The Chinese people will never allow any foreign power to bully, oppress or enslave us,” Xi said forcefully at the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adding that anyone who tries to do so will have his head broken in front of the Great Wall of Steel built by the flesh and blood of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. An editorial in the Washington Post on May 5 interpreted Xi’s remarks, saying that those who are concerned that Washington hawks are encouraging an unnecessary and dangerous new cold war with China should take the time to read Xi’s remarks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
The editorial notes that at this event, with military planes flying overhead and crowds cheering loudly, Xi boasted of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” the creation of a new state of human civilization, and the need to “build the People’s Army into a world-class army. In short, Xi made it clear that under his dictatorship, China would pose an escalating threat to the democratic world and China’s neighbors, especially Taiwan, because of its “historical mission and unshakeable commitment.
The Washington Post editorial noted that Xi’s remarks were a reminder that his regime’s ambitious ambitions and the belligerence with which it pursues them are a real threat to the world order and indeed to world peace.
The editorial noted that Xi’s words were arrogant and full of nationalistic resentment, pointing to the origins of China’s recent war-wolf diplomacy. His insistence that “the Chinese people have never bullied, oppressed or enslaved other peoples” must be incredibly painful to the ears of people in Tibet or Xinjiang, where more than a million Uighurs and other Muslims are held in concentration camps and forced to give up their culture.
The editorial also points out that Taiwan should take such bloody declarations seriously. Xi Jinping’s claim to “resolutely crush any attempt at Taiwan independence” sounds more credible, despite his old refrain to “promote the peaceful reunification of the motherland,” echoing China’s recent military escalation in its invasion of Taiwan’s airspace. Xi, who has centralized power and essentially declared himself ruler for life, seems to see the conquest of powerful democracies as an achievement, while at the same time crushing the autonomy of the Uighurs and Hong Kong.
The editorial notes: It should be noted that Xi’s talk implies that China may pose a growing threat to its neighbors, the democratic world and human freedom.
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