It seems that gay and environmental activists aren’t the only ones who have a problem with the new Republican Party platform, China would like to have a word with GOP leaders as well.
In a regular press conference on Wednesday, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang urged
the Republican Party to cease its “groundless accusations” against
China and to halt its “interference” in China’s domestic affairs. Kang
claimed that Republican platform adopted at the Republican National
Convention on Monday contains slanderous accusations against China
regarding Taiwan, Tibet, trade and the South China Sea. Lu had this to
say to Republican leadership:
All political parties in
the United States should view China’s development in an objective and
rational manner and correctly understand the issues that emerge in
bilateral ties.We hope relevant parties stop their groundless accusations against
China and interference in China’s domestic affairs and contribute more
to bilateral trust and cooperation.
The Republican
platform this year has been called the most “pro-life, pro-family”
platform ever. It may also be the most anti-China. Of course, the
party’s brand-new presidential nominee has long made it clear what he
thinks about China — suggesting that Chinese President Xi Jinping be given “a double-sized Big Mac” instead of a state dinner upon visiting the White House and repeatedly accusing China of “raping”
America — and these thoughts seem to be reflected in the party’s new
official platform.
Here are some excerpts related to China:
We cannot allow China to continue its currency manipulation,
exclusion of U.S. products from government purchases, and subsidization
of Chinese companies to thwart American imports. The current
Administration’s way of dealing with these violations of world trade
standards has been a virtual surrender.
Today, the worst offenses against intellectual property rights come from abroad, especially in China.
We salute the people of Taiwan, with whom we share the values of
democracy, human rights, a free market economy, and the rule of law. Our
relations will continue to be based upon the provisions of the Taiwan
Relations Act, and we affirm the Six Assurances given to Taiwan in 1982
by President Reagan. We oppose any unilateral steps by either side to
alter the status quo in the Taiwan Straits on the principle that all
issues regarding the island’s future must be resolved peacefully,
through dialogue, and be agreeable to the people of Taiwan. If China
were to violate those principles, the United States, in accord with the
Taiwan Relations Act, will help Taiwan defend itself. We praise efforts
by the new government in Taipei to continue constructive relations
across the Taiwan Strait and call on China to reciprocate. As a loyal
friend of America, Taiwan has merited our strong support, including free
trade agreement status, the timely sale of defensive arms including
technology to build diesel submarines, and full participation in the
World Health Organization,International Civil Aviation Organization, and
other multilateral institutions.
China’s behavior has negated the optimistic language of our last
platform concerning our future relations with China. The liberalizing
policies of recent decades have been abruptly reversed, dissent brutally
crushed, religious persecution heightened, the internet crippled, a
barbaric population control two-child policy of forced abortions and
forced sterilizations continued, and the cult of Mao revived.
Critics of the regime have been kidnapped by its agents in
foreign countries. To distract the populace from its increasing economic
problems and, more importantly, to expand its military might, the
government asserts a preposterous claim to the entire South China Sea
and continues to dredge ports and create landing fields in contested
waters where none have existed before, ever nearer to U.S. territories
and our allies, while building a navy far out of proportion to defensive
purposes. The complacency of the Obama regime has emboldened the
Chinese government and military to issue threats of intimidation
throughout the South China Sea, not to mention parading their new
missile, “the Guam Killer,” down the main streets of Beijing, a direct
shot at Guam as America’s first line of defense. Meanwhile, cultural
genocide continues in Tibet and Xinjiang, the promised autonomy of Hong
Kong is eroded, the currency is manipulated, our technology is stolen,
and intellectual property and copyrights are mocked in an economy based
on piracy. In business terms, this is not competition; it is a hostile
takeover. For any American company to abet those offenses, especially
governmental censorship and tracking of dissenters, is a disgrace.
The return to Maoism by China’s current rulers is not reason to
disengage with the Chinese people or their institutions. We welcome
students,tourists, and investors, who can see for themselves our vibrant
American democracy and how real democracy works. We caution, however,
against academic or cultural operations under the control of the Chinese
government and call upon American colleges to dissociate themselves
from this increasing threat to academic freedom and honest research.
Republican policy will reflect the fact that the health of
the U.S. economy and environment, the safety of our food and drug
supplies, the security of our investments and personal information in
cyberspace, and the stability and security of the oceans will
increasingly depend on allowing the free flow of news and information
and developing an independent judiciary and civil society in countries
with repressive governments such as China, Russia, and many nations in
the Middle East and Africa.
It seems that China doesn’t just have a problem with the platform, but the whole 2016 Republican Convention itself. An editorial
published by Party mouthpiece the Global Times yesterday said that the
convention showed Donald Trump at his best — “instigating fear,
resentment and antagonism among the public.”
Drawing from China’s own recent path, the editorial continues:
The
convention displays a Trump-led GOP full of anger and
ultra-conservatism, which even reminds the people across the Pacific
Ocean of what we endured during the 10-year calamitous Cultural
Revolution (1966-1976) – like struggle sessions. China is mentioned more
than 20 times in the document, and none of these are in a positive
context. From its perspective, China should take responsibility for a
lot of the US’ failings.The severity of this round of China-bashing, although a routine
tactic in the US presidential season, is one of the harshest, indicating
how desperate Trump is to paper over the US’ own problems and create an
illusion that he has the solutions
China has mostly
tried to stay out of the 2016 US presidential race and has refrained
from responding to Trump’s numerous attacks. One notable exception was a
March editorial published in the Global Times that used Trump as an example for why democracy doesn’t work,
attacking him as a “rich, narcissist and inflammatory candidate” whose
“remarks are abusively racist and extremist.” China’s internet regulator
later punished the Global Times for this editorial.
