“There was a time 20 years ago when people, perhaps rather dismissively in Europe and indeed elsewhere, might have been saying that China are imitators. I think that’s long gone now. I think China has very strong indigenous research capacities, strengths, and abilities, and therefore, genuine partnership is important,” he said.
Let’s just substitute China for America and see how that reads…
‘There is this time now when people, perhaps rather conveniently in Europe and indeed elsewhere, might be ignoring that America’s economy has massively been running on slave-like labour for long period now. I think these and other human rights violations in America aren’t gone. I think America has very strong dictatorial policies, censorship, and surveillance capabilities.’
I don’t think anything in that revised text is completely wrong.
The inadequacies of US human rights and employment rights do impact to the point of forcing many into fearful servitude as a form of slave labour, even when they aren’t just quietly paying slave wages for manufacture in other countries anyway.
I’m not saying you are wrong about China, but a critique of anyone pursuing ‘partnership’ with China while not even mentioning equivalent criticisms of the current dominant trade partner discredits the complaint. If anything trade with china is a side grade, but probably not a downgrade.
This article is about China.
Your comment is whataboutism.
Alas, I don’t live in a world where context is restricted by what is convenient for your point of view.
Thanks for the lazy ad hominem response though.
Oh, yes, you’re right. Now read the posts critical of Europe or any Western democracies and whatbout there, too, as these distraction attempts only work one-way so far.