Hong Kong media: China is either all or nothing

Hong Kong media: China is all or nothing According to an article in Hong Kong's "Asia Times Online" on October 10, the original title: For China, either win the world or...

In 1982, the United Kingdom and Argentina broke out at war over the Falkland Islands (called the Malvinas Islands in Argentina). Today, 30 years later, to be fair, was it worth it for the UK to do what it did? After the war, the UK believed that victory would help negotiate with Beijing to renew Hong Kong's lease. But China doesn’t think so. Now it seems that if London had not raised the issue of returning Hong Kong, that territory might still be in British hands today. London at that time failed to see the bigger picture.

But ironically, today it is the turn of some Chinese people who may miss the overall situation on the issue of island disputes. There are disputed borders and potential flashpoints between China and neighboring countries. Once there is friction with a certain country, it will arouse fear in other countries. In this situation, the United States can sprinkle water on regional relations to prevent them from scorching. But the United States feels it has done enough to help China maintain the regional peace and stability it needs for its economic growth, without China even noticing or expressing gratitude.

China's current problem is how to prevent all parties from viewing China from their own inherent perspectives. China needs to ask the United States to intervene. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that the United States can repair huge damage with just one move. Therefore, in order to restore vital breathing space in its neighborhood, China needs to strengthen political cooperation with the United States. In addition, China must adopt a new approach to dealing with its neighbors, bringing them together and then bringing the United States into the fold.

Two conclusions can be drawn from these premises. One is the secondary conclusion that if China is to survive, it must take into account the views and interests of the United States and Asia. Then comes the main conclusion, which is that if China accepts the United States and Asia, this group, which represents the majority of the world's population and GDP, will control the entire world. Even this possibility would cause fear and misgivings in Europe, Africa and Latin America. To avoid this, China must also consider their interests.

This means that simply for its own survival, China must accept the entire world, otherwise it will not even get those desert islands. It's an "all or nothing" game. "Having everything" does not mean that China dominates the world, but on the contrary, it means that China completely complies with the rules of the world. In a sense, Beijing has seen this, and Chinese scholars have proposed establishing a community of interests between China and the world. However, this goal seems unattainable.