7th Fleet Focus: China Plays the Victim

These guys are getting very predictable; this incident has highlighted the predictability of the Chinese.

China said Tuesday it had expressed “grave concern” that the carrier Kitty Hawk passed through the Taiwan Strait on its way back to Japan after it was barred from entering Hong Kong for a Thanksgiving port call.

Mainland Chinese authorities reversed their decision but by then the ships were too far out to sea and did not turn back.

“U.S. officials informed China at that time that it took the route because of a storm,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a briefing. “China expressed grave concern to the U.S. and requested the U.S. to take prudent moves in this highly sensitive area.”

That type of response was predicted here and here, with some additional background here.

The more I observe this incident the more I am reminded how much hasn't changed in China. It takes a lot of arrogance to be the instigator then claim to be the victim, but apparently it isn't beyond the capacity of the ChiComs. The behavior pattern displayed by the Chinese leadership is an expression of the supreme arrogance in central control, and in it is noteworthy the response China always cites in foreign policy matters is that the issue is actually a matter of internal domestic political affairs from their point of view (in this case the One China policy), as if that answer is legitimate for all questions.

This time the Chinese created the incident by denying ships access to port during a scheduled annual holiday visit they knew full well would intentionally and negatively impact a number of American sailors and American people, and did so even during increment weather at sea. When the ships choose to take the safest route to avoid the storm, China plays the victim card because the plot takes those same ships into international waters the Chinese consider sensitive. It will be interesting to observe who gives China a pass, I doubt there will be many takers. Double has met standard, and wasn't impressed.

This also highlights a lack of experience in China, and perhaps exposes a political flaw to be exploited. Note this arrogance plays out in other ways, it is the mindset that 'anything to benefit the state' which leads to a disregard for consequences in dealing with theft of foreign technology, or interference in affairs of foreign powers.

These patterns raise concern regarding the recklessness that extends all the way to the top of Chinese leadership, shaping an image of China rarely exposed to the American public, although the American public appears aware of its existence behind the curtains.

How is the United States responding? Well, a big picture has been developing over the past couple years, and I imagine the dedication and focus of that picture has been sharpened following this recent incident. More on that later.