China’s Peace Plan: Context

Before we take a look at China’s peace plan, let us quickly look at what else China released. China works in a coordinated manner.

China released a document: Rising Economic Polarization in the United States: Truth and Facts. I encourage you to read this and it is short. It contains an analysis as follows:

Contents

Introduction

I. Deterioration of Economic Polarization in the United States

II. Multiple Factors Driving U.S. Economic Polarization

III. Serious Negative Implications for American Society

The conclusion is as follows:
In the United States, the world’s number one capitalist country, polarization between the rich and the poor is crying out for attention. The yawning wealth gap has become a chronic malaise of American society, leaving an indelible stain on the country’s democracy and human rights record. The United States should face up to the grim reality of the ever-widening wealth gap at home, reach out to the people at the bottom, and take earnest measures to solve the problem.

So, China really hit out at the US and the deplorable conditions in the country.

China also published a document on US Hegemony and Its Perils and I will post a separate article on that.

On the 23rd, the Chinese spokesperson said a few things:

The US is the No.1 war maker in the world. It was not at war for only 16 years throughout its 240-plus years of history.

The US is the No.1 violator of sovereignty and interferer in the internal affairs of other countries. Since the end of WWII, the US has reportedly sought to subvert 50+ foreign governments, interfered in elections in 30+ countries & attempted assassination on 50+ foreign leaders.

The US is the No.1 source of antagonism & bloc confrontation. US-led NATO’s wars in Afghanistan, Iraq & Syria have made Eurasia a much less stable place. New groupings initiated by the US such as Quad & AUKUS make people nervous about the implications for Asia-Pacific security.

As long as US hegemonism & belligerence still exists, the rest of world will hardly get the peace it deserves.

US officials said they are considering releasing intelligence that shows China is weighing whether to supply weapons to Russia. We call on the US to stop throwing mud at China, and instead release at once the intelligence that tells the truth about the Nord Stream blast.

In addition, China released this list of US interference and wars:

With that said on the context and environment of releasing the peace plan I was disappointed on the first reading as it looked as if they were not quite on side.  Soon I found that this was my own expectation and erroneous conceptualization of the Chinese way of stating their points.  On re-reading, I found that it was painfully correct in terms of diplomatic norms, harshly fair in a legalistic sense.  I also realized that it is not a How To dictatorial document, but rather a What To structural document.  It spells out process instead of dictat.  Then I waited for western commentary and soon found that it was received with complete disrespect, indignation and unequivocal screams that it is pro-Russian.  That tells us:

• the west is not interested
• they will use it as part of their increased anti-China rhetoric
• the document is certainly not an anti-Russian document

The reaction of the United States and its satellites is unequivocal: Beijing’s plan is pro-Russian, it is not suitable for us, we will not comply with it.  The US national security adviser Jake Sullivan even insultingly stated that China’s proposals should have ended at the very first paragraph – where it says respect for the sovereignty of all states.

So, what is the west complaining about in the 12 points of the Chinese plan?

After all, they say so much about respecting the territorial integrity of all countries, about the inadmissibility of the use of nuclear weapons, about peace negotiations and even about a grain deal.  They shout the odds but do not walk their talk.

So the first problem that the west has with this plan (and it is simply Minsk with a few additional steps), is that there is not one word of condemnation for Russia, and for Ukraine, for that matter.  There is also no word that China will ever join the sanctions regime or stop cooperating with Russia in all spheres, including militarily.

Of course, one by one those points clearly point the big finger at the west.  The plan tells the west to stop intervening and change its course of attempting to defeat Russia without mentioning names.  We all know who did what and who says what and that Kiev is capable of only one thing, and that is to cease fire.  So, they call for support by the greater community for Russia and Ukraine equally:  “All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.”  First, negotiate as to how a cease-fire can be arranged, and then cease fire.

This plan supports Russia’s greater problem, the one of security:  Take a look at point two:

2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality. The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue. All parties should, following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and bearing in mind the long-term peace and stability of the world, help forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. All parties should oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent.

This is exactly what Russia said and drafted documents for, at the end of 2021.  Can you hear the westerners bleat and blubber, howl and get excited?  This is where we left off and the SMO started, when the west ignored Russia’s security and indivisible security draft treaties.

Paragraph 10, condemning unilateral sanctions, knocks out of the hands of the West its main economic leverage to strangle Russia.

And the phrase “Instead of adding fuel to the fire and pumping up confrontation, all sides should show prudence and restraint” cannot be interpreted otherwise than as Beijing’s demand to the West to stop supplying Kiev with weapons and other military assistance.

Even the clause on the inadmissibility of the use of nuclear weapons is more likely to hit Kiev’s plans to acquire a “dirty bomb”. Beijing’s categorical rejection of attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant or experiments with chemical and bacteriological weapons put stones in western shoes.

China also did not say anything about the Russian new regions.  They seem to be taking cognizance only of the position on the ground and do not ask for cease fire before negotiations.  This buys time for Russia.

The Chinese phrase “the independence and territorial integrity of any state must be guaranteed” applies equally to Russia and Ukraine – the rest will be decided in negotiations.

China works inside of a context.  I had to read this document a few times and then look for context before I found that it not only does not fault Russia in any words, it faults the west in many words.   The release of the peace plan took place after a highly successful visit to Moscow by Wang Yi, head of the office of the Commission of the CPC Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, who, at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, called relations between the Russian Federation and China “strong as a mountain” and “not yielding to pressure from third parties”.

So, this peace plan has already been rejected.  There is no one from the collective west that considered even discussing it.  It was rejected out of hand as Russia’s drafts on security and collective security were rejected with disdain at the end of 2021.  It was rejected out of hand as the Minsk Package of Measures was rejected, but this time they lied about it.

The collective west does not want a peace plan.  All they want is to own Russia (and the rest of the world).  In the short term, we will see more sanctions on both Russia and China and others, more attempts at control from the west, and an inability to let go of western cannibalism, hidden in lofty statements about democracy and a firm belief in their own manifest destiny.  Russia will continue pushing NATO to its original borders.  Sorry China, your work is dead on arrival.

All of this brings us closer to a broader war.