On June 24, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations voted in favor of renaming the road leading up to the Chinese Embassy in Washington “Liu Xiaobo Plaza,” a move that would subsequently make the embassy’s new address “No. 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza.” Liu Xiaobo is a criminal who has been tried according to law and is serving his sentence in a Chinese penitentiary. This ill-conceived prank by members of the House of Representatives is not only in extremely poor taste, but is also dirty diplomacy.
Although the name change has already been approved by the House Committee on Appropriations, it still must pass through both House and Senate and then be signed by Secretary of State John Kerry before going into effect. So although the shot has already been fired, in the end it may still prove to be a dud.
Because the issue is a blatant provocation and serious violation of diplomatic etiquette, China is entirely justified in airing its grievances and demanding that the U.S. block the change from going through. We are willing to believe that the U.S. as a whole is not this flippant, and will likely not permit the antics of a minority of representatives to become the decisions of the nation for all the world to see.
China will not be too hurt by a name. What this matter makes us feel rather more is a kind of disgust and stomach-turning disbelief, as if one had swallowed a fly. It is an element that will prompt us to revise how we view the U.S. Congress.
If the Chinese Embassy’s address plaque is ultimately changed to No. 1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza, will China strike back? This is quite an interesting question. As we know, the history of political jockeying within China extends back several millennia, and the tactic of aggravating one’s opponent is far from new. If the U.S. and China target each other’s diplomatic missions and hold a proverbial “pissing match,” they will undoubtedly become the laughingstocks of the world.
Of course, China regards itself as an ancient civilization, and we are not given to losing our composure, as we usually maintain a subdued countenance. There are Americans who frequently deride China as being “nouveau riche,” but with the long history that China holds, that disparagement would better fit the overbearing and sermonizing U.S. China is not willing to compete with the U.S. over which side can produce the crassest display of diplomatic gamesmanship.
We have a sense that some members of the U.S. Congress harbor an intense “hatred” for China, a kind of hatred that Chinese society today does not hold for any other country. Why is this? Is it truly because of “human rights?” If so, there are many states that these representatives should “hate” even more; for example, their enmity should run deep for their Middle Eastern allies who still cling to their monarchic autocracies. They should also put former President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in court, as the war that they launched led to countless deaths in Iraq and the whole of the country falling into bloody turmoil, with peace still a distant prospect.
These U.S. representatives hating China so is more likely due to the fact that we have developed and gradually become a global strategic force that can compete with the U.S. An ancient Chinese poet once wrote, “On both banks the monkeys howl, but the skiff has already passed 10,000 mountains.” These representatives are just as those monkeys gibbering on the mountain.
One can predict that “anti-Chinese” forces will grow within the U.S., and that they will come up with all manner of bizarre stunts to irk China. It would appear that some degree of tolerance and composure is required if one is to form a competitive relationship with the U.S. Those Americans who think to vex China only betray their own petulance, as they must seek ways to vent their anger. We probably cannot go on trading blows with them forever. A war of words is not necessarily our strong suit; China’s advantage lies in practical application. We should pay as little heed as possible to rabble-rousers and better develop our own country, for doing so will easily infuriate those ne’er-do-wells in the U.S. Congress.
First let us watch and see what the U.S. House and Senate decide, then how the State Department handles this live grenade. This is a farce well worth watching. Americans should be advised that China is not entirely without means and that its response will depend upon how the situation unfolds, as well as our humor, good or ill, when the time comes.
As purports an ancient and wise civilization which is encountering the same globalized high tech corporate takeover as the US, China would do best not to waste its time in silly games.
Better to cultivate your cool. You’ll need it as your citizens become more conversant with the many things they are missing in their mad rush to accumulate goods and status. No one is immune.
As purports an ancient and wise civilization which is encountering the same globalized high tech corporate takeover as the US, China would do best not to waste its time in silly games.
Better to cultivate your cool. You’ll need it as your citizens become more conversant with the many things they are missing in their mad rush to accumulate goods and status. No one is immune.