China Alleges Western Plot to Spread Turmoil Beyond the Middle East

By William R. Hawkins

Beijing gave some support to the uprising in Egypt because it would weaken an ally of the United States at the center of the Arab coalition against China's ally Iran. But as the rebellions have spread, the Chinese regime has become uneasy. Libya, where China had a large presence, is in crisis. Iran could be toppled. And the turmoil might spread beyond the Middle East to Asia.

The Chinese Communist Party newspaper Global Times ran two recent editorials alleging a Western plot to cripple its major power rivals. "What the Western media hope is that the democratic movement would spread all over the world once for all, including in emerging powers such as China and Russia." was the assertion on Feb. 26.

The argument ran as follows:

For the first time in centuries, the pace of development in the emerging nations "embarrassingly" surpassed Western society....The rise of emerging countries not only dwarfs Western countries but also hoists the position of the Third World....There is evidence suggesting that one policy option of the West is to mess up emerging countries.

Many Western pundits have tried to draw a favorable parallel between the pro-democracy movements in the Middle East and what happened in a liberated Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union, Global Times

The collapse of the Soviet Union brought chaos into southeast Europe and central Asia and endangered what was once the world's most powerful nuclear nation, but the West hailed its breakdown and seized most of the benefits.

It's hard to make choices during a crisis. The most important thing for Chinese people is to keep calm and alert. The stronger we are and more stable our society is, the less fantasy will the West have to sabotage China and they will pursue better cooperation.

The ability of the Beijing regime to hang on was the subject for a Feb. 25 editorial. does not find the model attractive.

In the wake of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, popular protests have swept the Arab world. Some lost no time in hyping that the wave would make its way to China. Nevertheless, such a misjudgment would only lead to disappointment.

The Communist paper branded as "careless sensationalization" and "news forgery" reports of pro-democracy demonstrations in China. The one- party state bases its legitimacy on the conduct of successful policies.

Success is the best theory - no wisdom could question success. China is seeing economic and social progress now. It has drawn worldwide attention during the first decade of the 21st century. No matter whether they are applauded or rebuked today, these achievements will turn out to be a great success in our history. And history's dustbin is always littered with those who aspire for China's collapse.

The irony is that it has been the cooperation that the West has afforded Beijing which has allowed it to strike a triumphal pose. The tolerance of large trade imbalances, the transfers of technology and capital to build Chinese capabilities, and the appeasement of an increasingly assertive foreign policy have all contributed to the favorable image the communist regime believes it enjoys with its citizens. The Tiananmen Square massacre seems all but forgotten.