It’s hard to imagine just how much trust (albeit passive and implicit rather than deep and heartfelt) has evaporated in the last few weeks. Following the release of the Huawei charges, here’s something on the implications for foreign businesses, notably in China – and for ‘How screwed is’ Huawei itself.
Unless you’ve seriously not been paying attention, you will know that Vancouver-based former Hong Kong reporter Joanna Chiu got a scoop confirming that Canada’s ambassador to China John MacCallum seemed to be siding with Beijing over the Huawei affair – promptly getting the guy fired. Had the diplomat succumbed to the United Front’s ‘good friend’ grooming treatment and become something of a Beijing asset? Here’s regretful/hilarious hand-wringing about journalistic ethics from China’s state media to help you decide.
The Star called around other ex-diplomat types, who openly said that ‘Beijing views foreign diplomats as outgoing communication channels’. The thing is that, until so recently it was largely and quietly getting away with it (ditto with businessmen and academics).
Now, one commentator describes the Huawei saga as Canada’s wake-up call. He also writes that ‘In detaining Kovrig … the CCP has shot itself in the foot’, adding that prospects for a Canada-China free-trade agreement and an extradition treaty are now zero.
China has for years generally cultivated good relations with Canada. Canadians pride themselves on being ‘nice’ and a tolerant country, but presumably do not like it if their good-naturedness is mistaken for gullibility or servility. And now Beijing has blown it, rejecting any chance of claiming moral high ground, and indulging in its bizarre and massively uncool tantrum of hostage-taking and near-racist insults.
If you can piss off Canadians like this, is there any hope for you with the rest of the world? Expand the impact of this remarkably sudden outbreak of obnoxiousness across the rest of the English-speaking democracies and Europe, and Beijing has managed to transform itself – and its corporate sector – into a ‘global menace’. And still doesn’t seem to even be aware of it.
Is that Li Qingqing from global times an alias for Alex Lo ?
I love it when recent mainland Chinese immigrants into free, western nations feel empowered to use their newfound rights of free expression to defend the cretins at Zhongnanhai.
Amazing how the irony of them trying the same at home and getting beaten to a pulp then whisked away to a “black jail” is totally lost on them.
It’s even worse they’re doing it for a privileged billionaire daughter of a connected party/military hack who would have quickly used rule-by-law of crushing them legally and financially should any of them had accidentally dinged Meng’s Bentley or Maybach in Shenzhen.
Canada should be thankful this shitstorm has hit the fan giving them a REAL wake up call.
Off topic, but as I flew back into Hong Kong last night, the “Hong Kong – Asia’s World City” slogans at the airport really caught my eye. I have no idea what a “World City” actually is (other than a large conurbation existing on Planet Earth) but assuming marketing spin, then surely Singapore should be Asia’s world city? Better planned; more culturally diverse; more livable; better housing; etc. Which leaves Hong Kong in need of a new slogan. My suggestion is “Hong Kong – Not as Bad as the Mainland. Yet”. Anyone else care to suggest an alternative?
@Big Al: Damned good suggestion.
Or…”Hong Kong – What Taiwan Hopes to Avoid”
@Big Al
“Hong Kong home of the dumbest Politicians God put eyes in”
“Hong Kong, the nicest city in China”
“Hong Kong – Like Harbin Only Better”
“Hong Kong – It probably in some respects better than where you used to live”
I’m not going to make a suggestion, but a good motto for Hong Kong should definitely contain “cum”
@Big Al
“Hong Kong — Asia’s Worried City”
@Wolflikeme
“Hong Kong, the least awful city in China”
Harking back to an earlier campaign:
“Hong Kong — Blunders never cease”
“Hong Kong – enjoy while you still can”
@Chinese Netizen – most of them still have family members back in the PRC. “We know where your relatives live” can be a powerful motivator.
“Hong Kong – Like being ruled by the CCP but without the efficiency”
It is simple enough to understand: Western capitalist investment, know how and technology created and nurtured China’s rapid economic success which gave life to a totalitarian Frankenstein’s monster. This has led it to such arrogance and self-delusion that it is showing its master race complex, long known for over two centuries by generations of diplomats, but disguised from the people of the world in general until recently. Why did the West allow itself to be fooled for so long? Well, neo liberal economics led to the domination of Western governments under the mantra of “free trade” by the short sighted greed of the corporates who ignored and betrayed their own countries for cheap production and fast profits. Lenin probably put it most aptly: “The capitalists will sell us the rope which we will use to hang them.”
Casira;
Hong Kong – Cum Hub
Seems legit?
Hong Kong – See it While You Can