China is taking advantage of the wreckage and incompetence by President Donald to pitch its alternative world order based on “multipolarism”. The grievances that many hold against the United States may delude them into thinking that China is a better alternative. Some may even wrongly interpret diplomacy and trade with China as rupture from the United States rather than as a trading convenience.
At the Munich Security Conference, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi made a bid for Europe to replace the Trans-Atlantic partnership with a Sino-European partnership. Clearly, he wasn’t very successful at selling his idea. His full speech is being posted below. However, large sections of the mainstream press are not explaining what China is doing and are copy and pasting Chinese statements without context making them look legitimate and true.
There are three categories of people who would like to entertain China’s proposal to replace the Trans-Atlantic alliance with a Chinese partnership: the idiotic, the naïve and the wicked. Then there are those who are managing their relationship with China while being aware of the risks and managing them accordingly.
There are those in foreign affairs who understand China very well and then there are those who naively think that China can be an honest partner. China is the world’s biggest and most dangerous imperialist nation; it is run by a brutal and murderous regime that cosplays as communist but has values and beliefs rooted from China’s Middle Kingdom era. Moreover, the Communist Party of China projects a world-view that promotes cooperation when abroad, while at home it celebrates its imperialist dreams and projects itself as the new and emerging global leader.
Even publicly in its statements, China contradicts itself and lies. At the Munich Security Conference, China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi said that China wants to build a world based on rule-of-law, yet just minutes later, the Minister threatened Japan with war as he minced up some nonsense about history. China is also promoting itself as a partner of peace that respects international law while in the same breath it promotes “the multipolar order” which is another word for imperialism. A multipolar order is when you have different powers ruling at their own discretion their spheres of influence: you can’t have international rule-of-law while embracing “multipolarity”. The international rules-based order is multilateral and not multipolar: different sovereign nations acting on the same playing field with the same rules.
China is pretending that it is a force of peace all the while it is conducting belligerent naval operations against the Philippines. China is also currently using its civilian fishing fleet to deplete fishing stocks across the world, lately attacking Peru’s fishing stocks. China is also the biggest international supplier of Russia’s Ministry of Defence: effectively making it the biggest foreign contributor and backer to Russia’s war in Ukraine and effectively Europe. Above all, China is blatantly planning to invade and occupy Taiwan apart from expanding its illegal control of foreign and international waters in the South China Sea.
China is not an honest partner for peace. China’s world-view is imperialist, dystopian, illiberal and even very racist – although the racism of the Chinese has so far been consistently ignored by the mainstream press.
Minister Wang Yi doesn’t have many inhibitions about China’s propensity to lie and deliver acerbic nonsense. Just right after Minister Wang Yi proposed Europeans to join China’s Global Governance initiative, he also said that public criticism of China threatens Europe’s relations with China. The Chinese don’t just want to impose restrictions on free speech on their own people, they also want to apply their censorship across the world – and they are very serious about this even if it may sound banal.
China is closer to us than we think because many leaders have opted for the convenience of trading with China without managing the risks, while others are even taking bait as they walk straight into the mouth of the dragon.
Note that the mainstream press should be questioning China’s participation at the Munich Security Conference instead of quoting the Chinese Minister verbatim, effectively promoting China’s legitimacy at this conference: China supplies weapons and equipment to the Russian Ministry of Defence for a war in Europe.
At the 61st Munich Security Conference
Conversation with China
Munich, February 14, 2025Your Excellency Chairman Christoph Heusgen,
Dear Friends, Colleagues,The world we live in is an increasing mix of turbulence and transformation. Many people are asking the same question: Where is it headed? If I may borrow the theme of this year’s Munich Security Report, it is headed toward multipolarization.A multipolar world is not only a historical inevitability, but also the aspiration of the vast majority of countries. In today’s world, no single country or group of countries can dictate the international agenda. The days when one or a few countries called the shots are long gone. Multipolarization means that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, should be treated as equals. It means that the legitimate rights and interests of all countries should be upheld. It means that the future and destiny of the world should be decided by all countries together. China will surely be a factor of certainty in this multipolar system, and strive to be a steadfast constructive force in a changing world. To this end, China will do the following: First, it is important to advocate equal treatment. We should reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and avoid falling into the trap of “a new Cold War.” We should respect the independent choice of development paths by all countries, and accommodate each other’s legitimate concerns and core interests. We should promote dialogue and cooperation among major countries to build a stable and constructive major-country relationship framework. Second, it is important to respect international rule of law. We should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as the fundamental norms governing international relations. We should safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. We should reject double standards and the practice of exceptionalism. Third, it is important to promote common development. We should reject zero-sum games and protectionism, and make globalization more inclusive and beneficial for all. We should advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and help developing countries better integrate into the global industrial and supply chains. We should narrow the North-South gap, and make sure no country is left behind in the process of multipolarization.Fourth, it is important to enhance global security governance. We should reject the outdated security concept of “absolute security” for oneself at the expense of others. We should advocate the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We should resolve hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, rather than confrontation and coercion.China and Europe are comprehensive strategic partners. Despite differences in history, culture and development stage, our two sides share extensive common interests and broad space for cooperation. China and Europe should be partners, not rivals; we should engage in dialogue, not confrontation. We should pursue harmony while respecting differences, and work together for a multipolar world that is equal, orderly, peaceful and stable.China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. A stable China-US relationship serves the interests of both countries and the world at large. China is ready to work with the US to follow through on the important common understandings reached by the two presidents, manage differences responsibly, expand cooperation, and deliver more positive sum results to the world. No matter which way the wind blows or the waves surge, China will remain calm and steadfast, stay committed to its major principles and policies, and continue to contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to world peace and development. Thank you.
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Historian and Publisher
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