By Paul Chong
Thursday 21 June 2018

“Zhongguo(ren) zhan qi lai le”

It’s a turbulent world we live in . . . revolutionary transformation is taking place, We now see the awakening dragon which was feared & avoided by Napoleon in his conquering days!

Henry Kissinger once said something to this effect: whoever controls petroleum shall control the other countries; whoever controls food supplies shall control mankind; whoever controls the distribution of money shall rule the world. No one country can manage without petroleum, but not every country has petroleum resources.

The above amazing commercial opportunities led US to lay down ground rules for Saudi and other major petroleum exporting countries to trade all petroleum in USD. Therefore any country who intended to import petroleum must convert their currency to USD to complete the deal. The petroleum exporting countries must receive the sale proceeds in USD, otherwise they might face serious repercussions. Obviously, US benefits much from such basis of world petroleum trade & in so doing established USD as the reserved currency.

Who would dare to defy US with all its great weapons of mass destruction, fighter bombers, cannons & its greatest war arsenal of all military weapons. The fate that Iraq & Libya suffered is what would happen to others in similar situations. Remember Saddam Hussein & Gaddafi? Both perished under the might of the Americans with blood spilling over the desert sand.

An interesting & perplexing question arises . . . US demands total denuclearisation of Iran & the current DPRK (North Korea), what about its own self?

Similar harsh measures would even befall upon staunch American allies in Europe. For instance, when the highly revered German Chancellor Angela Merkel just said Euro could be more appropriate for petroleum trading, the Americans immediately acted to precipitate the Greek debt crises, thereby causesing a big mess in European Union and almost resulted in the break-up. Merkel retreated in anguish and dared not raise such issue again.

With reference to the above charts, it can well be seen that China is standing tall & supreme economically. As China rises & globalisation progresses, US is lagging further & further behind. The question today is who is rebalancing whom?

Present Scenario:
*China is in a strong position to stand up to US on the level playing field. “Xiplomacy” does not require China togo to war or to destabilise target countries, causing suffering & destruction & intruding into others’ sovereignty. It’s all a question of “Xiplomacy” versus “Trumpinglogy”!

*While in the past no nation in the world would dare to offend the US, China did and succeeded. In 2014, the Russians made the first move to trade petroleum with China using Renminbi (RMB). That was astounding. Subsequently Iran and Iraq follow suit. Later Venezuela also discarded USD and traded their petroleum with China in RMB. With these major petroleum exporting nations trading in RMB, two-third of China’s import of petroleum were secured in RMB, thus US started to lose its benefits had these trading been done in USD.

*Now the worst scenario for US is that Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer in the world,the big brother in the Middle East, is also switching to trade with China in Renminbi (RMB) – an absolute big blow to US.

*In order to crack the monopoly of trading using USD, China initiated further actions. Any country which accepted RMB for the sale of petroleum would be permitted to swapped the RMB for gold in the Shanghai bullion market. This move enables RMB to become more internationalized. The US become more alarmed. Now that petroleum, RMB, and gold are interchangeable, it means the confidence in RMB is linked to confidence in gold. This would hasten in establishing RMB as the reserved currency eroding the value of USD. Who would not be drawn closer to China being such a huge market.

*It would have been suicidal to offend the Americans in the past. But China today differed greatly from China of yesterday, 20 years of bitter endurance & intimidation, China has grown from strength to strength. The US today isn’t the same as the past US. 20 years of friction and wars had left a huge deficit in its coffer, and waned off its warring spirit.

*These countries which chose to use RMB to trade, be it the newly awakened Russia, US arch rivals Iran, Venezuela or the battered Iraq, were all ever ready to stand up to say no to US. Moreover what added to their resolve was that they are cooperating with China which has been well recognized as one country which could stand tall viv-a-vis the US.

On the other hand, the US had fought in many wars over the years, depleting its reserves and piling up astronomical national debt. In view of shortage of fund there were incidences of government shutdown. Under Trump’s administration, there were measures to down-size US global operations to avert worsening of its economic health. Now that monopoly of USD in trading has been foiled and US were well exasperated. But any show of force with China by the downcast war-monger is not the best option.

That was the reason that the US had in recent years laid shackles on China, such as threatening China in South China seas. That was one way for the US to let go its choked up air. The past dominance and overriding superiority is a thing of the past. That’s why one US analyst sighed: 20 years ago, US let China off the hook, now China has turned the table. But who would know, China’s growing power today was attained through how much of sweat, blood and tears! That was a whole century of unforgettable humiliation not just by one country but a multiple of western nations including the Japanese!

The present trade war with China by imposing $50 billion on Chinese imports shows US desperation attempting to make itself “great again”. In the final analysis, who stands to gain. Besides is not standing still but China is retaliating strongly by imposing similar tariffs on American produce.

In the past:
*US bombed the Chinese embassy (1999
Belgrade), the Chinese kept their cool.

*US navy air-craft collided with Chinese fighter
jet (2001, Hainan) China exercised patience.

*In 1996 Taiwan Straits crisis, US shut down
GPS, immobilizing two Chinese war vessels
in the Taiwan Straits, China still held its
patience.

*US warships with the support of British & French warships are intruding into the disputed areas of the South China Sea – no doubt just to provoke China.

As of now, situations in South China Sea have become clearer. Vietnam’s claim was repulsed and the anti-Chinese ex-president in Philippines was force to resign, now awaiting trial. The present president Rodrigo Duterte is leaning closer to China.

The arbitrators appointed by the US to manage the South China Sea disputes were unsuccessful. The Japanese also fumbled in their claims. Now the routine patrol of Diaoyu Islands is done by the Chinese. In addition, Chinese naval frigates and jets are often seen to traverse between the Japanese islands, drawing repeated protests from the Japanese. The Chinese officials said defiantly: they will get use to the trespassing in due course!!  And regarding the islet which the Indonesians had landed, the Chinese scientists announced they discovered an endangered plant in the vicinity and cordoned off an area more than 10 km radius as protected land. When the netizens read the news, they said that plant was there to uphold China’s national honour.

Now, the Chinese telescope called Tianyan is the world’s most advanced radio telescope. For mankind to hear the voices of the universe, the world got to depend upon China.

Now Huawei smartphone has begun to rise in popularity, and Samsung status has dropped and has tendency to explode. Plane passengers with certain series of Samsung smartphones were even not allowed to board. Apple 8 launch appeared to receive declining response.

Now, China has fully activated OROB (One Road One Belt), better known as BRI (Belt & Road Initiative 一带一路) thus widening its global markets without interference by the US. In so doing China is extending its win-win policy of economic growth & progress to all participating countries globally.

The spectacular Chang-an cargo train could haul about 200 coaches and reduced the time for cargo transport from China to Europe. Wherever it passed the crowds were greatly amazed and referred it as the Chinese great dragon.

Now online payment has become widespread so much so that roadside hawkers selling roasted potatoes could also accept online payment. Numerous westerners who lived in China felt greatly inconvenient when they returned to their home countries. They expressed that China is the cashless society and their home countries have lagged behind. Going home appears to get into another era.

Now China’s super fighter jet Chengdu J20 has been commissioned. To counter the US Stealth fighter jets, China has the Redflag series-9 Aerial Defence Missiles. Now US fighter jets would not dare to trespass China’s air space.

Now the Chinese nuclear submarines equipped with special high-tech have been fully upgraded. China’s very own aircraft carriers were successively commissioned.

Now China has also developed counter arsenals to thwart the American aircraft carriers. Those are Dongfeng 21D anti-ship ballistic missiles. These missiles could easily knock out the US aircraft carriers. When this news was announced, the US aircraft carriers line of defense retreated 400 Km.

Today, China has its own new early warning aircrafts, a new type of strategic bombers, and Xian Y-20 large transport aircrafts. Now China’s military helicopters and heavy-duty helicopters are constantly being commissioned. These are Z-10, Z-19, Z-20 and others, dazzling to the sight.

This is the speed of China! This is China’s national defense.

Over the last hundred years, China experienced humiliation and suffering through the Opium War, the Eight-Power Allied Forces and the Anti-Japanese War.

In the last hundred years, the Chinese took great pains and made relentless efforts to make nuclear bombs, build planes, build tanks and whatever the enemies have. China also made new gadgets that the enemies didn’t have.
Finally, China spent 60 years to catch up with what the West achieved over the past 200 years! China had used the blood, sweat and tears of numerous ancestors in exchange for today’s success!

When China suddenly raised its “heavenly sword” to put a stop to US’s dollar hegemony, the United States suddenly found that the rapid rise of China is now beyond its control!, They have been unable to stop China’s vigorous pace.

Now as China is marching doggedly forward despite torrents of resistance, achieving one breakthrough after another, it is hope that every Chinese will strive hard to keep the glorious flame of the Chinese race ever brighter. While it is said that China achieved miracles, one may just as well say China is a miracle.

Magnificently and Toweringly, China is taking the lead in AI (Artificial Intelligence). It is a fast changing world we live in. If as in the Grand Prix race, your vehicle stalled, others would race ahead & take the winner’s trophy.
As the sun rises in the East, the setting sun in the West would be a permanent feature. Remembering too that a wounded tiger is more ferocious & dangerous than would a well fed & contented tiger.

When China rules the world in contrast to the Western world, it will be a world of peace & prosperity, harmony & happiness . . . a world entirely different from the present with all the mess of destruction created by the West.

Xi Jinping, President of China, has now been elevated & elected to serve for life in his term of office, all policies & programs would have a definite continuity & completion & Xiplomacy would reign forever more.

 

 

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