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China as the enemy is a fabricated narrative, bc culturally we seem to have a need to have another cold war, we need a "bad guy" in reality theyre just economi

China as the enemy is a fabricated narrative, bc culturally we seem to have a need to have another cold war, we need a "bad guy" in reality theyre just economic rivals. But then again so are the EU. in terms of zone of political influence the competition isnt anything crazy (except for the poor taiwanese caught in the middle) and there is no clash of political ideaologies In my experience Chinese in China don't typically see the US as an enemy. Its a weird framing for them

tw04 9mo ago
Try speaking to someone from Hong Kong or Tibet and get back to me. Claiming that China isn’t a danger to democracy and doesn’t have expansionist desires is insane. Look no further than their border with India.
- thaumasiotes 9mo ago
  > Look no further than their border with India. What, the one where they stage battles in which gunpowder weapons are prohibited? When's the last time it moved?
- contrarian1234 9mo ago
  Okay they have a small limited amount of border disputes that are wrapped up in their nationalism. But they're not instigating coupe-detats is other countries to get favorable regimes, or significantly militarily meddling in other regions of the world to get favorable outcomes. I'd say on the whole, given their size, military strength and economic connections, they've been remarkably restrained - borderline isolationist - when it comes to international interference. I don't see how they're a danger to democracy outside of their own borders - with the exception of maybe troll farms that are trying to shape cultural narratives
themaninthedark 9mo ago
China doesn't seem to think so. >"The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable," Coffman said. "That is the first time China has made that statement publicly." https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/11/china-declares-war-us-inevitable-army-general-highlights-need-fighting-vehicles.html https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/11/china-declare... Would you say the same thing about Russia, Is that a fabricated narrative? Why or why not?
- thaumasiotes 9mo ago
  >> "The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable," Coffman said. Do we have something better than some English-language hearsay from five years ago? I tried looking for more on this and found nothing. I did discover that Xu Qiliang died last June. I doubt he's going to have much influence going forward.
  - themaninthedark 9mo ago
    Not sure how to find a primary source, I am only finding news reporting on the speech. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1409929/China-news-US-war-inevitable-Thucydides-Trap-Xu-Qiliang-xi-jinping-military-spending-ont?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1409929/China-news-US-w... 5 years ago is not that long ago and we were at the start of the Biden administration then. With Trump back in office are relationships better or more inflamed? >I did discover that Xu Qiliang died last June. I doubt he's going to have much influence going forward. Unelected leadership in top positions are generally not just pushing their own agenda, especially in autocratic governments. Any speech or statement is highly considered and controlled, that statement should be taken as policy unless it is retracted.
    - thaumasiotes 9mo ago
      Just that Express link already contradicts the quote from Coffman: > General Xu Qiliang, China’s second in command of the armed forces after President Xi Jinping, said an increase in military spending is need[ed] to counter the ‘Thucydides Trap’. > Maj. Gen. Richard Coffman, director of the US Army's Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team, saw the remarks as a clear admission war was “inevitable”. > He said: “The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable. Allow me to suggest that "this a way to counter the Thucydides trap" cannot actually be paraphrased as "war is inevitable".
    - thaumasiotes 9mo ago
ls612 9mo ago
It doesn't matter what your experience with ordinary Chinese are. China is not a democracy, they are a fascist dictatorship. Only the senior party officials' opinion matters and they clearly behave as though they see the US as an adversary.

tw04 9mo ago

Try speaking to someone from Hong Kong or Tibet and get back to me. Claiming that China isn’t a danger to democracy and doesn’t have expansionist desires is insane. Look no further than their border with India.

thaumasiotes 9mo ago
> Look no further than their border with India. What, the one where they stage battles in which gunpowder weapons are prohibited? When's the last time it moved?
contrarian1234 9mo ago
Okay they have a small limited amount of border disputes that are wrapped up in their nationalism. But they're not instigating coupe-detats is other countries to get favorable regimes, or significantly militarily meddling in other regions of the world to get favorable outcomes. I'd say on the whole, given their size, military strength and economic connections, they've been remarkably restrained - borderline isolationist - when it comes to international interference. I don't see how they're a danger to democracy outside of their own borders - with the exception of maybe troll farms that are trying to shape cultural narratives

themaninthedark 9mo ago

China doesn't seem to think so. >"The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable," Coffman said. "That is the first time China has made that statement publicly." https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/11/china-declares-war-us-inevitable-army-general-highlights-need-fighting-vehicles.html https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/11/china-declare... Would you say the same thing about Russia, Is that a fabricated narrative? Why or why not?

thaumasiotes 9mo ago
>> "The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable," Coffman said. Do we have something better than some English-language hearsay from five years ago? I tried looking for more on this and found nothing. I did discover that Xu Qiliang died last June. I doubt he's going to have much influence going forward.
- themaninthedark 9mo ago
  Not sure how to find a primary source, I am only finding news reporting on the speech. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1409929/China-news-US-war-inevitable-Thucydides-Trap-Xu-Qiliang-xi-jinping-military-spending-ont?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1409929/China-news-US-w... 5 years ago is not that long ago and we were at the start of the Biden administration then. With Trump back in office are relationships better or more inflamed? >I did discover that Xu Qiliang died last June. I doubt he's going to have much influence going forward. Unelected leadership in top positions are generally not just pushing their own agenda, especially in autocratic governments. Any speech or statement is highly considered and controlled, that statement should be taken as policy unless it is retracted.
  - thaumasiotes 9mo ago
    Just that Express link already contradicts the quote from Coffman: > General Xu Qiliang, China’s second in command of the armed forces after President Xi Jinping, said an increase in military spending is need[ed] to counter the ‘Thucydides Trap’. > Maj. Gen. Richard Coffman, director of the US Army's Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team, saw the remarks as a clear admission war was “inevitable”. > He said: “The top uniformed soldier in China, chairman of China's Central Military Commission, stated that war with the United States is inevitable. Allow me to suggest that "this a way to counter the Thucydides trap" cannot actually be paraphrased as "war is inevitable".
  - thaumasiotes 9mo ago

ls612 9mo ago

It doesn't matter what your experience with ordinary Chinese are. China is not a democracy, they are a fascist dictatorship. Only the senior party officials' opinion matters and they clearly behave as though they see the US as an adversary.