JEFF J. BROWN—”After the United States helped save Chiang Kai-Shek and some of his gangster army, by giving them safe passage to Taiwan, there were still millions of KMT soldiers and sympathizers stranded on the mainland after communist liberation in 1949. The Communist Party of China went to great lengths to reform those who were willing to support the revolution, but if they were unrepentant or known bad guys, then they were likely imprisoned or executed…”—R. Mazaheri
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China and Africa
eijing has been helping the African Union with regional security issues. In 2017 China gave a grant of 100 million US dollars to the African Union for the purchase of military goods for its peacemaking troops in Africa. Additionally, China aided the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in combatting Al-Shabaab’s terrorist activities by spending vast sums on the preparation of Uganda People’s Defence Force and the Kenya Defence Force, which are actively involved in AMISOM. China also makes a significant contribution to the fight against piracy. From 2008 to 2015, approximately 16 thousand Chinese sailors, and 1,300 marines and special forces personnel were part of armed convoys.
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China’s Military Interests Along The Silk Road Stretch From Sea To Shining Sea
ANDRE KORYBKO—China must avoid being drawn into “mission creep” all across the world in defending its Silk Road interests, to which end it’s likely to avoid having any significant military presence overseas, let alone in actual conflict zones apart from the Hybrid War experiences that its peacekeepers are presently learning from. Thus, China will probably step up its training, advisory, and assistance missions to its many partners as part of its own multipolar version of the US’ “Lead From Behind” strategy, which could for example see future aircraft carrier deployments off the African coast in order to help its in-country allies respond to anti-Silk Road militants.
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OUR NEIGHBORS ROARED WHEN RUSSIA SCORED. DEAD SILENCE WHEN CROATIA HIT THE NET.
JEFF J. BROWN—This was all a great anecdotal experience about life on the streets of China and geopolitical preferences of the average citizen. Not to mention, local football fans who are willing to go out at two o’clock in the morning to root for Russia, when China never even qualified for the World Cup
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FOOTBALL WAS CHINA’S NATIONAL SPORT FOR MILLENNIA. WHY ARE THEY SO BAD NOW?
JEFF J. BROWN—There is a common refrain that, China has so many people, they should dominate in football, but it’s a false assumption. It has nothing to do with China’s huge population and everything to do with tradition and nationwide sports development, going back decades: this is what we do.
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100,000+ CHINESE GOING TO THE WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA, WITH NO TEAM TO CHEER FOR.
JEFF J BROWN—A SIMPLY AMAZING REPORT BY OUR CHINA CORRESPONDENT AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR JEFF J BROWN. Although China did not qualify for the World Cup, it still sent more than 100,000 fans to Russia—more than several major countries combined. Postscript: This article says each Chinese football fan visiting Russia will spend an average of ¥30,000 each, or about €/$4,500. That comes to a total of ¥3 billion, or about €/$450 million – almost a half a billion dollars pumped into the Russian GDP. Four thousand Chinese are arriving in Russia every day, on 20 direct flights. In an international poll, 87% of the Chinese want to watch the World Cup, more than Russians, Brazilians, Italians and US citizens. The love affair between the peoples of Russia and China continues to flourish.
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If the Chinese don’t believe in democracy, do they believe in meritocracy?
ROBIN DAVERMAN—To say that China is a democracy is over-simplification – because China always believed that “we will practice democracy among people who pick up trash, and we’ll be authoritarian among people who only want free popsicles.” From 5,000 years ago to today, every year, hundreds of millions of people face annual flooding of the major river systems, and they have to choose – do you stay home to protect your own property, or do you go work on the common dam which can be both dangerous and backbreaking. The guys who come for free popsicle or the guys who come to pick up the trash. Your own survival depends on it.
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