Putting
the Chinese Slipper on the Other Foot
By David
Krieger
PresidentThe Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
www.wagingpeace.org.
TFF associate
Imagine this: A Chinese airplane is
spying on the United States. In a routine flight, it
flies just off the coast of Hawaii, using its
sophisticated electronic surveillance capabilities to
gather intelligence. Since it is a dangerous world, the
Chinese want to know what plans our military are making
that might affect them. Naturally, our government is
somewhat uncomfortable knowing that we are being spied on
like this. Why, we wonder, are the Chinese spying on us?
What are their intentions?
US planes regularly intercept Chinese reconnaissance
planes, approaching within a safe distance. However, this
time, one fighter pilot gets a little overzealous. There
is a slight collision. Our plane goes down in the sea.
Our pilot is lost at sea. The Chinese plane is damaged
and makes an emergency landing on the island of Maui.
There are 24 Chinese soldiers aboard the aircraft. They
are taken into custody by our military. We also take
possession of the Chinese aircraft.
Our government isnít too happy about this
situation. Opinions are expressed such as: ìThe
Chinese have a lot of audacity coming so close to our
territory and spying on us.î Another opinion is:
ìItís a damn shame that we lost one of our
pilots in an action that never would have happened if the
Chinese hadnít been over here spying on us.î
There is a lot of righteous indignation being expressed
by top US officials about the Chinese bringing this on
themselves by their own arrogance in seeking to spy on us
in this manner. Still another opinion expressed is:
ìThey landed on our territory, so weíll
just take our time and examine their plane to see what we
can learn about their spying techniques.î
As soon as the Chinese government learns that its
airplane has landed on US territory, the Chinese
president sends a message to the US president demanding
to see its soldiers and to have its airplane back without
any tampering with it. We interpret this as an even
greater expression of arrogance on the part of the
Chinese, and we respond with silence. In the meantime, we
hold the Chinese soldiers in reasonably comfortable
detention. We also take advantage of the presence of
their aircraft to give it a thorough going over. Since
this takes time, we remain silent to the Chinese demands.
We decide to just let them cool their heels for awhile.
When we do respond to the Chinese, we tell them that we
want an apology for their spying on us and for the loss
of our fighter pilot.
The Chinese president, who is relatively new to his
job and not too experienced in dealing with people from
other countries, responds that he will not apologize. He
doesnít believe that there is anything for which
to apologize. He also believes that he will lose face
before his people if he does apologize. He thinks an
apology will be taken as a sign of weakness. Instead of
apologizing, he repeats his demands for the immediate
return of the Chinese soldiers and aircraft and he adds a
new demand, that the Americans should stop their spying
activities. We can only wonder why the Chinese president
refuses to apologize for something that is so clearly
poor judgment on the part of the Chinese. His refusal to
apologize appears to be additional poor judgment on his
part.
The Chinese president believes he has every right to
have his soldiers returned immediately and he takes great
offense that the Americans are dragging their feet on
returning the aircraft. He dismisses the concerns that we
have raised over their spying on us. ìEveryone
spies,î he thinks. ìYou spy. We spy. So what
is the big deal?î
But he also knows deeper down that China bears some
responsibility, and that their soldiers and airplane are
in US custody. The Chinese president contemplates what
threats he can bring to bear on the Americans to get his
soldiers and aircraft returned. He is determined to
appear strong and not to compromise.
We Americans, though, are not too worried about any
bluster coming from this novice Chinese leader. We know
that he does not have a high level of support among the
Chinese people. Perhaps showing the Chinese people that
he is not as powerful as he might appear to be is not
such a bad strategy for us.
Of course, our position appears sensible. And the
Chinese position is arrogant and unapologetic. The next
thing we can expect are stronger threats coming from the
Chinese leadership, in an effort to assume the moral high
ground, even though it was their action that initiated
this string of events.
When our government has discovered everything it wants
to know about the Chinese aircraft, weíll give
them back their plane and soldiers. But a reasonable
guess is that we will have made an enemy of the Chinese
leader.
It is a dangerous world. Incidents like this can arise
without warning at any time. Without restraint on all
sides, such incidents can escalate to war. We should
never forget that a Chinese leader or any leader armed
with nuclear weapons poses a terrible danger not only to
us but to the entire world.
©
TFF & the author 2001
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