The Drums Of War With China Are Beating Much Louder Now by CAITLIN JOHNSTONE MAR 13 2023

Beijing comments on US encirclement

The Chinese government has finally broken from its usual restrained commentary on the way the empire has been aggressively encircling the PRC with war machinery in ways that Washington would never permit itself to be encircled and waging economic warfare that it itself would never tolerate.

“Western countries—led by the U.S.—have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development,” President Xi Jinping said in a speech last week.

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang followed up on Xi’s comments the next day with a warning of “conflict and confrontation” should US aggressions and encirclement continue.

“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 surely will be conflict and confrontation,” he said, adding, “Who will bear the catastrophic consequences? Such competition is a reckless gamble with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity.”

We know we are very close to war because there is no other way to explain such extraordinary volume, repetition, persistence, and absurdity of allegations leveled against China.  If these allegations were actually true, China would logically have to be destroyed, sanctioned, or quarantined.  If they are not true–and they are not–then we have to understand them as propaganda and lies to manufacture consent for war.There are roughly six sets of big lies aimed at China. 

They all have to do with painting China as an existential threat–a WMD-level threat, that would justify a total war.

1. China is an existential/WMD/nuclear threat–Klare

2. China is an existential global warming threat to the planet–Klare

3. China is an existential/WMD/biological threat–Covid Lab Leak–Gordon et al.

4. China is an existential, genocidal threat to everyone who is non-Han–XJ genocide (Klare recycles)

5. China is an existential political threat to democracy, human rights, freedom and rule of law–they will surveille & enslave everyone, they are surveilling you through your coffee maker, they will destroy the RBO, and take away your freedoms (Klare recycles) 

6. China is an existential economic threat to the world–it is colonizing Africa, destroying the US economy, stealing jobs & IP (targeted to elites), enslaving everyone (workers, Uighurs) everything, 

These messages are designed to have something to appeal to everyone.  They consist of both blanket targeting (genocide) as well marketing to targeted audiences: to the left (charges of Imperialism/neocolonialism, environment), liberals & elites (charges of HR violations, IP theft, surveillance), middle/right (stealing jobs, Covid leak), etc.  No stone left unturned in the manufacture of consent.