US in the Vanguard against China in Senkaku Islands Conflict

Published in Sohu
(China) on 26 October 2012
by Zuo Dandao (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Cheryl Tevis. Edited by Mary Young.
The Japanese foreign minister’s visit to Europe to win over three sidelined countries with regard to the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands) issue has failed. But this is not enough to reassure Chinese people. Many people believe that the reason for Japan’s cold reception is China’s economic development, which has made Western countries fear it as an economic giant. I don’t believe so — although I do believe that China’s economic strength is one important factor. The world needs China, but China’s economy is not the only player in the global economy: Without China, the world’s economy could move toward depression, but China’s export-oriented economy needs the world even more than the world needs it. China just has more influence than countries like Syria and Iran.

Thus the Chinese should be more afraid of Western countries declaring economic war on them. We have to face the reality that, after the end of the Cold War and although the USSR has already broken up, a major organization on the opposition side, NATO, still exists today. Their existence has actually become the greatest threat to world peace. If the West launches a global economic war against China, China’s losses would be disastrous. Although countries’ closely connected economies can reduce animosity and fighting, this is not always the case. Before Germany started World War II, its economy was just as closely connected to the economies of its fellow European countries. Thus, because the connection between China and other countries’ economies is so close, the desire to develop one’s economy in order to ensure one’s own national safety is just wishful thinking. Chinese people cannot stand alone because of their strong economy, but should instead embrace the historical truth that “if you forget about war during peacetime, you are in danger of it.”

If the economy cannot guarantee China’s security, does that mean that we should put our hopes in Western politicians’ sense of justice and morality? The answer is no. Take for example the case of the American invasion of Iraq. At the time, Germany was opposed, but did not set itself against the U.S. just because it was against the invasion. On the contrary, during the subsequent American invasion of Afghanistan, the German military became an important partner. It can clearly be seen that not one powerful Western country’s politician would refuse to go to war based on principle. The civilian death toll that they created while waging war was absolutely astounding, but this touched neither their conscience nor their compassion. Some politicians think that war is just when striving to take over another country. Even if it is just out of one politician’s selfishness, they will wage war on another country.

Although the Japanese Foreign Minister’s trip to Europe was met with a cold reception, we cannot overlook Western animosity toward China. Although this animosity has never been obvious, we can perceive it by reading the Western media’s biased reports of China. For instance, in reports of the Sino-Japanese Senkaku Islands issue, Western media seems to use distant, objective wording so as not to appear biased toward Japan. But that is even more frightening and baffling.

In reports of the Sino-Japanese Senkaku Islands dispute, Western media is more interested in exaggerating the two sides’ current armed force movements near the Senkaku Islands than in the historical evidence — which it ignores or deliberately wipes out — that the Senkaku Islands were once Chinese territory. They do not mention one word about the Cairo Declaration or the Potsdam Proclamation, which served as legal basis for constructing the post-WWII international order, even though these joint communiqués are important proof of China’s possession of the Senkaku Islands. It is clear that hoping for Western objectivity is not realistic. Of course, in the West there are also voices going out in support of Chinese possession — they are objective and rational. But they are only a few intellectuals, scholars and professors making statements with slight political undertones.

After being struck by economic crisis, politicians of Western countries are in a desperate situation. They don’t know what to do to combat their domestic economic problems. And as they face economic contradictions, they are spread even thinner, and are weaker than they would like to be. Even so, this did not prevent them from inciting the Arab Spring. After all, creating war and chaos in those countries was much easier than dealing with their own domestic economic issues. Moreover, world powers often use victory in war to instigate narrow-minded rages against nationalities. They deceive the people into focusing on war so that they do not take note of the government’s hidden agenda and criticize it. Western countries are experts at using media and economic wars to fight their adversaries and have made them their most commonly used tactics. They manufacture lies, deliberately distort the truth and obscure right and wrong. Moreover, they use their powerful militaries to protect against economic seize. We must face up to this predatory social reality, void of fairness or righteousness.

The Sino-Japanese Senkaku Island dispute appears to be purely territorial. But in reality, Japan most likely receives silent help from the U.S., whose views just happen to coincide with the rampant right-wing forces in Japan. In the high-profile American return to the Asia-Pacific region, their intention to restrain China has been made obvious. The area around China has been marked with “confusion of war” in the crucial moments during the territorial dispute, as the U.S. utilized its aircraft carriers on several occasions to cruise around Chinese territorial waters in support of China’s opposition in order to deter the Chinese government. The conduct of the U.S. around China not only indicates that it is the leader of the Western countries, but even more so that it is also in the vanguard when it comes to restraining China. Therefore, in making the determination to use power to protect its interests, China must make preparations for further provocation in its confrontation with Japan. And it must make a more grave assessment of the situation, which includes more than just Japan.


钓鱼岛冲突,美国是急先锋

日外相出访欧洲三国,在中日钓鱼岛领土问题上,拉拢欧洲诸国靠边站已经失败。但这不足以让中国人兴奋,日本外相欧洲之行之所以遭遇冷遇,很多人认为是中国的经济发展,让西方国家害怕中国这个经济大国。笔者并不这么认为,虽然中国的经济强劲也是重要原因之一。世界需要中国,但世界经济中国不是唯一,缺少了中国世界经济有可能走向萧条,但作为外向型经济发展的中国,则更需要世界。中国只是比叙利亚、伊朗等国家,影响较大的一个国家而已。

因此中国更应该担心西方国家对中国发动经济战。我们不得不面对一个现实,冷战结束之后,虽然苏联联盟已经分解,但作为冷战的另一方,北约的组织依然存在。它们的存在实际上已经成为某前世界和平安全的最大威胁。如果西方联盟发动对中国的全球性的经济战,中国的损失将会损失惨重。国与国之间经济密切,虽然可以减少对立和战争。但德国发动二战之前,与欧洲各国的经济也是同样紧密。因此,中国与世界各国经济联系密切,从而寄希望于经济的强大,从而保障自身的国家安全,只不过是一厢情愿。中国人更不能因为自身强大的经济而自居,而是要抱着“天下虽安,忘战必忧”的历史遗训。

既然经济无法保障中国的安全,那么我们是否可寄托于西方政客正义和道德之心呢?答案也是否定的,当初美国入侵伊拉克的时候,当时的欧洲国家德国是反对的,但德国并没有因为美国入侵伊拉克,走向美国的对立面。相反,在后来美国入侵阿富汗时,德国军队并没有缺席,成为美国入侵阿富汗时的重要伙伴。可见西方强大的联盟国家,它们的政客没有一个人会因为正义去拒绝战争。在他们发动的战争中,制造出来的平民死亡数字是相当惊人的,但这并没有触动他们的道德心和同情心。战争只是一些政客为谋取个别国家,甚至个别政客仅仅一己之私,就会对他国发动战争。

日本外相的欧洲之行,虽然遭到冷遇,但我们也不能不看到,西方国家对中国的敌视。这种敌视虽然并不曾赤裸裸的表达,但从西方媒体对中国戴有有色眼镜的报道中,我们还是能够有所察觉。比如在中日钓鱼岛相关的报道中,西方媒体看似用词冷静客观,也没有太重的倾日倾向,但这更可怕,也更具有迷惑性。

在中日钓鱼岛之争的报道中,西方媒体更热衷于渲染当前中日双方在钓鱼岛附近的兵力动向,却忽略或刻意抹去钓鱼岛曾为中国领土的历史痕迹。对构建二战后国际秩序的法律基础的《开罗宣言》和《波茨坦公告》,它们也是只字不提,虽然这些联合公报是中国拥有钓鱼岛的重要依据。可见寄希望于西方国家,能够客观、正义地看待中日钓鱼岛之争也不真实。当然,在西方也常传出支持中国拥有钓鱼岛的声音,他们客观、理性,却只是一些学识渊博,政治色彩不浓的学者和教授。

西方各国在遭受经济危机打击之后,西方政客们面对自己国内的经济问题,可谓是火烧眉毛、心慌意乱,而它们在面对国家的经济矛盾中,更是显得捉襟见肘,力不从心。然而这并没有妨碍他们发动阿拉伯之春,毕竟制造战争和他国混乱,要比处理国内经济问题要简单的多。更何况世界强国,往往会利用战争的胜利,来煽动民族性的狭隘狂欢。从而移花接木,把民众对它们执政无能批评,更关注于战争中去。而媒体战和经济战,则是西方国家在针对其他国家运用最成熟,也是最惯用的手法。他们在世界上制造谎言,颠倒黑白,混淆是非;并利用其强大的军事力量,来保障其对他国的经济围困。我们必须正视,这是一个弱肉强食、缺乏公平正义的社会现实。

钓鱼岛之争,看似是中日单纯的领土争端。实际上日本很有可能受到美国某些方面的暗示和蛊惑,这与日本国内右翼势力的猖狂更是不谋而合。美国高调返回亚太,遏制中国的意图已经非常明显。在中国周边领土纠纷烽烟四起的关键时刻,为了支持中国的“对立方”,美国已多次利用其航母,在中国的周边海域游弋,以威慑中国。美国在中国附近的所作所为,则显示美国不仅是西方诸国的领头羊,更是在遏制中国方面走到了最前面,它是急先锋。因此,中国在决定利用自己的力量去保护自己的利益不受侵害之时,就应该做好与日对抗进一步激化的准备,更应该做出比面对日本一个国家更为严重的评估。
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