In a power struggle, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employs some typical schemes: falsely critizing someone, putting political labels on them, severely faulting its opponents, giving them a hard time and taking revenge on them. The schemes were a part of people’s lives during the Cultural Revolution; today, they seem to have been revived. An example is China’s recent import bans on Taiwanese seafood products including fourfinger threadfin, saury and squid.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said the bans are in compliance with China’s new registration system to regulate food imports.
However, a closer look reveals that European and US companies are allowed to register online, whereas Taiwanese firms have to submit paper documents and write “Taiwan, China” as the country of origin.
This is a combination of the three schemes: false criticism, giving people a hard time and severely faulting them.
First, those caught up in a power struggle are criticized and tormented through the use of state power. Second, Taiwanese companies are humiliated, as they are required to register as being based in “Taiwan, China.” It is akin to deliberately giving someone a pair of tight shoes to wear, to make them feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Finally, in the name of food safety, China has faulted Taiwanese food exporters for being unqualified. This shows how China applies its unspoken rule in a power struggle: “If I say you are good, you are good even if you are not; if I say you are not good, you are not even if you are.”
Some Taiwanese companies have submitted paper documents to complete their registration, but there is no way of knowing when the process will be completed. As they anxiously wait for the results, the Chinese government achieves its political and economic goals. While waiting, if they dare complain about the rules or resist against the regulation, they could be accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and put under arrest. This is the scheme of labeling someone. A person blamed for misconduct is therefore marked and then documented. Once documented, the person is likely to be picked on sooner or later. This is the last scheme: taking revenge on someone.
Cross-strait trade is replete with risks, including China’s inherent structural problems affecting mutual trust.
To encourage foreign investment, Chinese officials often say that “all the ups and downs will lead to a bright future.”
Taiwanese, when interacting with China, must assess the risks and think of risk management in advance, or they might be imagining a better tomorrow while dying on the rough road.
Yu Kung is a Taiwanese entrepreneur working in China.
Translated by Liu Yi-hung
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