Category: China

Hong Kong paralysed by protest http://t.co/RZQq2T9OqB (Pic: AFP/Getty) pic.twitter.com/uJlKxPmcwM

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 29, 2014

[THE MAGAZINE] Is polluted 21st-century China on the verge of creating utopian cityscapes? http://t.co/7kDtghWUwt pic.twitter.com/2k0ocZgTcv

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) September 28, 2014

Here is a good read in The Diplomat that compares the concepts of the Chinese and American Dreams:

In a previous article for The Diplomat, I argued that the “China Dream” does not challenge U.S. global leadership. A brief comparison between the China Dream and the American Dream can further explain how the China Dream is different. Ultimately, the China Dream is not meant as a universal dream but as one alternative among many.

All politics is cultural, just like all politics is local. While individualism has prevailed in Western societies and political cultures for hundreds of years, China has a strong tradition of collectivism and even authoritarianism. Collectivism and the spirit of unity have virtually dominated Chinese culture, society, and politics for thousands of years, ever since the time of Confucius (551-479 BCE). Chinese culture, or in a larger sense Chinese civilization, helped cast and shape China’s unique contemporary domestic politics and its political culture. Underpinning Chinese contemporary politics are a great number of traditional values and beliefs such as the importance of order, reverence for authority, the virtue of rulers, and most importantly, collectivism or unity.

These cultural backgrounds determine political perceptions and ideals. Many Westerners view the state as a “necessary evil” and believe that individuals should constantly remain alert in their efforts to confine and try to contain the beast. By contrast, the traditional Chinese view sees the state as an extended and (more importantly) a united family to which they should show their love and reverence. In fact, the word for country in Chinese, guojia, combines the characters for kingdom (guo 国) and family (jia 家).

Based on this cultural perspective, one difference becomes clear: the China Dream is “our dream”; the American Dream is “my dream.” [The Diplomat]

You can read much more at the link, but what people need to realize is that the Chinese government is playing into this cultural trait by pushing their nationalist agenda.  The Chinese Communit Party’s (CCP) legitimacy for one party rule used to be centered around the country’s economic growth.  As wages rise this growth will slow down.  So now the CCP are positioning themselves as the defenders of the Chinese dream.  They push propaganda that China has long been the center of the world and only for a brief period of over 100 years did China’s place as the center of the world crash down when the nation was exploited by foreigners. 

This is why now there are so many anti-Japanese movies, territorial threats against neighbors, and anti-foreigner protests in China.  We even saw in Korea this anti-foreigner sentiment when the Chinese embassy sponsored thugs to assault Koreans in the streets of Seoul during the 2008 Olympic torch relay.

Will China Join the Fight Against Islamic State? http://t.co/PveJNKrXWq

— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) September 15, 2014

#China’s FM reminds its citizens not to visit the Philippines due to possible gang attacks targeting Chinese.

— CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) September 12, 2014

The CCP Didn’t Fight Imperial Japan; the KMT Did http://t.co/0NR6wqhcZT

— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) September 5, 2014

The Chinese have been complaining about the deployment of THAAD to Korea and it looks like the Korean government is going to try and alleviate their concerns:

The government is moving to ease China’s concerns about the possible deployment of U.S. missile interceptors on Korean soil.

National Security Office (NSC) chief Kim Kwan-jin is expected to undertake this hard mission on a visit to Beijing to meet with State Councilor Yang Jiechi in October.

Government officials have recently dropped hints that they would not object to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) plan to bring in a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

The advanced missile-defense system that has a range of up to lometers is regarded as an indispensable element of the U.S. missile defense system.

“The NSC chief will try and acquire China’s understanding on THAAD,” a government official said. The resumption of six-party talks aimed at stopping North Korea’s nuclear programs would also be on the agenda, he said.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.

Implications of the US-China Split at the ARF http://t.co/q67dHsxiAD

— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) September 5, 2014

Breaking Through China’s Great Firewall http://t.co/SNqN3smIL6

— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) July 30, 2014

Last month ROK Drop readers may remember that the Lowy Institute was offering to have reader provided questions answered by Chinese Professor Zhu Feng.  I offered a number of questions and two of them were presented to Mr. Feng to answer.  Here is the answer Professor Feng gave in regards to the repatriation of North Korean refugees:

What does Professor Zhu Feng think of the forced repatriation of refugees back to North Korea where they are either imprisoned or executed?

I think it’s a controversial issue, but the problem is that if China refuses to repatriate that would signal that Beijing wants to bring down the North Korean regime. So I know such repatriation is cold blooded, and it’s a big embarrassment for China’s policy on North Korea. I have to say, China’s policy implementation in this regard always keeps one eye open the other eye closed. Officially, we will repatriate, but in practice we keep the net quite loose.  [The Interpreter]

You can read more at the link such as what Mr. Zhu thinks of the “Glans Plan” as well as current Chinese policies towards North Korea.  By the way thank you to the Lowy Institute for hosting this as well as to Professor Zhu Feng for agreeing to answer questions from readers.  I recommend ROK-Heads check out the Lowy Institute’s website The Interpreter which provides some good reads for those interested in Asia-Pacific issues.