Threat inflation, special responsibilities, and shaping the strategic environment in which China operates
Michael Horlick, MPM, M Ed., PMP
Educator, Ethicist, and Incurable Idealist
Terms to note from Qin Gang’s press conference on March 7, 2023
- 秦刚：各位记者朋友，上午好，很高兴同大家见面。当今世界正在进入百年未有之大变局。中国将坚定奉行独立自主的和平外交政策，坚定奉行互利共赢的开放战略，始终做世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者。下面，我愿回答大家的提问。???????????
Qin Gang: Friends from the media, good morning. I’m very pleased to meet you. As the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, China will continue to pursue the independent foreign policy of peace, and will continue to implement the mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up. China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. Now I’m ready to take your questions.???
- 中央广播电视总台央视记者：国内外对今年的中国外交充满期待。您能否介绍今年中国外交特别是元首外交会有哪些重点和亮点？作为新任外长，您对今后一个时期的中国外交有何展望？???????????
China Central Television: People at home and abroad have great expectations for China’s diplomacy in 2023. What will be the priorities and highlights in China’s diplomacy, particularly in head-of-state diplomacy? As the new foreign minister, how do you envision China’s diplomacy in the years to come??????
我们将以维护核心利益为使命，坚决反对一切形式的霸权主义和强权政治，坚决反对冷战思维、阵营对抗和遏制打压，坚决捍卫国家主权、- 安全、发展利益。?????
We will take it as our mission to defend China’s core interests. We firmly oppose any form of hegemonism and power politics. We firmly oppose the Cold War mentality, camp-based confrontation, and acts to contain and hold back other countries’ development. We will resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.????
- 我们将以伙伴关系为依托，促进大国协调和良性互动，同各国发展友好合作，推动构建新型国际关系，中国的朋友圈越来越广，新朋友越来越多，老朋友越来越铁。???
We will build on our extensive partnerships. We will pursue coordination and sound interactions among major countries, seek friendship and cooperation with other countries, and promote a new type of international relations. China has had a growing network of friends, made more and more new friends, and strengthened ties with old ones.????????
- 我们将以多边主义为路径，推动构建人类命运共同体，推进国际关系民主化，推动全球治理朝着更加公正合理的方向发展，为解决人类面临的共同挑战贡献更多、更好的中国智慧、中国方案。???
We will take multilateralism as the way forward. We will promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, promote greater democracy in international relations, and make global governance more just and equitable. We will offer more, better Chinese insight and solutions to help meet humanity’s common challenges.???????
- 秦刚：的确如你所说，中国式现代化已成为国际社会的一个热词。一个拥有十四亿多人口的国家整体迈入现代化，这将是人类历史上前所未有的壮举，具有巨大的世界意义。???????????
Qin Gang: Indeed as you said, “Chinese modernization” has become a popular phrase in the world. Achieving modernization for a country of more than 1.4 billion people will be an unprecedented feat in human history, one of profound global significance in itself.?????
- 四是开放包容。人类的现代化不应孤芳自赏，而应百花齐放，尊重各国走符合自身国情的发展道路，彼此交流互鉴，精彩绽放，美美与共。???????????
Fourth, openness and inclusiveness. Humanity’s modernization should not be a one-flower show but a hundred flowers in bloom. It is important to respect the right of every country to pursue a modernization path tailored to its national reality, and encourage exchange and mutual learning, so that all will flourish and prosper together.????
- 五是团结奋斗。中国发展的成功经验充分证明，一盘散沙没有希望，团结奋斗才有力量，要咬定青山不放松，一张蓝图绘到底。如果像有的国家那样政党纷争，只说不做，朝令夕改，再好的蓝图也只是画饼充饥、空中楼阁。???????
Fifth, working hard in unity. China’s success proves that acting in disunity like a heap of loose sand will get us nowhere, and that only by striving in unity can we pool strength. We will persevere in carrying out the set blueprint until it becomes reality. Partisan rift, empty talk and frequent policy flip-flop as seen in certain country will only make even the best blueprint an illusion and a castle in the air.?????????
- 迈向全球治理的道路并不平坦。中国古人讲：“天下兼相爱则治，交相恶则乱”。古人还讲“道私者乱，道法者治”。古人的智慧告诉我们，全球治理要守法，要遵循联合国宪章所体现的国际法精神；要秉持公平公理，反对霸权私利；要坚持同舟共济，不搞分裂对抗。发展中国家占世界人口总数的80％以上，对世界经济增长的贡献率超过70％。发展中国家的人民有过上更好日子的权利，发展中国家在世界事务中应该享有更大的代表性和发言权。???
领英推荐
Yet the path to global governance is far from smooth. An ancient Chinese philosopher observed that “goodwill leads to good governance while enmity, chaos”. Another ancient philosopher stressed that “the rule of selfish interests spells chaos while the rule of law brings good governance”. The moral of these wise sayings is that global governance should be promoted in accordance with the law and the principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter; equity and justice must be upheld while hegemonism and selfish interests must be rejected; solidarity must be defended while division and confrontation must be abandoned. Developing countries account for more than 80 percent of the global population and more than 70 percent of global economic growth. People in developing countries are entitled to a better life, and developing countries are entitled to greater representation and a louder voice in international affairs.???????????
- 大道之行，天下为公。中国将始终坚持胸怀天下，积极参与全球治理进程，为世界和平发展和人类进步事业作出更大贡献。?????????
A just cause should be pursued for the common good. China will keep in mind the interests of the world, take an active part in global governance, and contribute more to world peace and development and to human progress.???????
- 美方声称要“竞赢”中国但不寻求冲突。
The United States claims that it seeks to “out-compete” China but does not seek conflict.
- 美方口口声声说要遵守规则，但如同两位运动员在奥运田径场上赛跑，一方不是想着如何跑出自己的最好成绩，而总是要去绊倒对方，甚至想让对方参加残奥会，这不是公平竞争，而是恶意对抗，犯规了！美方所谓要给中美关系“加装护栏”“不冲突”，实际上就是要中国打不还手，骂不还口，但这办不到！如果美方不踩刹车，继续沿着错误道路狂飙下去，再多的护栏也挡不住脱轨翻车，必然陷入冲突对抗。
The United States talks a lot about following rules. But imagine two athletes competing in an Olympic race. If one athlete, instead of focusing on giving one’s best, always tries to trip or even injure the other, that is not fair competition, but malicious confrontation and a foul! Its so-called “establishing guardrails” for China-US relations and “not seeking conflict” actually means that China should not respond in words or action when slandered or attacked. That is just impossible! If the United States does not hit the brake but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing, and there will surely be conflict and confrontation.
中方将始终按照习近平主席提出的相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢的原则致力于推动中美关系健康稳定发展，我们也希望美国政府认真倾听两国人民的声音，消除“威胁膨胀”的战略焦虑，摒弃零和博弈的冷战思维，拒绝“政治正确”的无端绑架，兑现承诺，与中方相向而行，共同探索出既有利于两国、又造福世界的中美正确相处之道。???????
China will continue to follow the principles put forth by President Xi Jinping, namely, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to pursue a sound and stable relationship with the United States. We hope the US government will listen to the calls of the two peoples, rid of its strategic anxiety of “threat inflation”, abandon the zero-sum Cold War mentality, and refuse to be hijacked by “political correctness”. We hope that the United States will honor its commitments and work with China to explore the right way to get along with each other to the benefit of both countries and the entire world.???????
-《环球时报》记者：俄乌冲突已持续一年多，近来一些美西方舆论要求中方不向俄提供致命性援助，渲染“中国特殊责任论”。您对此怎么看？???
Global Times: The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been going on for over a year. Some in the United States and other Western countries are now urging China not to provide lethal assistance to Russia, and hyping up China’s “special responsibility”. What is your take on this?
-?中国一直致力为相关国家纾困解难，在二十国集团缓债倡议中贡献最大。
China has been making efforts to help the countries in distress, and is the biggest contributor to the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). ??????????
- 美国公开声称要“塑造中国周边战略环境”，这恰恰暴露了“印太战略”围堵中国的真实目的，其最终结果只会冲击以东盟为中心开放包容的地区合作架构，损害地区国家的整体和长远利益，注定走不远、行不通。???????????
The US claim to “shape the strategic environment in which China operates” actually reveals the real purpose of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, that is, to encircle China. Such an attempt will only disrupt the ASEAN-centered, open and inclusive regional cooperation architecture, and undermine the overall and long-term interests of regional countries. It is bound to fail.?????
- 两千多年前，孔夫子就说过，“以德报德，以直报怨。以德报怨，何以报德？”中国外交有足够的厚道与善意，但当豺狼挡道、恶狼来袭，中国的外交官必须“与狼共舞”，保家卫国。???
Confucius said over 2,000 years ago, “One should repay kindness with kindness, and resentment with justice. If resentment is repaid with kindness, with what then should one repay kindness?” In China’s diplomacy, there is no shortage of goodwill and kindness. But if faced with jackals or wolves, Chinese diplomats would have no choice but to confront them head-on and protect our motherland.??
Read in parallel: https://tinyurl.com/yckad3h5