Chinese state-run media is celebrating “the downfall of the United States” following news of the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building.
Xinhua published a Jan. 12 commentary titled “On the Collapse of America as a ‘Beacon’: Well Deserved!” Being a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it can be assumed that the Xinhua article reflects the attitude of top CCP leaders toward the United States.
The article’s author, Wu Liming, is deputy director of the international department at Xinhua. As with most articles that run in state media, his commentary likely isn’t his personal opinion but a reflection of how the CCP’s senior officials think.
The article starts out: “The ‘beacon’ that is the United States, which claims to be the benchmark of Western democracy, has fallen. ... In the live video broadcast, I saw that the symbol of the beacon—Capitol Hill—has fallen. ... Let American democracy fall from the altar.”
In recent days, Xinhua’s coverage of U.S. news has been mainly fanning the flames and gloating about the ensuing political turmoil. The commentary directly refers to the United States as a “failed country,” saying “the United States can no longer lead the world,” and that the Capitol incident was “well deserved!”
This obviously reflects the sentiments of senior CCP officials. On Jan. 11, during a Party study session on the implementation of the Fifth Plenary Session, paramount leader Xi Jinping declared that they were entering the “new stage of a historical leap,” of “strengthening,” and “time and power is on our side,” we “dare to struggle,” and are “good at struggle.”
The CCP leadership seems to think the United States is really losing it, and that this is another opportunity for the CCP to pursue hegemony. They can’t even wait until Jan. 20, when a new U.S. administration will be inaugurated, and can’t hold back their opinion. During the past year, these CCP officials have been really embarrassed, and now they feel they finally have an opportunity to vent.
On Jan. 12, Xinhua posted another article, titled “Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Opposing U.S. Suppression and Sanctions Against Cuba in the Name of Anti-terrorism.” The article cited the ministry’s spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a press conference, who said the United States “is the biggest destabilizing factor threatening global peace and security.”
After the virus pandemic unleashed by the CCP, Americans should be more aware of and on guard against the CCP’s deception. It’s also the time for those who still buy into the appeasement strategy in dealing with the CCP to think twice.
Early in 2020, the CCP tried to use the pandemic to seek hegemony, but was exposed and called out by the Trump administration. The CCP then fell into international isolation.
After the storming of the Capitol and the ensuing crisis for the United States, the CCP felt like it finally had an opportunity to attack U.S. democracy.
The CCP obviously believes that the United States is in a hopeless situation. Xinhua’s “well deserved!” comment was followed by another commentary that asked in its headline, “Why Is Trump in Another Impeachment Crisis?”
This article stated that “impeachment is also a manifestation of the intensifying struggle between the parties. Democrats want to leave a shameful record for Trump, making it difficult for him to run for office again in four years,” and “in the time before the new president takes office, there may be armed protests throughout the United States.”
Xinhua seemed to eagerly look forward to great chaos in the United States. On Jan. 12, it published a third article on its homepage, “U.S. Presidential Inauguration Security Raises Concerns, Washington Enters State of Emergency.”
The unprecedented level of excitement expressed by Chinese state media actually stems from the excitement among top CCP leaders. These attitudes are equivalent to openly challenging the United States.
On Jan. 10, a Xinhua article, titled “Ruan Zongze: China and the U.S. Are Now Facing a Window of Opportunity,” had quite a different tone. It quoted parts of a Jan. 8 speech by Ruan Zongze, deputy director of the state-run Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy research center.
The article proposed that “after Joe Biden takes power, U.S. foreign relations will be amended, and so will Sino-U.S. relations.” It also called for “mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and collaboration toward the same goal.” Ruan said he was looking forward to “the old times” of U.S.–China relations.
In just two days, Chinese senior officials’ attitudes seemed to have changed drastically. They put aside the pretentious call for “mutual respect” and openly provoked the United States. It seems that the CCP leadership has returned to the old path of serious misjudgment.
While most Americans don’t have a chance to read Xinhua’s articles, the CCP’s attitude will soon be reflected in various international events. The United States and Western countries will surely be watching. The game of confrontation between the United States and China will be the main theme in 2021.
The outcome depends entirely on how America responds.
At critical moments in history, everyone must make a choice. From the perspective of the general trends of history, how do people view all events that are unfolding?
