The imperialist powers have a long history of colonialism in China, of reducing its people to beggars in their own land. The British, the French, the Germans, the Americans, the Japanese, all are guilty of crimes against China that cannot be expiated or expunged from the record. Defeated finally in 1949, the colonial powers have never abandoned their ambitions to reduce China to a colony once again and are, once again, actively engaged in trying to undermine China as a sovereign nation, to slander it, to sabotage its economy, to threaten it with armed force, to break it into manageable pieces, as they want to do with Russia.
The range of attack is wide. The Canadians, on US orders, have essentially kidnapped and still hold hostage Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer of the technology company, Huawei. At the same time, the US used the arrest as a warning to others trading with Iran. They have increased their military provocations off the Chinese coast with the US and its vassal states sending naval ships, time and again, through the Taiwan Strait, claiming to be enforcing “freedom of navigation” but in reality declaring that Taiwan, a province of China, is their protectorate.
They have allowed the premier of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, to meet high level officials in the US, in violation of the avowed US One-China policy, providing recognition to her as the head of an independent nation instead of governor of a Chinese province, and have sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment to the regime in Taiwan against Chinese protests. The US even claimed that Taiwan gave their guided missile cruiser, Antietam, permission to sail through the Strait, authority Taiwan does not have, further exacerbating the situation.
Very large-scale military exercises, that appear to involve all branches of the Peoples Liberation Army, that is land, air, naval, rocket and strategic forces began on Sunday, July 28. They will last most of the week and begin one day after China’s J20 advanced stealth fighter-bombers were moved to the east coast. They are meant to convey the message to the US and to Taiwan that China will not tolerate any more interference and is prepared to take military action to solve the issue once and for all and achieve the final reunification of the country and the defeat the remnants of the reactionary regime that fled the mainland in 1949. The Chinese government has closed vast swathes of the coastal seas to marine and air traffic to carry out the exercises. The Global Times quoted an “insider” source as stating,
“The more Taiwan secessionists stir up trouble and the more foreign support Taiwan secessionists receive, the sooner the day arrives when China becomes reunified.”
The Chinese defence ministry issued a warning on July 25, the same day that the Antietam transited the Strait, a week after a Canadian destroyer and support ship did the same, and just after the completion of joint Chinese-Russian air force exercises, that any move toward Taiwan’s secession could lead to war. The on-going exercises are clearly meant to send the message that China is prepared for the worst-case scenario in defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Wednesday, July 24, China warned that it could use force against anyone who intervenes in its efforts to reunify Taiwan. Wu Qian, a spokesman for the defence ministry stated, during a briefing on the new national defence white paper, that
“If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will certainly fight, resolutely defending the country’s sovereign unity and territorial integrity.”
But it is worthwhile to quote the paper itself:
“To solve the Taiwan question and achieve complete reunification of the country is in the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and essential to realizing national rejuvenation. China adheres to the principles of “peaceful reunification”, and “one country, two systems”, promotes peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advances peaceful reunification of the country. Meanwhile, China resolutely opposes any attempts or actions to split the country and any foreign interference to this end. China must be and will be reunited. China has the firm resolve and the ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow the secession of any part of its territory by anyone, any organization or any political party by any means at any time. We make no promise to renounce the use of force, and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is by no means targeted at our compatriots in Taiwan, but at the interference of external forces and the very small number of “Taiwan independence” separatists and their activities. The PLA will resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China and safeguard national unity at all costs. “
And,
“Though a country may become strong, bellicosity will lead to its ruin. The Chinese nation has always loved peace. Since the beginning of modern times, the Chinese people have suffered from aggressions and wars, and have learned the value of peace and the pressing need for development. Therefore, China will never inflict such sufferings on any other country. Since its founding 70 years ago, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has never started any war or conflict. Since the introduction of reform and opening-up, China has been committed to promoting world peace, and has voluntarily downsized the PLA by over 4 million troops. China has grown from a poor and weak country to be the world’s second largest economy neither by receiving handouts from others nor by engaging in military expansion or colonial plunder. Instead, it has developed through its people’s hard work and its efforts to maintain peace. China has made every effort to create favorable conditions for its development through maintaining world peace, and has equally endeavored to promote world peace through its own development. China sincerely hopes that all countries will choose the path of peaceful development and jointly prevent conflicts and wars.”
And,
“The socialist system of China, the strategic decision to follow the path of peaceful development, the independent foreign policy of peace, and the best of cultural traditions, considering peace and harmony as fundamentals, determine that China will pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature.”
Then comes the central tenet of the new Chinese defense strategy,
“The military strategic guideline for a new era adheres to the principles of defense, self-defense and post-strike response, and adopts active defense. It keeps to the stance that “we will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked.”
And,
“China is always committed to a nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones unconditionally. China advocates the ultimate complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. China does not engage in any nuclear arms race with any other country and keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, the goal of which is to maintain national strategic security by deterring other countries from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against China.”
It concludes,
“Peace is an aspiration for all peoples, and development is an eternal theme of humanity. Faced with global security challenges that are becoming ever more intricate and choices that have to be made at a crossroads of human development, China firmly believes that hegemony and expansion are doomed to failure, and security and prosperity shall be shared. China will remain committed to peaceful development and work with people of all countries to safeguard world peace and promote common development.”
Yet, the western imperialist powers continue to do the opposite. The pressure on China continues in Hong Kong with US and British backed 5th column elements taking to the streets, attacking government buildings, police, Chinese government symbols, anything they can do to create chaos, undermine order, embarrass China, and act as provocateurs to try to spread the chaos further into China. On July 30 the western stooges in Hong Kong succeeded in paralyzing the subway system, by blocking doors and harassing passengers, all applauded and supported by western leaders and media who at the same time support Macron’s repressive police tactics against protestors who do not engage in the violence and the vandalism we see in Hong Kong.
I wrote earlier on the political and financial connections between a number of the leaders of the rioters and US and UK governments, agencies and high level officials including meetings of some of them with Mike Pompeo and Paul Wolfowitz. But their orientation is apparent when they carry British flags or the old British colonial Hong Kong flag. They are the usual opportunists and traitors available in any country for the right price. But they are a serious threat and the central Chinese government and Hong Kong government have made a series of statements warning the 5th columnists that their patience is wearing very thin; that they will act in accordance with the threat they pose.
The western powers, by their aggressive actions and support of 5th column elements, their active agents, are in violation of the letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter, and the long established principle of international law of non-interference in the affairs of another state. Supporting political parties that seek to overthrow a government and insurrection by them is a major breach of international law, yet the American arrogance has reached heights where it assumes the right to do so wherever it wishes, while its vassal states, from NATO to Australia to Japan, follow the American path of collective ruin in hope of catching some crumbs falling from Uncle Sam’s beard.
Reasonable people ask what can be done about the aggressive policies of the United States leadership. Russia and China talk about containment of the threat, renew calls for peaceful diplomacy, support dialogue with Iran to reduce the imminent danger of war in the Persian Gulf, with Venezuela, with respect to all the nations attacked occupied or threatened by the United States. But the Trumps and Obamas, the Bushes and Clintons of the American world, respond with all the more arrogance and fall all over themselves as to who among them is the most bellicose, the most ready to go to war to “make America great again, the most able to “support the spread of democracy,” that is, their rule over the world.
History teaches us lessons and one is that leaderships that become inflated with their own vanity, egoism, and omnipotence while regarding their own people as useful pawns, bring ruin on themselves and their nation. Napoleon thought he had the world, until Russian arms, a Russian winter, and a Czar with intelligence defeated him, a defeat that led to British troops humiliating the French by restoring the Bourbon monarchy in 1815, to Napoleon begging favours from Wellington. Hitler thought he too could conquer the world, but again, like Napoleon, his ambition was defeated by the reality of Soviet Russia, his nation destroyed, his body reduced to a pile of ashes.
When the conclusion of American power will take place no one can predict. But we can predict it will be bloody for the Americans only remember their victories and excuse their defeats. They have a morbid faith in war as a means of policy, a naïve belief in their superiority, and a contempt for other nations that is the corollary of that superiority. So the logic of the situation leads us to foresee a catastrophe, barring some miracle of diplomacy or a miraculous and fundamental change in the nature of American society, but then, I don’t believe in miracles.
Christopher Black is an international criminal lawyer based in Toronto. He is known for a number of high-profile war crimes cases and recently published his novel “Beneath the Clouds. He writes essays on international law, politics and world events, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”
