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Beijing hawks propose ‘anti-US 8’ | Wang Dan

蘋果日報 2020/09/03 08:43


After the Beidaihe Meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), there were rumors on the Internet that the so-called “Eight anti-US tactics” were put forward during the summer summit. 1. A comprehensive clean-up of American companies in China, especially in the finance and service industries. 2. Vigorous expansion of nuclear weapons so the US cannot act rashly. 3. An all-encompassing increase in national security spendings to more than 4% of the GDP including the development of advanced weapons. 4. The alliance with any force that can be united to fight against the US. 5. The promotion of the self-sufficiency spirit, the break away from high-tech barriers, the launch of the “dual circulation” economic strategy and the establishment of a Renminbi (RMB) settlement system in Eurasia and the world. 6. The break free from the strategic containment of the US, the reunification of Taiwan by force and the breakdown of the US’s Island Chain Strategy, particularly the First Island Chain and the Second Island Chain. 7. Universal preparation for war and famine, the readying of food and energy reserves. 8. The readiness to completely decouple from the US.
First of all, it must be clarified that this so-called “Eight anti-US tactics” has not been reported by any official media nor seen on any relevant documents. At present, it remains a rumor on the Internet. However, under the unique national conditions of China’s information blockade, there have been many cases proving that speculations on the Internet are in fact authentic.
In addition, just analyzing the content of the “Eight anti-US tactics” itself, the credibility is quite high. This is because the subject matters are topics that have been touched by the official media in the past year even though they are basically hawkish arguments and cannot be established as CCP documentation. Let’s step back and have another look at this. Even if the “Eight anti-US tactics” was fabricated by people with motives, the portrayed ideas undoubtedly do represent the position and voice of the hawks within the CCP.
In other words, in the power struggle within the CCP before 2022, these “Eight anti-US tactics” are evidently the hawk’s political party platform, which may affect the policy planning for the next five years. In this regard, we cannot rule out the fact that the widely rumored “Eight anti-US tactics” was deliberately leaked by Beijing’s hawks in order to test the reaction of the outside world or to fight for more discourse power within the party.
Putting aside these political speculations, an analysis of the “Eight anti-US tactics” itself illustrates the arrogance of the hawks within the CCP who have limited outlook and a lack of self-knowledge. In terms of “completely decoupling from the US” alone, this has long been discussed with the CCP. The proposal of the so-called “dual circulation” economic strategy is obviously to prepare for the decoupling.
Take Xi Jinping’s Mao Zedong thought-based ideology, “self-sufficiency” is originally the “fine tradition” of the CCP. Nonetheless, things are not what they used to be. Is it really possible for China to completely decouple from the US today? The answer is of course no. For a long time, the growth of the Chinese economy has been achieved solely by relying on the results of globalization. The US is China’s largest trading partner, and China’s dependency on the US export market and technology has long been deeply rooted. If the Sino-US relation can decouple so easily, then China would not have been so infuriated with the US sanctions of Huawei and ZTE.
The “dual circulation” economic strategy is even more whimsical. Some analysts once pointed out sharply that, on the one hand, Xi Jinping now vigorously advocates frugality and Li Keqiang also constantly emphasizes the need to live “an austere life.” On the other hand, a key element of the “dual circulation” is to boost domestic demand by increasing the consumption power of the people in China to stimulate economic growth. Anyone with a discerning eye can see the contradiction between the two points: how can you ask people to simultaneously be thrifty and spend more money?
It is ridiculous that this kind of self-contradictory is precisely the fundamental characteristic maintained by the current economic proposition of the Chinese government. In the face of a deadlock beset with troubles internally and externally, Beijing is at a loss. The so-called “decoupling from the US” and the so-called “self-sufficiency” are just wishful thinking.
The other hawkish ideologies are for the most part the same. Reunification of Taiwan by force has been clamored for so many years. However, it has been all talk and no action. Wouldn’t a vigorous expansion of nuclear weapons be another military competition with the US? Given the disparity in economic strength between the US and China, wouldn’t Beijing be afraid to repeat the mistakes of the former Soviet Union? Wouldn’t a comprehensive clean up of American companies in China increase the number of unemployed?
In short, I believe that the conservatives of the CCP led by Xi Jinping do have the intention to move forward with the “Eight anti-US tactics.” However, to implement these eight tactics would only speed up the downfall of China. Xi Jinping’s nickname of “Chief accelerator” would then become a fulfilling prophecy.
(Wang Dan is founder of the think tank Dialogue China.)
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