Wen Yang: The rise of Asia is still about action but not talk

Wen Yang: The rise of Asia is still about action but not talk. Watching TV news, the footage was of the "United States, Europe and..." during the Munich Security Policy Conference on February 4th.

Wen Yang: The rise of Asia is still a matter of action and not talk. Watching TV news, the scene was the theme discussion of "The Rise of the United States, Europe and Asia" during the Munich Security Policy Conference on February 4. Former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger, Senator John McCain, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, former French Foreign Minister Barnier and other Western bigwigs sat side by side, with Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun sandwiched in the middle. Vice Minister Zhang lowered his head to read the manuscript, while Kissinger and McCain stared at the Chinese face. If you just looked at the picture without listening to the sound, you would not know whether it was an international seminar, an interrogation by the Public Security Bureau to extract a confession, or an interview with a university examiner. What happened to the Chinese? Reading the text online, Vice Minister Zhang’s speech was about the relationship between the rise of Asia and the West. Rise is the official term for the outbreak: Sorry, I posted it recently, and it was quite loud (clears throat). This, uh... the relationship between me and you needs to change. This is what Vice Minister Zhang said in his speech. The articles published are all official written language. If translated into vernacular: First, the current world economic situation is not good. Thanks to Asia's efforts, billions of people across Asia are working together to become well-off, and hundreds of millions of them have become nouveau riche. It is impossible for the world not to change drastically. Second, the rise of Asia is nothing to make a fuss about. In the past few hundred years, the whole world has watched the rise of Western countries, doesn’t it also recognize it? Now that Asia is rising, this is called the international balance of power. Third, it is best to follow the trend, acknowledge the reality, and do not be ignorant of current affairs. If you want to stop and cause trouble, China may be tough when it gets angry. If you want equality and mutual benefit, China may be able to help you if it is happy. After all, it is a people's republic, and it is still kind. It just wants to be equal and not bullied, and to be harmonious and make everyone rich. It doesn't want to be king and hegemony, let alone counterattack. But the "Public Security Bureau" of the international community is still not at ease, always thinking that China is going to cause trouble; the "Jury" of the international community is not at ease, always feeling that China has not learned well. This is the scene at the Munich Security Policy Conference: When representatives of the Chinese government spoke, it looked like they were facing interrogation and evaluation. What if it wasn't such a gesture? What will happen if the Chinese government not only demands equality in terms of actual status, but also demands equality in terms of words and gestures? If you make irresponsible remarks, I will make irresponsible remarks, if you are arrogant and I will criticize others, if you make trouble with me and I will point out yours, what will happen? If the Chinese government gives instructions to Vice Minister Zhang Zhijun: Be condescending when speaking, hold your head high when walking, be aggressive and merciless when negotiating, use the power of the Celestial Empire to suppress these small barbarian countries that live on borrowed money! What will happen? In fact, this is not a question of whether you dare or not, it is a question of whether it is tough enough, or whether you should continue to "keep your reputation secret". In my opinion, the rise of Asia and China is jointly determined by several major factors. For a long time, it can only be a rise of action but not talk. First, the reality is that on the international political stage, all the lines are written by Westerners. You Chinese are at best an actor, while others are screenwriters. The actors and screenwriters quarreled, and they got along over small things, but they couldn't win on the big issues and the most core issues, unless all the lines on the stage were changed to "Zuo Zhuan" and "Warring States Policy", and everyone said "Zheng Burke Duan Yu Yan" and "Qin Xingshi came to Zhou to ask for Jiuding". Second, the mainstream discourse of Western powers is not just casual talk. It is essentially the pillar of the global governance system. Except for a few places where force is directly used, most of the others are managed by talk. We rely on talk to stabilize some countries, and we also rely on talk to mess up some countries. These are already well established and have always been effective. Unless Asia and China want to overthrow the current international system and start over, they cannot directly pull out this pillar. Third, the Eastern tradition emphasizes consistency in words and deeds, and caution in words and deeds. A gentleman's words are hard to follow. Plausibility and eloquence have never been part of our culture. Western politics has developed to the point where words and deeds can be separated, words and actions can be separated, and words can be said without having to face the consequences. However, the politics of Eastern people have not yet reached this stage. If you follow suit, you will be in trouble with yourself. From this point of view, on the international stage, Asians and Chinese may not have to pursue eloquent speeches, persuasive statements, and endless rhetoric. It doesn't matter if you are clumsy and tongue-tied every day, stammering, reversing a few sentences over and over again, and repeating a few rationales over and over again. As long as you don't delay doing things and continue to rise, that's it. When the rise of Asia and China is completely self-contained, and practice proves that we don’t need so many doctrines, so many theories, and so many political rhetorics, we can still manage the affairs of the country and the people well, then the East and the West will really become more balanced. ▊ February 6, 2012 Jerry Wen Yang Director Chief Editor The United Chinese Press www.ucpnz.com Tel: +64 9 369 7210 Fax: +64 9 369 7201 Level 4 A, 32-34 Mahuhu Cres, City Auckland, New Zealand PO Box 6710 Wellesley, Auckland 1141, New Zealand