In a video op-ed published March 16, 2021 by the Chinese media outlet Guancha.cn, Professor Shen Yi of Shanghai's Fudan University commented on the U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Quad virtual summit that took place March 12.[1]
Prof. Shen stated in his op-ed that the Quad's purpose is to build an "alliance of Avengers" targeting China, but that the Quad "is not an alliance of Avengers who are powerful enough to save the universe and ensure human safety," but is actually "an alliance of grudgers." He then asked: "With such a 'Grudgers' Alliance' of losers, what can the outcome of their meeting be?"
He enumerated three Quad characteristics that he said were revealed by the outcome of the meeting: hypocrisy, weakness and fakery.
Concerning the Quad's "weakness," Shen underlined that the "end of history" predicted by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama had not materialized, and that the liberal system had failed. "The international order [that] claimed to be able to change history – it was shattered by the test of the Covid-19 epidemic. In the process of fighting Covid-19, whether it is PPE, the supply chain, or the 'home isolation economy,' the four countries cannot survive without strong 'Made in China' support. They cannot stand up to China. They can only perform little tricks behind China's back."
Describing Quad member Australia as a "running dog," Shen added: "Whether or not it will bite depends on whether or not the owner is fierce. For a country founded by exiled criminals, Australia clearly identifies with its Western masters. It plays the role of an obedient, good dog and follows silently. It hopes that its owner will say a few good words about it."
As for the Biden administration, Shen called President Joe Biden an "old and slick" politician who "always thinks about himself first." "He wants to put a halo over his head. He wants to be the savior of the U.S. and the free world, and the leader of the new world. He wants to establish such an image."
Shen concluded: "A hegemonic country [the U.S.] which recognizes that its strength is in relative decline does its best to find a set of principles to save its hegemony from the ancient prescriptions. The Quad Summit was such a prescription. The freshness of this prescription is comparable to the two astrological maps that Himmler found in the SS warehouse in 1945 to comfort Hitler as the end was near. The astrological signs, Himmler said, predicted a major turning point for Hitler in the future."
Below is the transcript of Prof. Shen Yi's video op-ed:[2]
(Source: Indiatvnews.com)
'The Quad Has Been Defeated In China To Varying Degrees'
"Hello everyone, today we are going to talk about the Quad Summit.
"Last weekend, U.S. President Biden promoted a very important diplomatic event. He invited the Prime Ministers of India, Australia and Japan to a video conference. This event raised the level of the Quad meeting from a security dialogue with the original four foreign ministers to a summit. There are various opinions about this.
"The U.S. has high hopes for the Quad Summit. What is the Quad to Americans? The Quad represents the seeds of an alliance. After the Quad Summit ended, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken held a press conference at the White House. He repeatedly emphasized that the talks among the four heads of state were preparatory to a summit at the end of the year. Looking back at President Biden's previous speeches at the State Department, guess what will be held at the end of the year? It may be the core of Biden's first-term diplomatic strategy, the so-called 'Global Democracy Summit.' Obviously, the Quad might be regarded either as a 'Little Asian NATO,' 'Asia's Democratic Quartet,' or a 'Democracy Diamond.' It definitely contains the seeds of an alliance.
"However, what is the reality? There is a saying in the West: 'I have sown Dragon's teeth and reaped only fleas.' To a certain extent, regardless of any verbal acknowledgment or denial, the Quad's purpose is to build an 'Avengers Alliance' targeting China. The Quartet has been defeated in China to varying degrees. Judging from the results, it is not an alliance of Avengers who are powerful enough to save the universe and ensure human safety. It is actually an alliance of grudgers. Analyzing Quad's statement and Secretary of State Blinken's press conference, I saw a somewhat ridiculous picture underneath the gorgeous rhetorical package.
"In the picture, four little kids are hiding in the corner, vengefully drawing circles on the ground. They are cursing their common opponent — China.
"These four little kids who participate in the Quad have all been defeated by China in one way or another.
"India was taught a lesson on the border issue. Its sneaky border crossing activity was crushed by the intrepid spirit of the Chinese border guards and by China's national power.
"Japan once thought that it could do something on the Diaoyu Islands and establish de facto unilateral control. However, with the continuous growth of China's national strength and with ongoing confrontations at sea, China has achieved dominance.
"As for Australia, I do not even want to waste my time talking about it. Australia did some dirty deeds against China and was soundly beaten. Now it whines like a baby and wails about its grievances.
"The United States, head of the gang, also suffered a major setback in the first round of the strategic China-U.S. competition. Not to mention that when Biden was vice president during Obama's administration, he tried but failed to implement a series of strategies for a U.S. return to the Asia-Pacific.
The U.S. Took The Lead With Those Three Small Partners And Formed The Quad Gang
"With such a 'Grudgers' Alliance' of losers, what can the outcome of their meeting be?
From the report released after the meeting, we can identify a few key words.
"The first key word is 'hypocrisy.' They repeatedly emphasized that they want to maintain an international order based on rules. They emphasized compliance with international law, especially the UN Law of the Sea. The ridiculous thing is that the U.S. has not even signed the treaty, so the UN Law of the Sea is not binding on the U.S. However, the U.S. took the lead with those three small partners and formed the Quad gang. Those three partners have invaded other countries at sea or in border areas, yet the gang is now asking their victims to obey international order based on the law. What is this called? Hypocrisy.
"The second key word is 'weakness.' Some people expected the United States to lead its small partners against the security threats from China. They hope that the U.S. can dominate the world again like they did at the end of World War II and create an Asian version of NATO. They wanted the U.S. to fight China, and act as the beacon of the free world.
"However, Blinken has stated that this alliance is not NATO in Asia: it is only a diplomatic alliance. Although the final statement of the report does not name China, many of its clauses are obviously a backlash against China.[3]
"The trump card the United States held in its hands, according to Fukuyama, was the international order led by neoliberalism. That international order claimed to be able to change history. It was shattered by the test of the Covid-19 epidemic.
"In the process of fighting Covid-19, whether it is PPE, the supply chain, or the 'home isolation economy,' the four countries cannot survive without strong 'Made in China' support. They cannot stand up to China. They can only perform little tricks behind China's back.
"The third key word is 'fakery.' On the surface, to apply a line from the [Chinese] spy movie Lurk, 'All talks are about values. All deeds are about business.' Everyone has his own goals. Japan and Australia want to go to sea with U.S. support. Japan hopes to involve the U.S. in the Diaoyu Islands issue. Japan also wants to make the illegal occupation of Chinese territory legal. Their logic is that if China dares to exercise power righteously, Japan will ask the U.S. military to fight China.
'Australia Is Like A Running Dog; Whether Or Not It Will Bite Depends On Whether Or Not The Owner Is Fierce'
"Australia is like a running dog. Whether or not it will bite depends on whether or not the owner is fierce. For a country founded by exiled criminals, Australia clearly identifies with its Western masters. It plays the role of an obedient, good dog and follows silently. It hopes that its owner will say a few good words about it. However, the US seems to be more interested in refilling the Australian wine business. After all, it can create jobs, right?
"Indian Prime Minister Modi was in a good mood when he gave a speech at the Quad Summit. He talked about the ancient spirit of India and said that we are the family. India's calculation is for their own benefit. What Modi was saying is this: Look, we rushed over the border to China using speculative tactical actions. The Chinese beat us severely and taught us a good lesson this time, but we can do it again and win if you help us. The United States, Japan and Australia must help and support me. I am your only hope against China.
"Modi needs to heed this Chinese idiom and not 'seek skin from a tiger.' European and American countries consistently pay lip service and do not do what they say, especially when they instigate and incite different developing countries to fight each other. This is a common method of the suzerainty in dealing with colonies with a large population. It was left over from times of the ancient British Empire: it is called divide and conquer. When India looks at Kashmir, India should know what is going on and not count on those countries.
"For example, the domestic supply of Covid-19 vaccines in the United States is at a relative surplus. The U.S. has strictly ordered that not one dose can be exported until the whole country is vaccinated. Instead, the U.S. promised to support India in producing vaccines. At Blinken's press conference, a reporter asked White House spokesperson Psaki sharply: 'The U.S. bans the export of the excipients needed to produce vaccines to India. Will the Biden administration lift the ban?' The spokesperson answered: 'I am not aware of the existence of a ban.'
'Biden Always Thinks About Himself First'
"As for Biden, what are the signature skills of this old and slick politician? Biden always thinks about himself first. He wants to put a halo over his head. He wants to be the savior of the United States and the free world, and the leader of the new world. He wants to establish such an image.
"After establishing this image, he has to consider the upcoming mid-term congressional elections in 2022 and the presidential elections in 2024. Don't think that he doesn't want to be re-elected. As long as his health is good enough, Biden has an immortal presidential heart. So, he did something called ABT — Anything But Trump. He wants to erase Trump from history.
"In his opening speech at the Quad Summit,[4] Biden cast all the way back to 2004, the George Bush era. In the 2020 presidential election, George W. Bush supported Biden. Biden is returning the favor, attributing the origin and source of the Quad to Bush. He skipped the entire Trump period. For Biden, this is a psychological obsession. Biden hopes that the United States can return to 2004, or even better, to 2003, the year after the Cold War when the United States was number one in the world. Biden's aspirations are beautiful. In international politics, strength is the main factor.
"Biden also wants everyone to forget that the Quad Summit has been transformed into a diplomatic alliance against China. Substantial progress was made during the Trump administration.
"This is a very interesting phenomenon in the United States.
"At Blinken's press conference, after someone asked about the domestic vaccine injection situation in the U.S., a reporter asked: 'What do you think about former president Trump, his 'rapid action response' to the Covid-19 vaccine, and his contribution to timely vaccinations building up to today's level? Biden always said that the United States wants unity. Can you comment on Trump's contribution in this process?' The White House spokesperson's response was very simple and straightforward and amounted to this: Do not mention Trump, his contribution does not exist. Even if there is a contribution, it is the contribution made by officials and scientists whom he did not trust and who were rejected during the Trump administration. It had nothing to do with him. In short, Trump did not do anything good.
"These are the true thoughts of an old and slick politician. They show the falsity of his talk about the value of diplomacy and defending national interests. This 'Grudgers' Alliance' has shown significant hostility towards China. The issues of supply chain security, restructuring the semiconductor industry supply chain and the rare earth material supply chain, all are aimed at hedging China's comparative advantages.
'They Want To Put India On A Par With China'
"The Quad is making a big gamble by combining the power of the three countries. They are betting on their trump card, India. They want to put India on a par with China.
"Second, let's talk about the issue of so-called security.
"As usual, the Quad wants to force China to accept and follow selective international law and order as they understand it. This again is a laughable wish. China is more concerned about a game of fair and just regional order and an orderly international arrangement. China will not do anything just because the United States wants something done.
"Third, so far, the Biden administration can be summarized in one sentence: 'experts at internal fighting, amateurs at international fighting.'
"What does that mean? On the important issue of strategic cooperation between major powers, this administration has not shown any unexpected abilities. There is only mediocrity and even incompetence as always. On the other hand, Biden is very good at fighting about American domestic politics and pitting himself against Trump, the Republican Party and his political opponents. He is extremely vicious.
"There is also the subtle competition between allies. This year, Britain is the rotating presiding country of the G7. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed a D10 plan to expand the G7 into ten democratic nations. He wanted to add India, Australia, and South Korea to the G7. Japan was missing from the Quad Summit. The United States does not support the D10 plan. Why not? Because D10 was proposed by the United Kingdom. The U.S. is facing a new problem. In the transatlantic partnership, U.S. power is declining. Before the United States can respond to China's strategic threats and shocks, the U.S. needs to deal with the challenges and threats from its allies.
'The United States Staged A Comical Farce'
"How can America control its allies? The current strength of the United States has decayed to the point to where it inspires no confidence. If the allies are united, the United States can control them. But it cannot. The U.S. started to 'divide and conquer' allies. The U.S. established two centers – Europe and Asia-Pacific.
"The United Kingdom left the European Union. The United States launched a round of strategic games through Britain, France, Germany and Italy. These countries set the direction of Europe. If a summit is to be held in the future, it will influence new Eastern European countries like Poland.
"In Asia-Pacific, with the Quad as its core, the center will absorb a limited number of countries like South Korea.
"Please do not be too literary about the concept of 'democracy.' If you take the definition of democracy to the democratic summit at the end of this year — if it does happen — it will be subversive. Many amendments must be made to this definition. It will no longer be a standard academic concept, but a strategic label. What is democracy? Those who stand on the American side are 'democracies.' Those who do not, are not 'democracies.'
"Such a democratic summit, like Quad, in addition to being a Grudgers' Alliance is also a Covid-19 alliance. If you are interested, collect the numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths in the countries participating in the democratic summit. You will find that the numbers will be shocking.
"This is a live drama being staged. A hegemonic country which recognizes that its strength is in relative decline does its best to find a set of principles to save its hegemony from the ancient prescriptions. The Quad Summit was such a prescription. The freshness of this prescription is comparable to the two astrological maps that Himmler found in the SS warehouse in 1945 to comfort Hitler as the end was near. The astrological signs, Himmler said, predicted a major turning point for Hitler in the future.
"This is an historic moment. The United States staged a comical farce. It will have some influence. The result of this influence is worthy of our careful observation.
"In the next lecture, I will introduce the past and present of Quad, as well as the real thoughts and considerations of several other members except the United States. Thank you."
[1] Whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/12/fact-sheet-quad-summit, March 12, 2021.
[2] Guancha.cn/ShenYi/2021_03_16_584231.shtml, March 16, 2021.
[3] Whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/12/quad-leaders-joint-statement-the-spirit-of-the-quad, March 12, 2021.
[4] Whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/03/12/remarks-by-president-biden-prime-minister-modi-of-india-prime-minister-morrison-of-australia-and-prime-minister-suga-of-japan-in-virtual-meeting-of-the-quad, March 12, 2021.
