“The prince of darkness is a gentleman.”
Shakespeare’s line from King Lear is well applied to Xi Jinping of China. The most powerful Communist Party leader since Mao Zedong, Xi shares his predecessor’s penchant for optimistic speeches and occasional smiles. But unlike Mao, Xi isn’t defined by the murder of millions, so much as he is by his smiling deceptions.
This is not something that the Chinese state media apparatus likes to play up, of course. It prefers to show Xi as a sort-of Communist deity, happily floating through the clouds, sometimes, quite literally, as he bestows good fortune on his adoring people. The reality of Xi’s leadership is a less soaring tale.
Take Xi’s comments on Wednesday at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Designed to boost foreign investment and technology transfers, Xi’s exposition speech was full of flowery language.
“At present,” Xi declared, “the world economic development is facing severe challenges. We must strengthen our confidence, strengthen courage, and overcome difficulties together. China is willing to work with other countries to create opportunities in opening up, solve problems in cooperation, and work together to create a better tomorrow for mankind!” The Chinese Communist Party chairman continued, “We must commit ourselves to promoting common openness for win-win cooperation, trust instead of suspicion, join hands instead of throwing fists, and negotiate instead of abuse.”
Like Xi’s climate change pledges, it sounds very good. But like those pledges, reality demands a different take.
The quality and timing of Xi’s comments were incongruous with what Xi’s regime is actually doing. After all, just as the dear leader was promising “win-win cooperation,” his minions had unleashed a new trade war on Australia. Designed to smash Australia’s export economy, China’s “D-Day” trade attack serves as retaliation for Canberra’s continued resistance to Beijing’s malevolent foreign policy. More specifically, China is unhappy with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s support of international transit and ownership rights in the South China Sea, his crackdown on China’s espionage epidemic on Australian soil, and his condemnation of China’s rather inglorious enslavement of its own people.
Xi’s foreign ministry basically admits as much. Questioned on Thursday about the not-so-slight hypocrisy of Xi talking about trade cooperation while simultaneously launching a trade war, a foreign ministry spokesperson was unrepentant. Referencing the trade restrictions, Wang Wenbin declared that “The Chinese competent authorities’ measures on foreign imports are in line with Chinese laws and regulations and international customary practices. They protect the safety of consumers and the legitimate rights and interests of domestic industries, and are consistent with the free trade agreement between China and Australia.”
This is a prima facie lie.
The Chinese government knows that its restrictions have zero compatibility with public health needs and Australia-China trade agreements. They’re simply a punishment for Morrison’s refusal to kneel at the Communist god-prince’s feet. Evincing as much, Wang concluded with a veiled dangle for how Australia could see the trade war suspended. “We hope Australia can do more to enhance mutual trust and bilateral cooperation,” he said, “as the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership calls for, and bring the bilateral relations back to the right track as early as possible.” When asked for more details later in the press conference, Wang declared that he had “already responded to this matter.”
Indeed.
There is one positive in all this. Namely, the lesson the world finds in the simultaneous juxtaposition of what Xi says and what he actually does. To be sure, Xi says all the right stuff, offering massive investments and pledges for mutually beneficial cooperation. And yes, Xi has impressive support from his financial prostitutes, such as Tim Geithner, Ray Dalio, and Tony Blair. But in the end, Xi is just a smiling prince of darkness. And a deal with this devil comes with the ultimate choice between hostility and indentured servitude.
