Ending China’s Humiliation?
European powers plan to cut up China for themselves; Germany, Italy, the British Empire, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and France are represented by Wilhelm II, Umberto I, John Bull, Franz Joseph I (in rear), Nicholas II, and Émile Loubet. The United States, represented by Uncle Sam, opposed this, also wanting to retain power in China. Puck, 23 August 1899, by J.S. Pughe.
Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
— Mao Zedong, 7 August 1927
The Century of Humiliation for China began with the First Opium War (1839-1842) and ended with the end of World War II. During this period several European countries carved out slices of China for themselves.
Since then, the People’s Republic of China has surged economically from a destitute country to the top of the economic order, as measured by PPP. China even eliminated absolute poverty.
But did the humiliation of China really end?
Case in point: Late Wednesday, 17 December, the US State Department announced the sale of a $10 billion arms package to Taiwan that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones. It is not hard to deduce which actor Taiwan had in mind when it ordered such armaments.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the “dangerous act of arming Taiwan” by urging the US to immediately cease its brazen plan.
The People’s Daily quotes Guo as stating at a regular news briefing that the sale “seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués.”
“The U.S. move severely undermines China’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”
There are 183 countries that acknowledge the One-China Policy wherein the government of China is situated in Beijing, and Taiwan constitutes a province of China. The US is one of the countries that acknowledges the One-China Policy. Given that, then what does the sale of weapons by the US to Taiwan without the approval of Beijing signal?
Historical Context
During World War II, a civil war was underway in China between Communist and Nationalist (Guomindang, KMT) forces, while supposedly they were working together against imperialist Japanese invaders. Japan would suffer defeat as would the Nationalists led by Jiang Jieshi (known as Chiang Kai-shek in the western world). The Nationalists escaped from the mainland and managed to remain outside the control of the Communist government at the end of WWII because the frail Communist navy was effectively hindered by the US 7th fleet from pursuing the KMT across the Taiwan Strait.
Virulent anti-Communism by the US led to its favoritism for the KMT and later to separatist forces in Taiwan. William Blum noted that even though the Chinese Communists were close allies of the US military during World War II, “Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek [of the KMT] would be Washington’s man.”1
Current Context
Given the historical fact that the US prevented the re-integration of Taiwan into the mainland, then the US arming a Taiwanese separatist government surely is a poke in the People’s Republic of China eye.
Is it a meaningful poke in the Chinese eye?
When asked if China might just place missiles in Havana, former US Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter saw that as futile.
We are spending 11 billion dollars on giving Taiwan [The US is not “giving.” It is an arms sale to Taiwan — DV ed] a capability that simply turns it into a target because all the Chinese are going to do is locate where all this material goes and then target it with, you know, one of thousands of ballistic missiles they possess that Taiwan will never be able to reach. Taiwan will cease to exist as a civilization, as a nation state, as a place capable of sustaining life before a single Chinese soldier sets foot on their soil. It will happen instantaneously, so fast that the United States won’t be able to mobilize. You know, we don’t even have a war plan for Taiwan now because we’re not allowed to have a war plan for Taiwan because Taiwan doesn’t really exist. It’s not a sovereign state.
Currently, the US is seizing oil tankers in waters off Venezuela, some of which are destined to bring oil to China. American officials say they are preventing sanctions evasion and narcotrafficking. China argues that the seizures represent an abuse of power and an extra-territorial application of US domestic law. Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that the US seizure of Chinese related vessels constitutes a serious violation of international law.
Under international law, derived from the United Nations Charter, states are sovereign and equal. The US cannot legally obligate other states to uphold its sanctions, in this case, US sanctions against Venezuela.
Despite American provocations, China sees no need to overly react to maneuvres by the US. The US maneuvres speak to US desperation.
Modern China, true to its proclamations, is rising peacefully. Ancient Chinese military logic also argues against warring unless forced. Renown military strategist Sunzi (Sun Tzu) philosophized:
1. In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.
2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.2
*****
- For more on why China has no intention to attack Taiwan, read “Obstacles to the Peaceful Reintegration of Taiwan into the People’s Republic of China: Interview with author Wei Ling Chua.“
FOOTNOTES:
No comments:
Post a Comment