“Be wary of the Right, but mainly take precautions against the Left” is a well-known dictum by Deng Xiaoping, and also a conclusion drawn by him from his reflection on the experience gained in 30 years before the reform and opening up of China. A Leninist political party is inherently in danger of going left for any political party preoccupied by ideology is similar to a theocracy, deeming “right” a problem of political stand that can be likened to querying God’s existence. Quite contrary, “left” can be pardoned for mistakes made as they are just a matter of implementation – “going too far and doing too much”, but not a matter of political principle, course and fidelity. Since the leftist are at the party’s command all along, the political logic “rather be left than right” is generated in the bureaucracy, hence calamities caused by them being ceaseless. Notwithstanding the Chinese people having paid a heavy price for it, it is hardly possible to uproot this political DNA unique to communist parties.

As of late, foreign media have laid bare a rumor being circulated since the beginning of December that power in a host of provinces in China is in short supply, and the government has to hedge about electricity consumption of both enterprises and the mass, placing a curb on their usage of heaters. Analysis points out that China’s authorities have been barring Australian coal from importing since last month and restraining power companies from buying quality coal since mid-December, so that power companies can no longer purchase coal from Australia, which has further intensified electricity shortage. Yet, the National Development and Reform Commission said that the power shortage is caused by a mix of economic revival and a cold snap, steering clear of the authorities putting coal from Australia under a boycott, which has given rise to the power shortage. Beyond any doubt, the news about a great quantity of high-end coal worth USD1 billion from Australia being held up at ports has to be concealed. To inflict punishment on Australia for its taking the lead to demand an inquiry into the origin of Wuhan pneumonia, getting rid of CCP’s infiltration and supporting the Indo-Asian military alliance headed by America, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) has staged a trade war against Australia. In accordance with the data compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to November 2020, the total amount and volume of lignite and coal imported to China decreased by a big margin year on year, which was 10.8% in quantity and 21.2% in volume. While Australian coal accounts for 57% of its import, the punishment on the country has got almost half of the users of thermal power stranded. To insist on penalizing Australia, which is deemed locked-up by the CCP, China has gone so far as to buy low-end coal from Indonesia, which generates less power than that from Australia, and more noxious emissions.

Being possessed by wolf warrior spirit is a manifestation of “rather be left than right. Preoccupied by politics, not only has the CCP forced through energy rationing, but also it has been self-contradictory. On the one hand, it has been trumpeting its efforts to reduce pollutants; on the other hand, it’d rather use less efficient coal imported from Indonesia to generate electricity. What is more ludicrous is the CCP is going to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is praised for “demonstrating regional countries in support of multilateralism and free trade, and a positive desire to further intensify economic and trade liaison”. Foreign commentaries are generally of the opinion that this trade agreement is an embodiment of the CCP having more and more clout in Asia, as well as China navigating the realm of Asian trade against the US. With Biden being the president-elect, the possibility of the US reactivating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement(TPP) is on the increase. While America is going to pick up the status as vindicator of world trade order, China is going to be confronted with a keener competition. Actually, the CCP can draw Asian trade partners, including Australia, to its side by signing the RCEP for the time being so as to counter the US, which is a good move. So, the trade war it stages against Australia is a stumbling block it places on its own way to seizing the leadership of multilateralist free trade from the US, which upholds America first advocated by Trump. Punishing Australia at the expense of slapping itself across the face has shown the true colors of CCP wolf warriors.

Regardless of the trade war against Australia or the purge in Hong Kong, the Leninist political logic “rather be left than right” is perfectly incarnated. More often than not, rational behaviors in the eyes of communist bureaucrats are irrational in terms of national interests. While the TTP is getting into shape, the RCEP is going down the drain!

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