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As I see it | China sends pandas abroad as envoys of goodwill but locks out ‘panda-huggers’ to control the narrative
- Beijing’s ambassador to US Qin Gang celebrated the 50th anniversary of giant pandas landing in Washington, adding that ‘panda-huggers’ were endangered
- While Beijing may find it useful to use pressure tactics on international China studies, it has often backfired among moderate China watchers
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Beijing’s top envoy to Washington recently lamented the marginalisation of pro-engagement China watchers, a fixation in bilateral ties on the cusp of an era of decoupling.
“Sadly, ‘panda-huggers’ are endangered,” ambassador Qin Gang said two weeks ago at an event marking the 50th anniversary of giant pandas arriving in the US capital, referring to engagement proponents outside China who are often criticised for being too soft on Beijing. “Now they need protection and conservation,” he said, without elaboration.
His diagnosis is obviously accurate, but it may be too late.
02:04
‘Stop stealing’: China condemns US over Trojan horse cyberattacks on state-funded university
‘Stop stealing’: China condemns US over Trojan horse cyberattacks on state-funded university
For years, foreign journalists, academics and businesspeople have advocated for engagement with China, helped the outside world better understand “the China stories” Beijing is eager to tell and been an unofficial conduit of bilateral communication, especially during tumult. But now those voices are rarely heard.
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Even Henry Kissinger, who used to boast of his influence over generations of Chinese and American leaders and who has, over the years, acted as Beijing’s “backchannel” to the White House, has lost his shine.
According to his interview with the New York Post in July, the 99-year-old, who has been invited to meet every president since Richard Nixon, has yet to meet Joe Biden.
While Beijing usually blames the rise of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump and America’s political divide for the demise of Washington’s decades-old engagement policy, China critics have almost unanimously pointed to Beijing’s nationalist, authoritarian shift in recent years.
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