Frank Dikötter is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who has recently returned to the United States after living in Hong Kong since 2006. In this provocative conversation, Dikötter challenges the prevailing narrative about China’s rise. Drawing from his latest book, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower, Dikötter argues that the Chinese Communist Party has masterfully projected the image of a powerful, modern, and economically dominant nation—but says that image is largely a façade.
The main thing I note that is missing from these comments: MFN.
The US (coerced the West, EU, etc) to support development of China.
We citizens were constantly bombarded with “it’ll be GOOD for you; us; n US”.
The L&Ss constantly “blessed” China’s malfeasance.
AND, here’s the real missing part:
PICKED China as “the WINNER” by anointing it with MFN status.
If you look at the online definitions of “Most Favored Nation”, it’s supposed to be spread around to “deserving” nations.
But, in practice it was used to “promote” China as THE place to build factories and manufacture the “cheap stuff” we demanded.
MFN provided the base, which the CCP capitalized on when they gained WTO membership.
This “promotion” provided the international funds that built China’s manufacturing supply networks.
Which provided funds and technology that supports the CCP.
