot spots rage out of control in India, Brazil and elsewhere.

Compounding the difficulties, India's crisis has dried up vaccine supplies and prompted many countries to turn toward China. Amid this backdrop, the US, for months preoccupied with its domestic vaccination push, has come under intense criticism for hoarding shots at the expense of a global response.

President Joe Biden made it clear this week that the US intends to start playing a more active role. On Wednesday, the US threw its weight behind a movement to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines to allow other countries to manufacture them. He's vowing that the US will become an "arsenal for fighting Covid-19" globally as outbreaks elsewhere in the world risk spawning dangerous variants that could prolong the crisis. The administration's efforts so far include plans to give away 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's shot and to ramp up production of doses made by Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

In the meantime, countries from Uruguay to Senegal to Indonesia have few places to turn to apart from Beijing - and China is making the most of it.

The country has already shipped out about 240 million doses, more than all other nations combined, and has committed to providing another 500 million, according to Airfinity, a science information and analytics company. India, the world's third-biggest supplier after China and the European Union, had exported 67 million doses to nearly 100 countries until the devastating Covid-19 outbreak prompted it to halt most deliveries in recent weeks.

The WHO is weighing data on Chinese vaccines before a decision on clearance, which is expected in days or weeks. Access to the shots will provide a boost to the WHO-backed Covax effort, which relied heavily on the Serum Institute of India before the clampdown on exports. (Latest, WHO has finally approved Sinopharm's vaccine for Covax).

PS. WHO should not be an accomplice of the American plan to corner the vaccine market and crime against humanity by not approving and making Chinese vaccines available to the rest of the world. Many people are dying for every day of delay to approve the Chinese vaccines. 

More than 10 countries are now licenced to produce Chinese vaccines while the Americans are still talking and bragging but doing nothing.