In a statement, Access Now says it was “told that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person.”
Ignore for a moment rather this is right or wrong (it’s wrong) but ignore that. THIS is a textbook example of Soft Power. The thing the Trump administration tanked by gutting USAID. The west is still playing old world outdated politics from last century and China is going to leave us and our allies in the dust because of it.
Ignore for a moment rather this is right or wrong (it’s wrong) but ignore that. THIS is a textbook example of Soft Power. The thing the Trump administration tanked by gutting USAID.
You correctly pointed out an example of soft power and how it could be used for evil proposes. USAID also used soft power to the same ends. Therefore Trump did something positive by cutting it down.
This is such a privileged and ghoulish way to justify the deaths caused by the removal of that aid.
China is going to leave us and our allies in the dust because of it.
and its good.
One china policy in action
For real, lived in China for 5 years, it’s the most racist country I’ve been to. They even discriminate people from where they’re from in the country, it’s nuts.
Can you imagine if the US started a legit government backed operation in 2026 called One US Policy and forced everyone be “white” Christians? And I don’t mean suggestions, they FORCED you to do it. It would be world news about how the US is racist and whateverist ect. China? Nah it’s cool they’re just “unifying”.
Can you imagine if the US started a legit government backed operation in 2026 called One US Policy and forced everyone be “white” Christians?
What are you talking about? The “One China Policy” refers to Taiwan, absolutely nothing to do with the multiple nationalities inside China.
You’re deranged if you think China is remotely as racist to its minorities as the US, country in which 20% of black men go through prison at some point in their lives and in which you have literal concentration camps for Latinos.
Tell me you’ve never been to china without telling me you’ve never been to china.
From Wikipedia:
One China is a phrase with variant meanings, adopted by many states and other actors to describe their stance on the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) based on mainland China, and the Republic of China (ROC) based on the Taiwan Area. “One China” asserts that there is only one from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), despite the de facto division between the two rival governments from the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War
I’ve been to China, mind you. If you visit their national history museum next to Tian’anmen plaza, you’ll be surprised to find how fucking woke they are with the constant references to the different ethnicities of China and their history even in some exhibits that, for historical reasons, center around “core” China.
do you know Taiwan is a settler colonial state that massacred thousands of native Taiwanese people when KMT fled there after getting brutally mogged by Chairman Mao?
Also I dont think you know what one china policy is.
Wow, this discussion went off the rails right quick. 😄😄
And with that, China essentially hold Africa hostage and would blackmail them to do whatever China wanted. But of course, they do it without bloodshed so tHeY aRE bETteR tHAn tHe wESt
Wait so is achieving the same result with bloodshed preferable?
You are saying China is equally bad as west when it comes to exploitation of global south and imperialism?
So anti-imperialism. Much proletariat.
“Better” can be interpreted in more than one way. They’re better at exerting control without violently changing regimes. They’re better at establishing their own infrastructure and ingratiating themselves to the locals (or local governments). Now, I don’t know that everyone loves them there (I heard many side comments from locals about China) but it’s not like they’re scrambling for the Americans, British, or French to come back and overtly oppress them again.
exerting control … violently changing regimes
They don’t mix.
I mean literally yes.
And that make it ok?
It’s a low bar.
No, but it makes it better. To understand how much better, the closest comparison on the Western side would be Cuba.
What America does to Cuba is terrible though.
Better never meant good. It means less bad.
As opposed to the 500 years of rape and pillaging by the European powers? Yes, unironically better. (Unless you’re a western chauvinist )
It’s about now, not about 20 generations ago.
what the OP said was happening barely 2 generations ago and neo colonialism through capital still goes on
I know the lives of non-Westerners don’t matter to you but a lack of bloodshed kinda makes a world of difference, lol.
Yes because psychological abusive partner is way better than physically abusive parter.
I’m a non-westerner. Next you gonna tell me woman don’t exists on the internet.
More like we’re the abusive ex, complaining about the ex’s next partner. We raped and pillaged Africa for 500 years. Now China is treating them much better by comparison, and we’re shit talking from the sidelines freaking out because we are narcissists who can’t stand anyone being happy without us
Treating better by comparison is NOT the same as treating well.
What is this “sins of our fathers” bullshit you’re spouting? It’s possible to condemn Western AND Chinese exploitation of Africa.
The CCP is so terrified of that little island.
China is literally Taiwan’s biggest partner…
Anything unusual going on at the time of that pretty graph which might have an impact on global trade? In any case, this doesn’t seem relevant to why the CCP is quaking in their boots at tiny Taiwan and exerting the kind of pressure described in the article.
Anything unusual going on at the time of that pretty graph which might have an impact on global trade?
Why speculate? Come on, bring us more up-to-date data!
In any case, this doesn’t seem relevant to why the CCP is quaking in their boots at tiny Taiwan
No? Doesn’t seem relevant? That’s because you don’t understand “economic sanctions as political pressure”. The US and Europe murder half a million people yearly through economic blockades and sanctions with the explicit purpose of destabilizing “enemy” governments. If China desired to take over Taiwan, do you really believe they’d literally be its largest trading partner? First thing Europe did to Russia in 2022 was a list of economic sanctions, why doesn’t China do this?
Moreso, before the West brought back the issue in the mainstream, regular travel between China and Taiwan could be made relatively easily.
I mean I’m no fan of the CCP either but there’s likely not much fear involved here. It’s basically an ego project, not unlike Cuba on the other side.
Very much unlike Cuba on the other side
While the US enacts an illegal embargo on Cuba with the explicit purpose of “hunger, desperation and overthrow of government” (look those words up on google), China is happily Taiwan’s biggest trading partner by a long shot.
You’re falling to anti-China propaganda of “both sides equally bad”.
This is the second comment that I’ve seen where you compare to Cuba. Are you saying what China is doing is ok because America fucked over Cuba?
China is doing nothing though? Like, the Zionist media have been hinting at China attacking Taiwan for the best part of 20 years, and China is still Taiwan’s biggest trading partner.
Please explain to us: what is China doing to Taiwan?
Nope. In my other comment I was saying that both are bad but America is worse; here I’m trying to say that both are ego projects, and therefore that the CCP’s treatment of Taiwan doesn’t imply fear any more than America’s treatment of Cuba does. No real relation between the two comments except using the same comparison of how either powerful empire treats its pet rebellious province. For the record I think mainland China should leave Taiwan the fuck alone.
Ofcourse the losers of civil war shouldnt get to hold a territory as hostage with american bases there lol
Not the island itself but what America/the West turned it into: an unsinkable aircraft carrier (quoting general MacArthur here). But the days of Western imperialism might just be over, or at least that seems to be the way things are going, so I assume that island and mainland China will be just fine in the near future.
That island contains the true government of China and the CCP will do whatever they can to hold onto power so I don’t think they’ll be fine until one destroys the other.
That island contains the true government of China
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the sole ruling party of the country from 1928 to 1949 in Mainland China until its relocation to Taiwan, and in Taiwan ruled under martial law until 1987.
[…] As a result of the 28 February Incident in 1947, Taiwanese people endured what is called the “White Terror”, a KMT-led political repression that resulted in the death or disappearance of over 30,000 Taiwanese intellectuals, activists, and people suspected of opposition to the KMT
[…]The Blue Shirts Society, a ultranationalist paramilitary organization within the KMT that modeled itself after Mussolini’s blackshirts, was anti-foreign and anti-communist, and it stated that its agenda was to expel foreign (Japanese and Western) imperialists from China, crush Communism, and eliminate feudalism.[72] In addition to being anticommunist, some KMT members, like Chiang Kai-shek’s right-hand man Dai Li were anti-American, and wanted to expel American influence.[73] Close Sino-German ties also promoted cooperation between Nazi Germany and Nationalist government.[74] The Kuomintang sought to build a one-party ideological state in China, called Dang Guo, to solidify its rule and ideological supremacy
[…]The New Life Movement was a government-led civic movement in 1930s China initiated by Chiang Kai-shek to promote cultural reform and Neo-Confucian social morality and to ultimately unite China under a centralised ideology following the emergence of ideological challenges to the status quo. The Movement attempted to counter threats of Western and Japanese imperialism through a resurrection of traditional Chinese morality, which it held to be superior to modern Western values. As such the Movement was based upon Confucianism, mixed with Christianity, nationalism and authoritarianism that have some similarities to fascism.[76] It rejected individualism and liberalism, while also opposing socialism and communism. Some historians regard this movement as imitating Nazism and being a neo-nationalistic movement used to elevate Chiang’s control of everyday lives. Frederic Wakeman suggested that the New Life Movement was “Confucian fascism”
WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING FASCISTS
Its not true government, no one recognizes it and they lost the civil war fair and sqaure, its only matter of time when CPC reunifies China.
Stupid take. By this metric the true government of the US are the confederates.
Can you point to the region where the Confederate government retreated to after the American civil war and remains in power to this day?
Texas, Missouri, Mississippi…
I get what you’re implying but it’s not factually correct in this case. The Confederacy was dissolved after it lost the civil war, there’s no continuity with any of those state governments.
Living in the Deep South: my ass. Even Operation Paperclip was modified off what the US did with the Confederate scum: placed them in government and other positions of power and influence.
Sherman should have burned it all and salted the earth, besides.
The heritage foundation would beg to disagree. De jure doesn’t align with de facto in this case.
You think the Taiwan wants to keep slaves?
That’s a dumb take why would Taiwan want slaves?
Did you just get self-trolled?
At some point we’ll be talking about the US military actions to “protect Taiwan”. I just want you to remember this comment when that happens.
Like, whatever you think about China, it really doesn’t matter. These stories are only here to serve as a means to manufacture consent for US actions in the future.
It’s for more war. Just like Iran. Just keep that in mind as we push further into the next world war. No one writing articles like this cares about the “digital rights conference” and you don’t either.
If you cared about “digital rights” or any “rights” you’d be refusing to go to work until the genocidal pedophiles in your own government were brought to justice. You don’t care.
liberals are fore front on manufacturing consent for that war, I am sure they will do anything to maintain their military base besides china.
Looks at instance
.ml
Yeah checks out
$1.6 Billion of our tax dollars spent on an influence campaign. https://www.congress.gov/index.php/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7476/text But sure, its a .ml conspiracy /s
I sure hope you were paid to read that, because why else would you waste your time following a 700 page bill that hasn’t been passed yet? At a glance it isn’t about astroturfing, it’s about sanctioning and charging melign actors as criminals, plus a whole ton of stuff from monetary policy to IP protections. It’s basically outlining the entire geopolitical strategy towards China, which is probably why it’s spent over a year being bounced around 20 different subcommittees.
Idk where you got that price tag seeing as the link you provided contains no budgeting information, but you should ask your handler if that figure is for the entire bill, or for an “influence campaign” specifically. While you wait to hear back from them for that talking point, would you mind showing me where in the bill this influence campaign is outlined?
“Knowing your politics means you’re paid to do so”
Unfathomably uneducated take
Got owned
Looks at instance
.ml
Yeah checks out
I don’t think the “.ml so wrong” NPCs realize that their just doing free promotion for Marxist when that’s their only response to comments over and over. They’re not saying anything. They’re just relying on others, that already fall for Imperialist propaganda, to continue to believe lies.
It’s what prompted me to start reading here. And .ml is more informed than the biggest instances of Lemmy, combined.
Caring about stuff isn’t a binary, it doesn’t hinge on whatever insane purity test you think it does.
You can care about things. But, honestly, when you read an article do you never ask yourself “why am I reading about this and who wants me to think this important?”
Like, let’s not use China. A lot of people have a hard time with it. Take for example “trans woman in sports”. The conservative brain might be very concerned about this. Why? Do they play sports? Have they even met a trans person? No. But they are told that this is a very important thing. They convince themselves that it’s important to their lives.
Now, you (I hope) and I know these types of stories are just forms of manufacturing outrage to direct blame away from the real problems with American society.
That’s what I’m talking about in my initial comment. It’s just not Trans kids in sports. It’s some thing China is doing related to their relations with Taiwan.
Now, the problem is, you don’t think “why am I reading about this? Who wants me to care about this?”
You start asking yourself those questions when you read any articles about any of the US “enemies” in global politics. You’ll start to see the manufacturing of your concent for more war funding everywhere ; you’ll see it as obviously as the “trans kids in sports” is to you today.
They’re definitely gearing up for major anti-China action, but I doubt Trump or the oligarchs are that keen to fight a war they’ll lose even worse than the war with Iran. After that disaster, many of the US’s potential allies in a war over Taiwan will not be keen on sticking their neck out. Without their support, the US has little chance at stopping China. It’d be much more convenient for them if Taiwan surrenders to China and they can virtue signal about authoritarianism. They might even get the computer parts on backorder for a few years.
The only reason the US would go to war with China is if Trump really is that stupid. In that case, nobody but his cult will really be happy with the outcome.
Thanks for the reasonable response in an array of bad ones.
I’d say when I’m talking about war with China - I don’t believe that is going to happen under Trump. There are steps that need to occur before that. Especially in terms of forcing European support via a dependence on American controlled Oil.
So, I don’t really disagree with you on the short term. But, there is a reason for the US propaganda to alienate China. They need to maintain them as some evil power that must be stopped.
I don’t think the US is gonna be in any position to force European support via oil dependence. The harder they try to bully Europe, the more Europeans are gonna fall into China’s camp. This is especially true if China becomes a dominant provider of renewables; the Iran crisis alone has demonstrated the wisdom of diversifying one’s energy grid. Besides, Europe will want to become less reliant on oil if they want to be capable of opposing Russian conquest. Between the US and Russia both trying to carve out sections of their countries and spheres of influence, China is a safe and sane bet.
The days of US hegemony are well and truly over, and they will probably not be returning in our lifetimes. Multipolarity was inevitable even before Trump, something that Obama was keenly aware of and tried to navigate around. China was always gonna be a primary power, but thanks to Trump they are probably gonna be number one. They will never replace the US in every respect, but they will take their place as the system for the world to emulate. It will be an era of industrial capitalism and increased barriers to trade, where neoliberalism and the free exchange of goods are things of the past. There will be no more pretending that China is an underdog.
💯
These stories are only here to serve as a means to manufacture consent for US actions in the future.
These stories are here to remind that there is an elephant in the room. Fortunately it’s only breathing loudly at the moment.
China has territorial ambitions regarding several neighbours (sea areas) and serious ambitions about Taiwan (taking it over) and unless the international community can help Taiwan and other countries achieve a peaceful co-existence with China (and this means backing them)…
(note: air raid simulations with 100+ aircraft testing Taiwan’s responses or naval blockade simulations with tens of warships around the island are not peaceful coexistence, and China has been running such exercises)
…then we better start learning how to make microchips in every country and obviously pay for that. Because if war happens, Taiwan will be in ruins and China under a boycott, possibly with a few strategic locations also in ruins - and the rest of the world in a severe economic crisis due to lack of microchips. There is also nonzero risk of China attempting to conquer Taiwan escalating to a bigger war between coalitions of countries, with all the possible consequences.
If someone is bullying someone else, the wider community wold be wise to intervene early and dissuade agression.
So yes, what we are seeing is a prelude, which will likely lead, if not dissuaded, to agression against Taiwan at some day in future. What the rest of the world thinks about on that day, is not yet determined. The US and Japan and South Korea have previously made fairly clear what they will think, but recently the US is running headless.
Johnny Harris? Is that you? I hope the CIA is paying you at least.
Who is Johnny Harris? You can find me here. Once you figure out the agency who pays me, tell me too, I’ll go and cash in then. :)
In return for the quesiton, I will ask you - which news sources do you use?
Ah I get. Johnny Harris is a popular YouTuber that once worked with the CIA (obviously still does) that does a lot of “China is a concern” content. He’s a typical US imperialism supporting liberal. Basically says the exact type of shit from your first comment.
You know what the difference between a liberal and an anarchist is?
The former actually gets paid to spread CIA talking points about China. I guess you’re just the later. Sorry, I’m sure you understand why I would have been confused. It’s so hard to tell the difference between neocon liberals and “China is a threat” anarchist these days.
