Rare spray from Chinese spray warns of ‘extreme pressure’ from ‘external forces’
In a rare move, former Chinese spy chief Qiu Jin has warned of ‘escalation’ and ‘malicious practices’ from ‘external forces’.
Innovation
Don't miss out on the headlines from Innovation. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Chairman Xi ordered his ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomats to present a new, “loveable” face to the world. But it turns out they’re now ‘crying wolf’ to their own people.
Former spy chief Qiu Jin took to the pages of the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper to warn of increasing “bullying by the hegemonies” on the world stage.
Beijing’s troops are probing India’s defences. Its warships are elbowing their way into Indonesian waters. Its fishing fleets are pushing out neighbouring competitors. But the former deputy of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) insists it’s China that is facing “extreme pressure” from “external forces”.
“Malicious practices such as blackmail, containment and blockades … by external forces may escalate at any time,” he wrote Tuesday.
Public commentary by current or former members of the MSS is extremely rare. The ministry, and its nameless agencies, are tasked with both foreign and domestic surveillance and intelligence operations.
But analysts speculate the spy chief revealed his motives for the rare editorial.
He wants a “strong security guarantee for Chinese-style modernisation”.
He emphasised the challenge of “resolving contradictions among the people”.
It’s an apparent admission of internal unrest.
Chairman Xi Jinping’s draconian Zero-Covid policy and its sudden abandonment late last year has replaced repressive lockdowns and economic turmoil with widespread illness and death.
“The instability and uncertainty of the international situation have increased significantly, and the world has entered a new period of turmoil and change,” Qiu wrote.
‘Blame them, not us’
“The Morrison administration’s ‘drums of war’ rhetoric was obnoxious to the normalcy of international relationship, and should never recur,” reads a Global Times commentary published Thursday by the director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, Chen Hong.
No mention was made of Beijing’s own repeated “war will come” rhetoric.
“The previous Australian government’s aggressively antagonistic China policy used to create an extremely unfriendly atmosphere, intimidating and deterrent to Chinese visitors. A positive relationship is therefore vitally favourable to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries,” Chen concludes.
But Communist Party controlled media appears to be selling a different message to the Chinese people.
Spy chief Qiu was adamant about painting the rest of the world as being the cause of all China’s woes. The global energy crisis, food crisis and financial turmoil may also … pose a threat to our country’s national security and social stability,” he writes.
The aggressive Wolf Warrior rhetoric (named after a popular Chinese crisis movie) is being concentrated on China’s own populace even as Chairman Xi moves to muzzle his most aggressive international spokespeople.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was a high-profile official voice of the Chinese government during the past three years. He and his combative rhetoric have been sent to the “Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs”. From there, he can redirect his hostile message towards a home audience.
Secret struggle
“I do not think much is new to close followers of the PRC’s expanding concept of comprehensive national security,” notes high-profile China analyst Bill Bishop.
“But it is another reminder that in the New Era, everything is national security, and the security organs are expanding in size, technical capacity and resources.”
Qiu’s commentary appeared the same day the Communist Party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission sat for the first time this year. It’s the Party’s highest security and law enforcement body.
Little wonder Qiu repeated Chairman Xi’s 20th National Congress calls for focusing national security efforts on economic resilience, resource supply, and strategic dominance.
“Safeguarding national security is an inevitable requirement … and an important reflection of the features and strengths of the national security path with Chinese characteristics,” he writes.
And he repeatedly emphasised the importance of keeping the Chinese people in line.
“Whether fighting against various hostile forces, dealing with emergencies or fighting natural disasters. Whether resisting and guarding against external threats or dealing with internal contradictions. The people are the fundamental strength and confidence for us to win.”
Winning back global opinion, however, remains a struggle.
“China takes no interest in influencing and interfering with any other country’s internal affairs, never seeking to alter their political, economic and social affairs,” Chen insists in the Global Times.
“China, in turn, expects reciprocal respect of its national independence, and recognition of differences in the governance systems, values and cultures.”
But such words fall flat on audiences such as Vietnam and Indonesia which are experiencing naval and coast guard intimidation 1800km from mainland China.
Home front
“My general sense is that the Chinese recognise they have an abundance of problems at home and would like to minimise their problems abroad in order to concentrate on the more pressing challenges that they confront domestically,” says Brookings Institution China analyst Ryan Hass.
And China’s departing ambassador to Washington has suddenly adopted a positive outlook. “I leave the United States more convinced that the door to China-US relations will remain open and cannot be closed,” Qin Gang posted to social media.
But there’s little evidence Beijing’s messaging will change at home.
Instead, Qiu called for intensifying Beijing’s already overwhelming censorship and policy enforcement campaigns.
“It is necessary to strengthen national security education in an all-round way,” he states, adding the need to “highlight its guiding position” and “further enrich and improve” its messaging.
“It is necessary (to) guide the whole society to fully understand the importance of national security.
“Through in-depth and meticulous propaganda and education, we will earnestly enhance the national security awareness and literacy of the whole people, and make safeguarding national security and social stability a conscious action of the people.”
Beijing is walking a fine line, says Chatham House analyst Yu Jie.
“China just simply cannot afford to become a rival of every single country in the West,” she says. “(Xi) realised how much the world has changed after three years of pandemic. China does not want to be seen as being completely isolated.”
But Xi appears to be counting on isolation to help with the home front.
“Through the joint efforts of the whole party and society, we will gather powerful forces to safeguard national security,” the spy chief concludes.
Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @JamieSeidel
Originally published as Rare spray from Chinese spray warns of ‘extreme pressure’ from ‘external forces’
Pentagon powerless to stop UFO drone spying
Fleets of dozens of mysterious UFO drones are surveilling America’s most sensitive military sites, and the Pentagon says it can’t do much to stop them.
‘On alert’: China’s horrifying move
Taiwan is “on alert” after a China made alarming moves on its territory, with Beijing issuing a terrifying war threat out of the blue.