Posted on 09/12/2019 2:41:35 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
I first traveled to mainland China as a high school student in 2008. Like many observers at the time, I was enthralled by the apparent success of China’s development model, manifested in the urban landscapes of Beijing and Shanghai. I was influenced by the then-prominent idea of Chinese exceptionalism, which one could encounter in both government propaganda and discussions with local street vendors. My perception of China in the early years reflected that of the foreign-policy community in the United States, as well as that of major U.S. businesses in China. But today, that perception has changed.
The current climate in U.S.-China relations is far colder. But the shift has been driven by the Chinese government long before U.S. President Donald Trump began his trade war. Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, China has been a far less welcoming place for foreigners, especially foreign businesses, than it claims to be. Meanwhile, amid countless examples of unacceptable behavior by Chinese authorities inside the country’s borders, the Chinese government’s propaganda apparatus is operating at full steam in claiming that Chinese citizens and companies are being treated unfairly abroad. The new milieu in bilateral relations also stems, in part, from the United States’ long overdue reaction to the inequitable ways in which China treats U.S. persons and companies at home and overseas.
My own personal views on China shifted permanently after being stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing as a graduate school intern. While there, I developed an appreciation for the challenges that our diplomatic corps—and, by extension, U.S. citizens and companies—experience on a daily basis.
To call it harassment would be an understatement. Much has been reported on scrutiny of the foreign business community and unjust detention of foreign citizens such as Michael Kovrig, the former Canadian diplomat
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Interesting article - thank you for posting it, Zhang Fei!
Get out of the Spratlys and we’ll talk.
THey are also losing HongKong too. THey only had to wait until 2023 to get HK but decided to accelerate things with that idiot woman Liam starting sht when no one was asking her. Always is bad news when a dude comes up like Xi and says he is there for life.
BMP for later reading.
Two days ago, 10 Chinese nationals were arrested in Marfa, TX, sneaking in illegally in a Chevy pickup truck. How many are they getting into our country illegally every month through our porous southern border?
No worries, catch and release still works.
Sorry, the two systems fiction is scheduled to expire in 2047. China is not “losing” HK, it owns it.
The article detailing how China acts toward foreigners and foreign firms is accurate but nothing new. I worked in China from 1993 - 96 and it was exactly the same then.
The only thing that has changed is that the corrupt deep state and businesses greedy for short term personal gain ( can you Spell Hunter Biden and Mitch McConnell??) have ignored it until President Trump came along to insist on standing up for America.
One nice thing about a billionaire president is that more money will not change his life in any way. It’s impossible to bribe or buy our president, which is why the corrupt deep state hates him so much.
To analyze or attempt to analyze China and relations with China by America and the rest of the world on the basis of winning or losing is a fallacious proposition.
With regard to China, time is a very important variable. There has been lots of change in China over a short period of time. Change is going to continue with lots of various inputs both domestic and foreign.
Although the CCP can influence the change, there are other forces of influence as well. The other forces either domestic or foreign may not prevail outright but are and will continue to nudge toward change and more freedom over time.
China will muddle through to an outcome presently uknown.
History is a process, not an event
The Chinese also charge US citizens double the usual rate to use a bus or a train. Entry fees to any tourist attraction is at least double. I was also charged a fee called “Development of Affair” to have my US-citizen Chinese wife stay in my room with me. The list is long.
Yes very good read. Thanks.
31 years is not a blink.
I do not read much about China - except business news.
After Xi declared himself dictator-for-life, I guess I should not be surprised that civil and political life inside China have deteriorated badly.
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