When China (with the collective aspirations of all Chinese) said China will have a “Peaceful Rise”, many in the West decided to twist the meaning of “Peaceful” to mean something completely illogical. That being, “Peace” without any possibility of “conflicts or disputes”.
In their decidedly 1-sided world, “peace” for China must mean that China must be willing to become a “push over”, and let everyone else walk all over it.
I ask simply, what nation would rationally accept such a definition of “peace”? USA, UK, Israel?
Common sense says, a Peaceful man can still stand his ground and voice his disputes, let alone a peaceful nation.
Between nations, disputes are inevitable and many, in many aspects, specially in laws and trade.
Having disputes over trade and territories, is in the nature of nations. Let alone disputes that have been long in the history of nations.
If other nations can make disputes, then why not China? Proportionality is the essence of reciprocity of “peace”.
1-sided use of force and extra-jurisdictional projection of power are far more belligerent than disputes between nations (for example, arbitrary drone bombings in foreign nations covering potentially any or all foreign citizens by US government). Such use of forces are beyond disputes, beyond arguments or posturing in public. They are the essence of the phrase “coming to blows”, the very absence of “peace”.
I only show that example as what China should not go toward. As far as I know, China didn’t promise to be a nation of Saints, just more peaceful than many Western imperialistic powers, which are still currently quite busy “pushing-over” many 3rd world nations.
Yes, China is interested in its Power, which has progressively risen in the last few decades, without fighting wars, without sending troops overseas.
And because of that rising Power, China will undoubtedly be getting into many more disputes than before.
But 1 thing is for sure, China didn’t get to where it is today in the last few decades, by going overseas to establish imperial colonies, take slaves, etc. at the point of a gun.
So, as far as records go, I would say the last 3 decades has proven the “Peaceful Rise” of China far more than the West has done.
curious says
The general opinions I have formed over the years are from reading newspapers and with the coming of the internet the blogs and news sites around the world. After Mao’s rule and with the opening up of China in the 1970’s China started to keep a low profile internationally, voicing its opinion on world issues but never taking any real action. I think China wants to develop itself economically and militarily and avoid at all cost any conflicts with West in the forseeable future if it can do so. China knows it will win the economic battle with the West.
The problem is the capitalistic Western systems hatred of any country with a different economic/political system which is not subservient to the US Empire. Case in point – Iran, Cuba, Russia, N Korea, Syria, Iraq,
Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, etc etc. These countries feel the economic, military and sabotage fury of the Empire without letup or mercy. (over 50 years for Cuba). Proxy religious fanatics or paid mercenaries or Israel’s Mossad is hired to do the dirty work. See Palestine, Iraq, Ukraine, Syria etc etc. Instigating phony “color” revolutions under the guise of “democracy and freedom” in countries out of favor is another well known tactic.
Currently the West’s physical confrontation with China is at a lower level, but its there ready to be escalated when and if the US decides to manufacture a reason. It will then pull the puppet strings of its Western lackeys to add force to its decisions.(see Ukraine and Russia). Confrontations and warnings given to China by the US Empire and some of its lackeys are: the currently increasing attacks initiated by religious indoctrinated fanatics (instigated and supported by the West) in the Tibet region. I expect attacks like this to increase and possibly be in more locations in China. The instigated “democracy/independence” shenanagens in Kong Kong, the support of confrontations in the South China Seas, the support and build up of military basis encircling China.
I think China should be under no illusion how the fight is going to be fought by the US. Unless China is willing to capitulate and join the cabal of the West and allow the West’s bankers and economic elite to line their pockets with China’s wealth, the fight could be deadly. China’s continued independent path will be continually challenged and tested by the US.
Just my opinion. Would like some comments/thoughts
United Chinese Diaspora says
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.” – Muhammad Ali
“Once we understand that our schools are in such crisis because they were created a hundred years ago in the industrial epoch to prepare children to become cogs in the economic machine, once we recognize that our challenge in the twenty-first century is to engage our children from K-12 in problem solving and community-building activities, children and young people will become participants in caring for their own health and that of their families and communities. By eating food they have grown for themselves instead of obesity – and diabetes-producing fast foods, by creating and sharing information from the Internet, and by organizing health festivals for the community, they will not only be caring for their own health but also helping to heal our communities.
Or, as I often put it, “we have the power within us to create the world anew.” We need to see that we can solve our health and education problems only by first creating a new concept of citizenship -one that will also cure our failing political system. That is what the next American Revolution is about.”- Grace Lee Boggs
The US is blessed with great intellectual thinkers. But like the ancient Chinese emperor who buried the Confucian scholars alive, today’s American rulers are burying conscientious thinking and using large scale NSA mind altering mass indoctrination to keep the populace mesmerized by hatred against the Chinese.
The US war with China will be fought on US soil. Not from invading Chinese armies but by the great Americans recapturing the thought machine and redirecting the population’s focus on hatred and war mongering to society building.
China is behind the US in many areas like science, military, technology, judicial infrastructure, etc. What China has over the US is that China manages to take 20% of its population out of poverty while the US puts 20% of its own population in penury.
The Muhammad Alis and Grace Lee Boggses in the US will fight side by side with the Chinese to build a revitalized US society. The battlefield will be in the political arena between truth seeking social democratic revolutionaries against war profiteering carpetbaggers.
The American people are a great people. They certainly could see the benefits of symbiosis prosperity with the Chinese over the ravages of mutual assured destruction.
Allen says
I happen to think China has been a push over. I mean China has gone out of the way to make peace with America – to keep the peace with America. Yes, China does draw the line somewhere – i.e. Taiwan … but even there, it allows lots of American meddling. And when America wants to send its carrier down the Taiwan Strait again, China will work out a reason for America to be there.
This is not all bad. In martial art, bending to your opponent’s strike is an art.
I think China being push over is both strategic and tactical. Tactically it’s about survival … and strategically it’s about effectively getting to where it wants – i.e. economic prosperous, ideologically strong, politically unified, and militarily capable without getting into distracting or devastating wars. Is China going to be less of a push over once it becomes the world’s pre-eminent economic and military power? I am sure. But it may still be a push over of sorts in that unless its core interests are threatened, it may not be so interested in asserting its voice. Unless it sheds that and starts defending its broader interests, not just core ones, China is going to have non-intereference syndrome on steroid, a side effect of which is that it will probably acquiesce to U.S. and the West dictating world policy and continuing bullying the rest of the world until either someone else steps up to stop them or they decide to stop themselves.
United Chinese Diaspora says
@Allen
Just to expand a bit on what you are saying about “bending to your opponent’s strike is an art”.
There is a certain diamagnetism to the cultural interpretation to “push-over” between the West and Chinese.
Chinese people believe that “bending to your opponent’s strike is an art” but Western people would look at it as a weakness.
In the West we have a saying that “give someone an inch and he will take a mile” but in Chinese there is a saying that “if you’d give me an inch and I will give you a foot”.
White people don’t believe in lending you money even between father and son without a written notarized document; I know that in China asking a friend for money is a common practice. Generally the Chinese would feel proud to be able to lend some money to help out a friend or relative. White people would think that you want to rip them off when you want to borrow money from them.
So when China is being a “push-over”, it is being magnanimous in a gentleman way, giving in the first step, giving the first inch. Chinese people consider this to be an honourable act. White people would never give that first inch because they are afraid that people would view this as a weakness and that they would end up losing a mile.
My son takes kung fu and the sifu’s moto is that a good martial artist is one that doesn’t need to use it; white people promote MMA where one month into training and they expect to figure ways to hurt each other.
At UFC meets, the Chinese are the underdogs because they are weaker physically and lacking in stamina. The common conclusion is that Chinese king-fu is no good. One thing that people overlooked is that the Chinese have been giving that first inch by fighting according to white rules. Using gloves that count on brute strength and upper capacity. In traditional Chinese kung-fu if it boils down to a fight, they will take your eye balls out with bare fists. Forget about trying to hit someone in the head with gloves and knock him out.
And I think this parallels the geopolitical situation between China and the West. So far China has been giving that inch by abiding to white rules. So the US sent an unarmed B-52 to step on the red line of the Chinese ADIZ and called it a victory. Is it that China doesn’t have the ability to shoot down that plane or it just doesn’t want to create an international incident. China is bending to the opponent’s strike.
Do people know what really would happen if China finally decides to take the gloves off?