208: China’s New Style of Diplomacy : Drawing Red Lines in the Sand

pic courtesy: internet – dreams time

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, visited north China’s port city of Tianjin in Jul 21. China put forward two lists during talks with visiting U.S. deputy secretary of state.

 

The two lists are:-

  • List of U.S. Wrongdoings that Must Stop.

 

  • List of Key Individual Cases that China Has Concerns With.

 

In the List of U.S. Wrongdoings that Must Stop, China urged the United States to:-

  • Unconditionally revoke the visa restrictions over Communist Party of China (CPC) members and their families.

 

  • Revoke sanctions on Chinese leaders, officials and government agencies.

 

  • Remove visa restrictions on Chinese students and stop harassing them.

 

  • China also urged the United States to stop suppressing Chinese enterprises.

 

  • Stop suppressing the Confucius Institutes.

 

  • Revoke the registration of Chinese media outlets as “foreign agents” or “foreign missions”.

 

List of Key Individual Cases that China Has Concerns With, contains some key individual cases, including some Chinese students’ visa applications being rejected, Chinese citizens receiving unfair treatment in the United States, Chinese diplomatic and consular missions being harassed and rammed into by perpetrators in the United States, growing anti-Asian and anti-China sentiment, and Chinese citizens suffering violent attacks.

 

China urged the United States to address these cases as soon as possible and earnestly respect and protect the legitimate interests of Chinese citizens and institutions in the United States.

 

Comments

 

The Chinese government has practiced issue-linked diplomacy for decades behind closed doors as a negotiating tactic.

 

China is not only disagreeing with others, but has now started demanding favourable action from others, it seems that a new threshold has been crossed in China’s diplomacy.

 

China’s engagement ethos has been summed up appropriately as:-

  • Competitive when it should be.
  • Collaborative when it can be.
  • Adversarial when it must be.

 

This engagement style reflects an interpretation of Xi Jinping thoughts on diplomacy, which calls for “a distinctive Chinese style of diplomacy” that protects the “red line” of China’s self-declared core interests.

 

Xi Jinping Thoughts on Diplomacy

It has ten core principles. These principles with comments are as follows:-

 

  1. Upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee as the overarching principle and strengthening the Party’s centralized, unified leadership over external work.

# Emphasis is on the supremacy of the Party and the Leadership.

 

  1. Advancing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics to fulfil the mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

# Emphasis is on regaining of the lost glory and apex position in the world.

 

  1. Building a community with a shared future for mankind with a view to defending world peace and promoting common development.

# Announcement of China’s arrival on the world scene and its role in the world affairs.

 

  1. Enhancing strategic confidence based on the foundation of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

# Advocating that the Chinese ideology of governance is the best.

 

  1. Promoting Belt and Road cooperation under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

# Trying to sell BRI, as China has too much riding on it. Although luring others with “shared benefits”, but actually is a Win-Win situation for China.

 

  1. Pursuing peaceful development on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

# It means achieving of China’s objectives without confrontation.

 

  1. Fostering global partnerships by pursuing a broad-based diplomatic agenda.

# Indicating that China should start dominating the multilateral institutions.

 

  1. Steering the reform of the global governance system under the principle of fairness and justice.

# Indicating that the global governance system should work as decide by China.

 

  1. Upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests with China’s core interests as a red line.

# Active Defence policy with a twist. China will decide what the red line is, when and by whom it has been crossed and China will have the legitimacy of carrying out any retaliatory action as it deems fit.

 

10. Developing a distinctive Chinese style of diplomacy by both drawing on fine traditions and adapting to the changing times.

# The global governance and diplomacy should be essentially based on the Chinese past traditions and beliefs.

 

Bottom Line

China is announcing her arrival on the world scene.

 

Question

Do we want the global governance system with Chinese flavour?

 

Your thoughts, suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

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200: Double Celebration: One year of Blogging and 200th Post

Air Marshal’s Perspective

(Candid and to the point – काम की बात)

Ranked 13th in the list of Top 25 Indian Defence Blogs and Websites

 

 

 

This blog was started in the month of September 2020.  It has been one year since then, with 200 posts.

 

Enjoyed researching topics related to defence, security, geo-politics, technology, leadership and management etc. The posts were interspersed with some humour and quotes.

 

Tried to live up to the motto of the blog – “Candid and to the point – काम की बात”. Most of the posts are short ones (two to three pages), covering the essence of the topic in bullet form.

 

The credit for starting the blog goes to my course mate and friend Col Murali. He provided me the space, encouraged me and held my hand initially.

 

Credit also goes to another course mate Vicky Sheorey for getting me all the equipment needed for video conference and recordings.

 

Sincere Thanks to all the subscribers and readers for the encouragement.

 

To provide a panoramic view of the blog, here are the links to the posts on various topics:-

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

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175: China’s Active Defence Strategy

 

Genesis. China’s Active defence Strategy appeared first time in  MAO’s writings in the year 1936. However, its meaning has been changing from time to time along with the war fighting philosophy of China.

 

Changes in War Fighting Philosophy. War fighting Philosophy of China has changed with the era of person in power. Over the years the changes are as follows:-

 

  • Mao Zedong – Final War (with reference to world wars)
  • Ding Xiaoping – Local War (Shift from world war to limited wars)
  • Jing Zemin – Local war with Hi Technology.
  • Hu Jintao – Informatised Local War (Network centric war)
  • Xi Jinping – Informatised and intelligentised war (Unrestricted War – including elements of hybrid and unconventional warfare even in the Grey Zone).

 

Initial Connotation. When the idea was conceived initially it meant allowing the enemy to come into own territory, in area of own choice and up to pre decide depth. Allow the enemy’s logistics supply lines get stretched out and dry down and at an opportune moment attack and defeat him. It was sort of offensive defence.

 

Present Framework. China articulates its Active Defence response as:

“China would never invade or expand, at the same time would never permit any piece of Chinese territory to separate from China & PLA will strike after enemy has attacked”.

 

Analysis & Implications

  • There is always a gap between what china preaches and practices. China although states that she will not expand, but is driven by the baser instinct of expansionism, considering herself as an empire state rather than nation state.

 

  • China decides as to what is part of China, by staking claims and producing conveniently select and doctored historical and legal documents.

 

  • China has left definition of enemy attack intentionally vague. It is not limited to military attack by kinetic means. It may include any action by the adversary which is against the interest of China.

 

  • In other words China decides what enemy attack is, and reserves the right to respond in a way it feels is appropriate.

 

  • It means China will always have the initiative and will have the legitimacy (in her opinion) for her actions.

 

  • China justifies her approach to this active defence strategy as strategically defensive but operationally offensive.

 

  • In tune with her war fighting philosophy of unrestricted warfare, the attack on enemy would be any domain (land, air, sea, cyber, space, electronic, information, psychological or even nuclear). It could use everything and anything as a weapon from the instruments of national power (DIME).

 

  • This strategy coupled with China’s practiced strategic approach of “achieving objectives without firing a shot”, would mean that China would continue to perpetuate grey zone warfare (inclusive of hybrid and unconventional warfare).

 

  • China’s formation of Strategic Support Force as a separate service, is in tune with the above mentioned strategy and actions.

 

Bottom Line

 There is an urgent need for reorientation and gearing up (not only by military) to deal with these challenges.

 

Question

Are we doing it?

 

YOUR SUGGESTIONS & VIEWS ARE MOST WELCOME

 

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