[Epoch Times, November 09, 2022]November 8 is the day of the US mid-term elections. On this day, Xi Jinping inspected the Joint Operations Command Center of the Military Commission. “We must focus all our energy on fighting, and focus all our work on fighting.” No matter who the CCP takes its stance against, the result is likely to be self-defeating yet again.
The CCP’s military plane harassing Taiwan reappears, and the peak military commission clearly wants to “fight”
On November 7, the Taiwan military confirmed that a total of 63 Chinese military planes were detected, of which 31 crossed the central line or extension of the Taiwan Strait. After the CCP’s military exercise around Taiwan in August, a large number of planes were dispatched without warning to disturb Taiwan and cross the middle line of the Taiwan Strait. What is the purpose?
Xinhua News Agency announced the answer on November 8. On the same day, Xi Jinping appeared at the Joint Operations Command Center of the CPC Military Commission wearing a camouflage uniform, saying that this trip “is to show the determination of the new CMC to implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and comprehensively strengthen military training and preparations”, and the entire army “all Focus on fighting, and focus all work on fighting”, “resolutely defend” sovereignty and security.
The sudden large-scale disturbance of Taiwan by the CCP’s military aircraft and Xi Jinping’s inspection speech are coherent. It should be deliberately chosen on the day of the US mid-term elections, which is equivalent to playing the Taiwan card against the United States again.
During the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, US Secretary of State Blinken warned many times that the Chinese Communist Party may attack Taiwan in advance, and the US military has the same judgment. The latest report from Xinhua News Agency confirmed the US’s statement that “focusing all our energy on fighting” is called “implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”. It seems that he is afraid that others will not understand it, and he deliberately calls it a “determined attitude”.
On October 26, Biden met with the senior generals of the U.S. Department of Defense at the White House, saying that “the world is changing, and it is changing rapidly”; he must “responsible for managing global challenges with the best combat capability in world history”; China (CCP) increasingly competitive”; “We must maintain our military superiority”, but “We do not seek conflict”.
The White House hopes to deter the Chinese Communist Party from taking risks and prevent conflicts, but the Chinese Communist Party leaders want to pose a conflict and deliberately choose November 8th. The White House announced a series of sanctions in time before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and released the “US National Security Strategy” to position China-US relations. Now the CCP is more like retaliating, and it seems that it is trying to influence the midterm elections in the United States.
The CCP may backfire again
In the face of successive U.S. sanctions, the CCP has little to do on the road of U.S.-style “competition” and is basically in a passive state. The CCP has threatened military conflict and tried to gain some strategic initiative, which is in line with the CCP’s consistent “struggle” mentality and approach.
Before and after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, North Korea made frequent moves under the CCP’s push, which triggered strong reactions from the United States, Japan and South Korea. A series of large-scale joint exercises have shown that the military iron triangle formed by the United States, Japan and South Korea in Northeast Asia is actually more deterrent to the CCP than the AUKUS military alliance formed by the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, and is the closest to Beijing.
The CCP’s North Korea card is trying to contain the United States, but it is also causing fire. It is impossible for South Korea not to know that the CCP is playing tricks behind its back, and it is going further to the United States. This is probably what the CCP does not want to see.
After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CCP played the Taiwan card again, perhaps trying to have a little influence on the US election, but it is probably not what the CCP expected. Of course, the CCP does not want to see a big victory for the Republican Party. The Republican Party has already stated that after taking control of the House of Representatives, it will set up a China Committee and prepare to re-investigate the origin of the CCP virus. This is by no means good news for the CCP.
Chinese leaders should have been paying attention to the US midterm elections and could have waited until the election results before making any moves; but there are indications that the Republican Party will almost occupy the majority of the House of Representatives and may also control the Senate. Obviously, the CCP does not want to wait, so it deliberately displayed a “war” attitude on Election Day. I wonder if it is scaring American voters, hoping that they will not vote for the Republican Party more.
Sino-US relations are not the key topic of the US mid-term elections. Voters are more concerned about issues that are directly related to themselves, such as the economy, abortion, and crime. However, candidates’ tough stance on the CCP should be more popular. The CCP’s scare tactics may not get much attention. Once mentioned by the media or candidates, it may only make Americans hate the CCP more, but they will not be intimidated by the CCP, and may even be more beneficial to the Republican Party.
Chinese leaders should also worry that once the Republican Party wins, the possibility of former US President Trump (Trump) returning to the White House in 2024 becomes more likely. The leaders of the Chinese Communist Party are obviously more frightened when facing Trump. Trump almost foreshadowed that he would announce his re-election bid for the presidency. If the CCP’s move is used by Trump and the Republican Party as a seasoning for the election, it will only add points to Trump again. Trump might say that if I were the president of the United States, neither China nor North Korea would dare to be so arrogant.
If the CCP tries to influence the U.S. midterm elections, the effect will only be counterproductive; if it tries to gain leverage before the Xi Jinping meeting, it will probably fail.
The CCP uses a “war” attitude to gain leverage for the visit to Xi Jinping
Biden and Xi are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Nov. 15-16, with both sides preparing their own bargaining chips. The results of the mid-term elections in the United States will not make the White House lose any leverage against the CCP, but will increase it; if the Republicans control the House of Representatives, Biden will imply that Xi Jinping will exert more pressure on the CCP to be tough. The consequences of the CCP pretending to be tough can only lead to a bigger hand in the White House.
The CCP’s cards are extremely limited, and it should consider that the Taiwan card is still the biggest bargaining chip, so it deliberately raised the tone of “war” and felt that it would make the Biden team nervous.
On October 30, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken. The two sides’ statements rarely avoided the focus of the Taiwan issue, and seemed to be laying the groundwork for a meeting between Biden and Xi Jinping. This means that both sides have compromised, trying to ease the atmosphere as much as possible. A week later, the CCP suddenly changed its tone. It should be believed that Biden and the Democratic Party are facing a scramble for the mid-term elections. At this time, the attack will cause more headaches for the Biden team, disrupt the White House plan, and maybe fish in troubled waters.
The CCP’s move is a desperate attempt. The CCP recently deliberately lowered its tone on the United States, saying that it will “find the correct way for China and the United States to get along in the new era”, and seems to be preparing to ease Sino-US relations. The CCP should not have received a positive response from the United States, especially the White House did not have any willingness to relax any sanctions; therefore, the CCP started to appear tough again and regained its true character as a wolf warrior.
The United States and Western countries should have anticipated that the Chinese Communist Party may provocate again. On November 4, after the G7 foreign ministers met in Germany, the statement reiterated the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and urged the CCP to refrain from coercion, intimidation and the use of force to unilaterally change the status quo. It remains to be seen whether the Biden team has a concrete response plan.
China’s high profile is expected to spark more backlash
The result of the German Chancellor’s visit to China may disappoint the CCP. Although Schultz said that he “does not want to decouple from China”, he also said that he “cannot rely too much on it”. Xi Jinping told Schultz to maintain the “coherence” and “stability” of Sino-German relations; but the German government’s earlier statement said that “business as usual” is not an option.
On November 4, the CCP admitted that it had sent some orders to Germany, but Schultz disclosed information on Twitter that the CCP did not want to see, such as urging Xi Jinping to put pressure on Putin, emphasizing the protection of human rights, and urging China to speed up the market. Access and protection of intellectual property. In the end, Xi Jinping can only call it “seeking common ground while reserving differences”.
The CCP’s division of the United States and Europe has no effect, and Xinhua News Agency has to continue to falsely claim that the Sino-German relationship “helps to promote the two major forces of China and Europe” to cope with the turbulent and changing world. However, the CCP subsequently deleted the video speech of European Council President Michelle at the opening ceremony of the import expo. Michel said in a video speech that Europe is learning “important lessons” from the Russian-Ukrainian war; hoped that China and Europe “keep a balanced trade relationship … to avoid excessive dependence” and urged China to put pressure on Russia.
At the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China on November 8, a reporter asked: Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in an article that China is a key economic partner of the EU, as well as a comprehensive competitor and an institutional opponent. The EU needs to control competition with China in all fields, and calls on China to abide by its international commitments and obligations in the field of human rights. What is China’s comment?
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the CCP’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once again said that it does not accept human rights “Master Teacher”. “The EU should reflect on its own merits, not flashlight, and only look at others, not itself.”
It seems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China has once again obtained permission from the upper levels to continue to play the familiar wolf warrior. This is probably the peculiar response of the CCP after the new round of diplomatic failure. After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, many heads of state invited by the CCP did not come to visit, let alone form an anti-US group. The CCP had to return to the front line of “struggle” by itself.
The CCP’s high-profile preparations for war are actually a helpless move, and it should also be to cover up the new round of dilemma in the CCP’s diplomacy after the 20th National Congress; but the possible results that follow will probably make the CCP leaders even more disappointed.
The Epoch Times premieres
Responsible editor: Gao Yi#