The recent change in China's foreign policy, from behaving like the faceless meek Chinaman, head bowed and quietly moving along doing his own things, letting people kicked and slapped and pretended that nothing happened, just to be safe and to avoid trouble, to the 'Wolf Warrior' policy, standing up to return a slap with a slap, a kick with a kick, at least to maintain a bit of manhood and dignity has seen some critics and opposition even in China.
There were many reasons, valid reasons, to behave like the meek and faceless Chinaman in the past. Deng Xiaoping had enough wisdom to know that during his time that was about the best policy to buy time to strengthen China in every aspect of nation building. Any attempt to raise the head and look up at the enemy would invite a big knock and back to head bowed and moving along silently.
When Xi Jinping came to power, China was no longer the poor and hapless agrarian country it was before. China had stood up in every field and built enough strength to be a respectable member of the international community. Xi must have made a thorough appreciation of China's ability vis a vis the number one enemy, the USA, before making such a major change in foreign policy.
Xi is as good as saying enough is enough. China is not going to bow its head and suffer in silence anymore. After seven decades of struggling and hardwork, China now has enough strength to not only stand up but to hit back when attacked. It was a tough choice. Xi could continue with Deng's policy of not getting into trouble, and let the Americans and the West, including little countries in SE Asia to kick China around... and all would be fine. Everyone would be very happy with China, the meek country of 1.3b people but always bent its head to avoid trouble when being kicked or pushed around, or ridiculed.
Until today, many analysts or politicians are still thinking that that the old ways was the best for China, to avoid trouble, and be the meek and faceless Chinaman that everyone 'loves' to kick around. The critics and skeptics are angry and unhappy and dismissed Xi as being stupid for standing up to the bullies, big and small. How can China stand up and upset everyone? China's place in the world is to remain unseen and unheard, only to be pushed around and kicked around even by small little countries. Doing what Xi had done made many countries and people very unhappy.
This is what Cui Tiankai's keynote speech in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse was all about. China must continue to bide its time, continue to be the faceless and meek Chinaman, not to ruffle feathers, not to make other countries unhappy. China should stay in its little corner, shut up and be a good boy as determined by the big powers and small countries. China has no place in international affairs.
The contrarian view, led by Yang Jiechi, culminating in the 'Wolf Warrior' policy is all about standing up to aggression, standing up tall with pride and dignity. This policy would be indeed foolish, if China did not assess itself, its economic and military might that it is able to stand up to the Americans and the West. China would have been beaten to mince meat if it is still the weak China of the past. It is not.
The day must come, sooner or later, for China to stand up as an equal of every country in the world. It is a judgement call. And that day when China stood up, it is going to send shock waves around the world. And it has. Xi and his colleagues have decided that China is strong enough to stand up and be a respectable country. The Chinese people have suffered enough humiliation. Every single day of being meek and faceless is one day too much. No respectable people or nation would want to continue to bow its head and move around quietly like non entity in the world, when even small little country could strut around with pride and dignity.
And there would be strong and harsh reactions to a meek Chinaman standing up when he was expected to keep quiet, mind his own business, and to be slapped and turned the other cheek. The new China that would not be kicked around is too much for those that had lived with a China they could kick around. But soon they would get use to it. Soon they would learn that their proper place, their respective place vis a vis China would have to change. The pecking order has changed, must change.
China's standing up to the bullies of the world, big and small, would not be easy and peaceful. Fortunately it is peaceful so far. The timing is crucial. China would have a harder time if the policy change was premature, and China would have been defeated and isolated for good. The fact that China could stand up peacefully is a vindication that Xi has chosen the right time to stand up. The rest of the world, including the Americans understood the strength of the new China. If they think China is no match to them, the evil Americans would be the first to have started a war with China and press down China to where it was before.
Any doubters to Xi's policy of standing up as a respectable country and a world leader needs to have their heads checked. Anyone still thinking that China should go back to the 'good old days' of a faceless and meek Chinaman and think that that is the best for China must be sick, mentally sick and lack of confidence and pride in the new China. China needs to earn its right as the equals of the world and fearing trouble, avoiding trouble would not gain China any respect in a world where might is right.
China has not only proven itself that it is not a weak and meek nation to be kicked around, it is a new world leader taking its rightful place in a troubled and corrupt world that needs to be changed. Xi's time is as perfect as could be. The rest of the bullied world needs a new and upright and fair leader, not a warmongering and bullying terrorist striking fear and oppressing the world to do its bidding. More and more countries would be rallying to the Chinese side as they have had enough of the bullying and oppression of the Americans and the West.
China has risen peacefully and there is no turning back. The Americans and the West know this and trying their meek best to want to contain China and put back China into its little corner, not to be seen or heard, to be the 'good boy', to be bullied and kicked around.
Time has changed, China has changed, the world has changed, the Americans have not changed and still hoping to be the bully of the world. Some minds have not changed and still lack the confidence to be respectable and dignified Chinaman. China must not be the Ah Q anymore, not a single day.
Without Xi's confidence and wisdom to seize the moment, China would still be the punching bag of the Americans and even little countries in SE Asia. Yes, the Americans and the West are hitting back. This is expected. This is not something avoidable or to be feared. Does China still want to be the punching bag? For sure that is the China that the Americans, the West and the little countries in SE Asia want.
No respectable people would want to live a life time being despised as the faceless and meek people the world loves to hate, to be bullied and ignored forever. How could any respectable Chinese still be thinking that China must hide in the corner, not to be seen or heard?
Xi did not make the decision to change out of anger or egoistic pride. It was a carefully calculated move after very serious thoughts and consideration from all angles. To be a world leader, to be respected, China must fight for it fiercely, no need for any apologies.
